Leave it to Texas

The good old boys in the Texas legislature saw fit to outlaw abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, when most women aren’t even aware that they’re pregnant. I say “good old boys” because these hyper-conservative, myopic yahoos are almost exclusively men, deciding for women what choices they can make.

These are the same people that rant against science and try to invoke Nazi Germany in their anti-vaccination protests. “My body, my choice” sounds like a pro-choice rallying cry. Nope, it’s what anti-vaxxers have on their protest signs. The hypocrisy is staggering, but nothing new for these misogynistic 21st-century fundamentalist Republicans.

Last week, they received a nod when the Supreme Court refused to stay the law from taking effect. (Susan Collins was astoundingly wrong about Brett Cavanaugh.) They’re pro-life but refuse to allow schools to mandate masks or even take common-sense measures like getting vaccinated to prevent the spread of a pandemic. Meanwhile hospitals fill up and deaths skyrocket.

They’re pro-life, but (in Texas, anyway) allow children to bring concealed-carry guns into schools. They’re pro-life, but provide financial incentives (bounties!) for citizens to turn in their neighbors if they dare to defy the anti-abortion decree.

The classic Republican position is to get the government out of peoples’ lives and pocketbooks and lifestyles. Except, not with abortion. Let’s see, they oppose vaccines, abortion, feminism, gay rights, race relations history … they sound just like the Taliban.

Greg Sauer, Woodland Park

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Re: Carbon pricing

Currently, Congress is working out policy details for inclusion in the budget reconciliation. Climate legislation is to be included in some form. Now is the time to push for the most efficient means to mitigate climate change: a price on carbon.

Today, 44 countries practice some method of national carbon pricing, in fact, of the world’s developed economies, only the U.S. and Australia do not have some form of a nationwide carbon fee. Our economic day of reckoning may come in 2023 when the E.U. plans to institute its carbon border adjustment. This component of carbon pricing taxes energy intensive imports from countries without a similar carbon price. Wouldn’t it make more sense to catch up with other forward thinking nations instead of being penalized?

In March, the American Petroleum Institute, our nation’s largest trade group for the oil and gas industry, endorsed carbon pricing as a preferable market based policy that will foster innovation and technological advances in the effort to mitigate climate change. According to the IMF, a carbon tax policy will grow the economy and increase employment.

The West is experiencing an ongoing historic drought, the lower Colorado river system is at forty percent capacity. Lakes Mead and Powell, on which millions of people depend on for water, are at record low capacity. In May, California’s budget proposal included two billion dollars, just for wildfire mitigation.

What are we waiting for?

Andrea Storrs, Divide

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Abuse of tax exempt status of nonprofits needs to be thoroughly reviewed by Congress

Not-for-profit organizations contribute very little financially to the Teller County revenue stream, yet these NPOs receive emergency medical services, fire department services, street, sewer and water services, and police and sheriff services that we the real tax payers pay for.

In view of the recent political activities of these NPOs, I think their tax exempt status needs a thorough fiscal review.

The tax exempt status of NPOs is not protected by the constitution. It comes from legislation passed in the congress. Thus, it can be amended and corrected by Congress.

For example, in 1969 the Tax Reform Act created Section 501©(3) in the Internal Revenue Service Code. This Section has become a synonym for NPOs in today’s parlance. In 1976, Congress passed a bill that allowed 501©(3)’s to legally spend up to $1 million per year on lobbying. Thus, NPOs became politicized.

Today, the original intent of incentivizing monetary support for organizations like the Red Cross and the United Way has been besmirched. And in many instances, many of these nonprofits have become little more than a laundry for washing money given to politicians and political issue organizations. The original good intentions of the NPOs have been evermore abandoned.

Enormous sums of money are now raised by computer and the donors have little knowledge of how their donations are being spent.

To measure the financial worth of these NPOs check their Form 990’s at irs.gov. Also, check their Federal Election Commission Reports at fec.gov to determine what the foundations are donating to politicians and political issue organizations.

