Government leaders need to get off wrong side of history and gain new perspective
In the book “Mark Twain” by Ron Chernow, I found the perfect explanation for why many people conformed to “the terrifying power of the environment to shape and distort human behavior.” He was referencing the justification of slavery by so many otherwise good people, including clergy, but it explains so much more.
I grew up in the 1940s and ’50s in what is now referred to as a “red state.” And I must admit that I was a racist, believing that whites were intellectually superior to Blacks. My parents didn’t use racial slurs and were kind, but they erroneously judged Black people harshly. Sadly, that was more liberal than many locals felt.
I was an adult when I moved to a more neutral environment and was gradually exposed to reality.
But this is not about racism per se. It is about sequestered groups and communities that seldom are exposed to other views of the world.
That Chernow quote is the best explanation I’ve found to understand how good, kind people can accept the travesties taking place.
Yes, immigration is broken, but we turned our heads for years and took advantage of the workers. Send back the criminals and the more recent arrivals, but have empathy for those who have been here for years, raising families, serving the communities, and often serving in the military.
We have known there has been waste in all government departments for decades. It must be corrected — but not with a chainsaw and mindless, inhuman, vindictive overkill.
Congress and other branches of government must be more informed by their awakened constituents than they fear the president.
David L King, Erie
Reconsider red-light cameras for safety
I recently traveled to Miami, and my GPS device warned me of red light cameras at traffic lights while I was driving. It turns out that many lights have cameras (at least in Miami Beach, where I was staying). They actually work as cars stop before the light turns red, rather than racing through as we often see here.
Why? Because drivers know a camera will catch them if they don’t stop. I would like to see more of those here, and think the accidents they help prevent outweigh the arguments that these cameras are a threat to civil liberties.
Thomas H. Brady, Wheat Ridge
Presidential struggles with truth-telling
Those of us of a certain age grew accustomed to presidential administrations’ intentional struggles with the truth a long time ago — LBJ’s falsehoods about Vietnam; Nixon’s about Watergate and related matters; Reagan’s about Iran-Contra; Clinton’s about Monica Lewinsky; W. Bush’s non-existent “weapons of mass destruction”; and, Biden’s… let’s just say his memory about stories he told failed him. But Trump takes the cake, hands down.
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Federal lawsuit seeks to stop ICE agents from arresting people at immigration courts ICE flexes authority to sharply expand detention without bond hearing Coloradans say politics is state’s top problem — and they feel powerless to do anything about it ICE deportations are derailing Colorado criminal prosecutions Denver’s mayor thinks big and moves fast — netting mixed results. Two years in, should he slow down?Fact-checkers have largely given up due to the huge volume of falsehoods. So please understand we want to see the receipts on “obliteration versus heavy damage” and Iran spiriting away the enriched uranium prior to the bombing.
Public trust is built heavily on transparency and truth, so don’t be so surprised about the lack of trust in our elected officials and stop attacking journalists who are trying to get the truth.
John W. Thomas, Fort Collins
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