Manipulating public opinion

In my reading of numerous letters and opinions, mostly regarding our tumultuous national presidential election, I quite often hear statements regarding how President Barack Obama is the worst president we have had. Seriously, folks, there are a very few citizens who are knowledgeable enough to make such a statement. I know how little I really know about our past presidents, and I try very hard to learn new things and spend time looking at our historical leaders. There is a very big problem in America regarding how misinformed our electorate is on major issues.

The press is largely at fault in this, but the real fault lies with each one of us. We, as a nation, have become too busy in our lives to work at learning the truth. It is out there, but not summed up in neat little sound bites. There are propagandists in our midst, and they are very intelligent, however misguided. It is they, the propagandists, who want to manipulate public opinion that things run their way. They are not out to help us, ordinary citizens. Beware, as you go through your day, of information spoon-fed to your prejudices and problems. The USA will survive either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, but the average Joe will continue to suffer, all the way to serfdom, if we do not begin to try harder to learn our own truth.

Timothy Gibbs

Peyton

Mental Health Court closing

Lance Benzel’s disturbing report on shutting down the El Paso County Mental Health Court leaves, in my mind, some unanswered questions. In the past four years, MHC has accepted only 50 candidates, with 20 graduating, this despite the fact that, as The Gazette tells us, nationwide 64 percent of city and county jail inmates have mental health issues. Are the acceptance criteria too restrictive?

The “plan” is to replace this program with two case officers in the county Probation Department, who are named in the article and are clearly highly qualified to work with people eligible for MHC. Still, it would seem that MHC is not really being replaced; rather, it is being gutted.

As citizens, we frequently hear that mental health problems are not being adequately addressed. MHC is a counter-example, although one that has helped “a niche audience deemed too small to sustain” – translation, it’s a money issue. Then we are told that “the probation-based program will place 75 clients at a time with each of its two probation officers.” That’s 150 clients at any one time, not 50 clients over four years. Are we comparing apples and oranges?

Chief Judge Gilbert Martinez and District Attorney Dan May, who made the decision not to continue MHC, owe us a detailed explanation. Specifically, why do you want to terminate MHC and replace it with what is clearly an inferior program? The need hasn’t changed. What alternatives did you consider to keep MHC going? – for example, cutting back the scope of the program in terms of personnel time, changing the acceptance criteria, taking steps to increase the success rate from only 20 out of 50 graduating, etc. Since a $350K federal grant is important to MHC, which is less than $1 per capita for El Paso County citizens, then I might add reallocating budgets or asking the taxpayers to foot more of the bill for MHC as reasonable alternatives.

I have no interest in the MHC issue, other than being a citizen of our county.

Patrick Dowling

Colorado Springs

Bank and realty group not related

The Gazette article on Aug. 25 referencing a foreclosure with a financial realty group (NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.) has caused some concerns with our customers. Rest assured, although similar in name, the companies are not related and are two completely separate entities; Northstar Bank is thriving – and stronger than before.

Northstar Bank – with 18 locations in Colorado and an additional 26 in Texas – is financially secure with assets in excess of $2.3 billion. A wholly owned subsidiary of Carlile Bancshares, Northstar Bank offers the best of hometown community banking and the financial strength and lending power of bigger financial institutions.

For readers who may have questions, we invite you to visit with any Northstar Bank banker and discover a bank that offers personal attention and powerful resources. Northstar Bank is a member of FDIC and an equal housing lender.

Stuart Pattison

Denver

Museum a symbol of division

The new Smithsonian Museum is another step in the wrong direction. Supposedly established to “honor” African-Americans, it stands as another symbol of division. People showcased in this museum are just that – people, and American people at that. To perpetuate the myth that the color of one’s skin makes them either less or more than they are does a great disservice to the ideals of America. There are few actual African-Americans, as after a generation of being born in this country everyone is an American. To spend public money and to mark those achievers of goals and dreams and records above the norm as not quite American but African-American or black is to lessen the honors that they earned. Better to fold them all into a panoply of great Americans and celebrate how they each made life a bit better for all of us. America has more of the best than the rest of the world combined, and that is what we should honor.

Michael S. Welsh

Colorado Springs

Dogs didn’t belong at event

Re: Dogs a problem at Lift Off. I want to personally apologize to Lynette Reagan for my dog. I didn’t know she wasn’t allowed; just knew it was at Memorial Park and didn’t see any signs. I do clean up after her, but she was quite scared of the propane burner sound, and my husband commented that we would leave her home next time. We are new to the area, so I hope you can forgive us.

One reason we love being back in Colorado is the dog friendliness, but you are right, she didn’t belong at Lift Off. Thanks for making us aware.

Teresa McKinney

Colorado Springs