A thorough review of these nefarious activities is warranted right now and corrective action should be taken by the Congress to reestablish the original intent of tax exemption for charitable giving.

Ed Biersmith, Divide

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A city without an urgent care facility is not a city

Why should we have to drive 30 miles to reach an urgent care facility? Don’t kid yourselves … Woodland Park is not a city, but a glorified Town. No bus service, no train station, no airport — just lots of potholes. Try and attract an urgent care facility at least. There are lots of locations that could work!

David Adamson, Woodland Park

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My take on what’s going on in Teller County and the world

Most of us in Teller County are aware of what’s happening in our country. But are you aware that what is happening in America is happening around the world?

Socialism, Communism, Facism or any other word that means dictatorships are trying to take over the governments around the world! It is a well organized, international threat to all freedom loving peoples. Our enemies want a one-world government that they can rule with an iron fist.

Our first line of defense is We The People, but they are not afraid of us. They are afraid of our second line of defense, our 2nd Amendment, our right to keep and bear arms and our right to protect our country from enemies, both foreign and domestic!

Government police in France, Germany, England, Italy, Australia, Spain, Brazil and throughout Asia and South America are using rubber batons and tear gas to control their people. People who do not want to wear face diapers or take the stab. They, we, want our freedoms restored!

Have you noticed that many people in these foreign countries are waving the American Flag and carrying our Constitution as their symbols of freedom?

They know that they will fail in their efforts and they are counting on us to stand to protect our freedoms and by doing so to protect them. We are that shining light on the hill that the Bible speaks of and by our example, we give them the hope and inspiration to fight to free themselves from tyranny.

There is no other country coming to save us, no other country where we or anyone can take refuge. We, Americans, are the last defense against an evil tyranny in this world.

We must save ourselves, FIRST! By doing so, we will save the world. But if we do not use the power we have, we will lose it. The power we have is the power of God.

No other country in the history of the world has based its foundation on the power of God-given rights, not government granted rights, but rights granted by the creator and ruler of the universe.

The key to God-given governance is self control. Another word for self-control is virtue. It is that internal mechanism that guides us in our daily lives.

Virtues do not come naturally to mankind. They have to be taught and learned. The Ten Commandments summarize what it means to be virtuous: Don’t make images of God; Don’t take God’s name in vain; Observe the Sabbath; Honor your parents; Don’t kill; Don’t commit adultery; Don’t steal; Don’t perjure yourself; Don’t covet another’s possessions or your neighbor’s wife.

Virtues are taught in the family, encouraged in our churches and protected by virtuous men in government. We need virtuous men to stand and lead. Men who know that a man’s role in life is to provide for and protect his family and by extension his country. Men, ready to die to defend their God given rights!

Will YOU stand? Will YOU lead?

We have examples of flawed, but virtuous men amongst us. Those leaders who profess to run for our school board because “Whoever controls education, controls the future.” Please God, let it be godly and virtuous men.

If we are not ruled and guided by a Holy GOD, we will be ruled and enslaved by evil men!

Keith McKim, Florissant

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Letters to the editor are published on a space-available basis, first-come, first-served. Email letters to michelle.karas@pikespeaknewspapers.com. The Courier reserves the right to edit to reject any submission and to edit submissions longer than 250 words. Letters should have the author’s full name, address and phone number for verification purposes.

Concerned abnout COVID outbreaks in our schools

Editor’s note: This letter was presented to the Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Board of Education at its Sept. 7 meeting.

I’m writing this evening to implore you to implement a mask mandate within Lewis-Palmer School District.

I know you will be getting many emails and phone calls about this issue. I know that the “unmask our kids” crowd is passionate as well.

With the highly infectious Delta variant circulating, removing masks indoors is a recipe for disaster. Just one infected child could spread the virus to an entire class, especially in elementary schools where no children are yet vaccinated. And we are already seeing this happen at Lewis Palmer Elementary, just weeks into the school year. I just received the notification tonight of a COVID outbreak at Lewis-Palmer Elementary School.

