Comments after watching debate

One of the greatest things I have learned over my many years is that whomever the Democrats are against, I’m for . So, even though I’m not a Donald Trump advocate, I do know that the more rants and ravings I hear from the Democrats against him, the more I come to realize that these Democrats fear him greatly.

I’m watching the Republican debates right now and Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz sound pretty good to me – so did Ben Carson right then, and Trump was OK, too. Jeb Bush stunk! Another thing, when did anyone last see/hear a Democrat vehemently attack another Democrat?

Morris E. Brovold

Colorado Springs

Trump will ruffle feathers

I know many Republicans can’t fathom the thought of Donald Trump in the White House! But aren’t you tired of the same ol’ thing over and over again? No matter who has been president, our country is worse than ever! We should not have any homeless or veterans in need before we take in refugees. Oh my, this doesn’t sound very Christian, does it? But where are you when our veterans need help?

Is Trump an egomaniac . yes . possibly. But think about it . he is the only one raising questions about what has happened to our country. We used to be a very proud country with manufacturing jobs and a strong military. Now we have a president who is almost a dictator. He goes against what the people want all the time. I want a president who will raise questions and not continue giving our country away. Will Trump be able to do all that he says? Probably not . we have a system in place . but then how does Barack Obama get away with the things he does?

He started off with the desire to “change the country,” and boy has he ever! I don’t care what ethnicity you are. America used to be strong – folks clamored to get here to “become Americans.” Now they clamor to get here and never assimilate. Our debt is ridiculous! We need someone different who will bring folks accountable for how they run this country. I want someone who is not afraid of saying things that aren’t necessarily “politically correct.” So think about it, folks. Everyone else running for president once they get in office will continue the same old stuff. Be brave. Let’s get someone totally different in the office! We need a Trump to ruffles feathers!

Paul Garcia

Colorado Springs

Laughable to hear Trump’s words

Charlie Sheen was the last time we heard the use of the word “winning” from a celebrity. It is laughable to hear Donald Trump, a supposed billion-dollar American success story, decry how America “doesn’t win anymore.” It is becoming tiresome to hear Don Chaotic utter such idiotic utterances. If we were such losers, why would everyone around the world want to move here to live. Or for that matter seek to conquer this land to possess its riches?

Mike Tkacik

Colorado Springs

Not giving in to fear

Hillary Clinton has coined a handy catchphrase: we shouldn’t “give in to fear.” How does she define this? Am I giving in to fear when I lock my doors, exercise my right to carry a firearm or choose not to live in a high-crime area? Fear is a powerful motivator to take action to protect ourselves from harm of any sort. To give in is to bury our head in the sand and wish the threat away.

Is it unreasonable to prevent terror attacks in our country by refusing entry to those who are members of a faith within which a significant minority totaling tens of thousands are dedicated to our destruction? Unfortunately, we don’t have the means to tell which are members of that minority and which are not. As demonstrated at San Bernardino, it only takes one or two to cause great harm.

Dik Thurston

Colorado Springs

Understanding the Republican Party

Thank you for Dan K. Thomasson’s vilification of Republicans who favor candidates of whom he obviously disapproves. As he describes them, such Republicans are ignorant, racist, misogynistic, miserly, intolerant, hard-hearted and anti-progress and that is why the party is in trouble.

He claimed his father’s Republican Party “was certainly progressive.” Perhaps that’s a more likely key to understanding the party turmoil of which he writes. Too many elected Republicans have been progressives in the political sense of the word. Progressive politicians generally favor larger, more intrusive centralized government. Thus, too often the results brought forth by elected Republicans seemed little different from that of Democrats. Apparently, many Republicans want the party to present opposing philosophies, not merely slower movement in the same direction as the other party.

H. Wayne Hall

Colorado Springs

Not getting the whole story

I am seeing more and more stories where government employees had been asking that the policy that prohibits the checking of social media, before allowing a visa, is now being considered. It has been explained that Homeland Security is now allowing this check although the policy is not widespread throughout the system. I have recently read and listened to the pundits in the “mainstream media” tells us about this change in policy. However, what is always missing from these reports, except a certain few, is that the reason for the change is that one of the San Bernardino terrorists had posted jihadi statements on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Another aspect of the story that seems to be missing in the reporting is that the question of reviewing social media accounts of those seeking a visa had been discussed years earlier but was denied because if found out would be bad “PR” for the Obama administration. So, the administration has been telling us for years that everything that could be done to keep us safe was being done; I guess that is true provided it would not embarrass the president. For some reason, this administration makes statements that you hope to be truthful; however, they always seem to leave out the qualifiers. Then when it is found out that the president has not been entirely truthful in the reasons why social media was not checked, the press attempts to bury or simply not report the whole story because they do not want to embarrass the president.

And people wonder why Trump is so popular. Not my choice for candidate, but at this rate, who knows.

Patrick O’Connell

Colorado Springs