A few thoughts for ‘What it’s worth’

For what it’s worth, the right of way on a roundabout / rotary is to the vehicle already engaged in the roundabout. There are yield signs present that should be obvious communication to all. As my sister would probably pronounce: “hello!, read the signs.”

For what it’s worth, I’m pleased to see signs in the middle of the street for all crosswalks in Manitou Springs indicating the right of way to the pedestrian. I just wish all drivers would acknowledge this as I stand dumbfounded in the middle of the crosswalk waiting for cars to stop, and hoping the cars will stop, but they don’t always. I’ve had drivers stair at me like I was a fool as they drove without stopping. Must be me, eh?

For what it’s worth, and for all the many years and long hours of working in aerospace, I enjoyed the early mornings, lunches, and evening training sessions on The Incline at Manitou Springs with others of like mind. It was a peaceful departure, with few around, as was the Garden of the Gods. So, what’s happened since 2016 – 2020 and later?
Doing The Incline seems to involve able-bodied posers from out of state getting to the top in 3.5 hours and declaring victory. Y’all coming in from Texas, ain’t you got an ant hill somewhere you can climb? May I suggest training in advance of traveling to our fine state so you don’t hold others up as you stop 10-15 or more times on the way up. Your fitness level will also help as you descend Barr Trail back to the parking lot.
I must be getting cranky after living in Colorado since 1988.

For what it’s worth,

Stephen Kelly

Colorado Springs

What is an illegal order?

Is this Jason Crow that stupid and that sick with Trump Derangement Syndrome that he would tell military personnel they don’t have to follow illegal orders – yet he could not define what an illegal order is?
So a young soldier is in the field and is told by his commanding officer to fire his mortar but he wonders is that a legal or an illegal order. So maybe there should be a lawyer assigned to his unit but what if the lawyer doesn’t know? Maybe it will have to be decided by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the enemy has destroyed or overrun his unit and the soldiers are killed or captured and the battle or war has been lost.

How absolutely disgusting that these so called veterans would stoop so low as to pretty much encourage sedition. For what? I’m sure they all took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

No where does it say “except illegal orders”. So, what in God’s name are these idiots encouraging. Maybe they have forgotten this oath. They should be thrown out of Congress. Crow has no business representing the state of Colorado. I hope the citizens of our once great state remember these comments when the midterm elections take place. God Bless the United States of America and our brave military men and women.

Barry S. Oswell, LtCol, USAF (retired)

Colorado Springs

The parallels are striking

I am a student of history. Since I was in the seventh grade decades ago I have read history starting with World War II and then branching out to cover many countries and many centuries. On September 30, 1938, British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain returned to London from Munich, Germany where he had agreed that Adolph Hitler could annex a portion of Czechoslovakia, the Sudetenland. The annexation was completed in days. Chamberlain’s promise was that the betrayal of the Czech nation would bring, “Peace in our time.”

Six months later Hitler’s forces occupied the entirety of Czechoslovakia. On September 1, 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and the second world war was underway. Donald Trump has given the nation of Ukraine until Thursday to accept the Munich-style agreement his administration has created with Russia. Like the Czechs, Ukraine was not included in the agreement’s drafting.

Trump would give Russia approximately twenty percent of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people receive nothing in return except the promise of a ten year pause in hostilities. The parallels between 1938 and now are striking. George Santayana’s expression, “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it,” comes to mind. We are told Trump does not read history. Time will tell if caving in to a twenty-first century despot will have a different result than the events of 1938.

Joe E. Smith

Colorado Springs

Who benefits from Trump’s plan?

All Americans should contact their Senators and Representatives to denounce Donald Trump’s proposed 28-point peace plan in Congress. This is not a peace plan. It is Trump’s bid to get “his” Nobel Peace prize while enriching American and Russian investors. In the long run Ukraine loses and Russia wins. This “is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future.” (Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic)

The only people who benefit are Russian and American investors. No surprise, as the plan was negotiated by Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real-estate developer with no historical, geographical, or cultural knowledge of Russia or Ukraine, and Kirill Dmitriev, a wealthy Russian official. No Ukrainians need apply in determining their own future; nor Europeans, who will be directly and adversely affected by a strong Russia. Once again, the “swamp” – the oligarchs and autocrats – wins. Or is trying to.

Lorena Wilder

Colorado Springs