This is why both the CDC and the Academy of American Pediatrics strongly recommend masks for unvaccinated children in schools at this point in the pandemic.

Yet at the same time, the CDC has data showing that among adolescents who were hospitalized with COVID this past spring, a third were admitted to the ICU and 5% required ventilation. We are seeing huge hospitalization spikes in children who have caught the Delta variant, including children admitted to intensive care units. Hundreds of children have died so far of COVID-19. One is too many.

If you keep the maskless or mask-optional environment, especially among children under 12, we risk losing that safety measure that so many of us desire and deserve for our children. Again, all it takes is one maskless, infected individual to spread the virus to many (as it already has).

Last school year proved that kids could go to school and remain safe, even during a global pandemic. Why was this possible? MASKS. Masks worked last school year, and most children adapted well. And part of the reason masks worked well is because all children and staff wore them inside diligently.

Until all school-aged children have the opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19, we need to continue to protect them. Even vaccinated individuals can get and spread COVID-19, and while they will be well protected against getting seriously ill, they still may transmit the virus, particularly to those who are unvaccinated. While children are thankfully less likely to die or require hospitalization than adults, many are still developing long term symptoms from the virus.

Hopefully, all our children will soon have an opportunity to be vaccinated soon. But until then, we need to continue to protect them with masking.

Angela Petrow, Monument

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Letters to the editor are published on a space-available basis in The Tribune. Send letters to michelle.karas@pikespeaknewspapers.com. Priority goes to letters 250 words or fewer. Letters should have the author’s full name, address and phone number for verification purposes. The Tribune reserves the right to edit submissions.

Re: Aug. 31 article “Sculpting history” 

I enjoyed reading the article “Sculpting history: The story behind the Tuskegee Airman statue at the Air Force Academy, as told by Colorado Springs resident Peggy Shivers (Part 1 of 3),” but I take exception to one point stated in the article.

That the “Tuskegee Experiment was a racist test meant to prove that some people were different, less qualified and capable,” is an absolute lie, and it should not be portrayed as such. That is an insult to the race, and maybe in today’s world it might be popular to add fuel to the racial fire, but I think it is an insult to those who participated in the “Experiment.” The Tuskegee pilots were sought after by bomber pilots flying missions over Germany during World War II, saving more lives that any other fighter pilot squadrons. They always asked for the “Red Tails” to fly support. Is it illogical to think that the government would go to such expense to prove that Black men could not do the job?

OK, now that I have gotten that off my shoulders, on a more positive note, Clarence Shivers was a good friend of mine. I thought that I was his best friend, until I went to his funeral service where everyone who got up to talk said that they were his best friend. That is just the way Clarence made you feel. He was a wonderful, kind and loving man.

He told me that he felt that the cadets at the Air Force Academy should know about the Tuskegee Airman, so he decided to build a bronze statue. He was an accomplished painter but had never sculpted anything, so he got a book and read up on the matter. At first he made statues the size of a Michael Garman statue and sold them to raise money to do the full-size statue that you find in the courtyard at the Academy.

In his home are many of his paintings, but one that I saw was especially good. It was his painting of Martin Luther King Jr.. It was so realistic that it looked almost like a photo of him.

I had the opportunity, through my Rotary Club, to go for interviews by sixth graders at Jenkins Middle School, who wrote my life history. I took Clarence with me so that a student could gain the experience in interviewing him. It was a great experience, where I picked him up each week for six weeks, and took him to school for the interviews.

Finally, I took him to the old airport in the Springs for an interview with the media the day before the annual air show. I believe it was the same one that is shown in the photo (see attached) in the article, because he had the chance to talk to Rog Rogers next to his Tuskegee T-6 Trainer.

Clarence was truly a wonderful person who added a great deal to my life to have known him. I will never forget the experiences I had with him and with his lovely wife, Peggy. She is such a delightful person of many talents. May God always bless them both.

Max Calkin, Colorado Springs

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