Laws can be easily changed

I read with interest our mayor’s April 23 opinion piece on the advantages of automated license plate readers. Yes, they have been shown to be very helpful in a number of situations requiring immediate action, from kidnappings to hit-and-run to car theft. Yes, there are times when getting access to such data is time-sensitive. Yes, in such cases, due process would slow down critical response times.

Ironically, on another page of the same Gazette is an article about the use of drones. And like license plate readers, the same advantages are given. The number of times drones were used was 1,443 in 2025 and already exceeded 2,500 in 2026.

I am for public safety, but what is sure to happen is the laws and judicial decisions regarding these laws will expand the use of both readers and drones. If we have data from all those license plate readers and drones, how long will it be before the data are used to track down anyone who may be in disfavor with the current regime, whether Democrats or Republicans?

These laws are put in place for safety, and I agree that they can accomplish that. However, when these laws are easily expanded to invade a person’s privacy (4th amendment to the Constitution) and throttle free speech (1st amendment), these freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution will be gone forever.

The most famous quote on this issue is by Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Laws such as I have described need to be watched, and the pressure of the people must be applied to rein them in as necessary.

Roger Thomas

Colorado Springs

No 10 commandments in schools

The Fifth Circuit’s decision upholding Texas Senate Bill 10 is wrong on law, history, and religious liberty. By permitting Texas to require the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, the court transforms the Establishment Clause from a protection of conscience into a license for state-sponsored religious messaging. That ruling should be reversed.

The majority treats the law as though it merely places an inert poster on a wall. It does not. It requires a state-selected sacred text to be posted conspicuously in classrooms where children are compelled to be present. That is not neutral teaching about history. It is government-directed religious display in the uniquely coercive setting of public education.

The court’s Establishment Clause analysis is deeply flawed. The majority narrows “establishment” to something like an official church with taxes, clergy control, and punishments for dissent. But the First Amendment also forbids the government from using its authority to privilege religious orthodoxy and pressure conscience through public institutions, especially schools.

Its precedent analysis is equally defective. Stone v. Graham directly addressed a materially similar law and held it unconstitutional. The Fifth Circuit tries to escape Stone by saying later cases abandoned Lemon, leaving “nothing left” of Stone. But lower courts do not have the authority to hollow out Supreme Court precedent because the doctrine has shifted around it. Only the Supreme Court may overrule its own decisions.

Public schools may teach about religion. They may not be used as billboards for religion aimed at captive children each school day.

Douglas R. Sharp, Ph.D.

Colorado Springs

Attorney General race

I am one of the nearly 3,000 attendees at the Republican Assembly in Pueblo on April 11. Yes, it was a long day, and yes, there were major issues. However, in my opinion, obtaining over 30% of the vote for David Willson for Attorney General is a significant success, especially considering he declared his candidacy only two weeks prior.

Colorado needs an Attorney General who isn’t afraid to challenge Jena Griswold and other Democrats. Our District Attorney, Michael Allen, who is also running for Attorney General, had a responsibility to investigate Jena Griswold when she leaked the BIOS passwords for the election machines. Instead, he chose to pass the responsibility to another DA where nothing was done. Many of us submitted affidavits to DA Allen, requesting an investigation, only to be ignored. We do not want to be ignored in the future.

If you want change in Colorado, vote for David Willson for Attorney General on the Republican primary ballot.

Nancy Murray

Colorado Springs

Healthcare crisis in our backyard

Healthcare funding is rearing its head again. I thought we settled it in the Barack Obama era. The much-lauded Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) cut funding for Medicaid. This spurred funding arguments in Congress that resulted in full and partial government shutdowns – remember them and all the finger pointing? And, yet, the issue still hasn’t been resolved.

To make things worse, some say that the states are supposed to cover this new funding gap. We have witnessed just one example with the rancor in Colorado’s legislature. Imagine 50 states all going through the same rancor. All of this is caused by the lack of leadership by our President and Congress. And, we the people, suffer the consequences.

We are in a new healthcare crisis and most folks do not realize it. Here’s an example close to us who live in Colorado Springs: The Gazette ran an article last week listing Colorado hospitals that may have to close due to the BBB’s cuts to Medicaid funding. I thought these hospitals would all be rural and have relatively small patient populations. But one is Grandview Hospital, literally in our backyard!

Granted, providing and paying for healthcare is a complicated process. But that’s why we elect our Congressional representatives and pay them to have a staff. While our President and Congress choose not to solve the problem, healthcare suffers – and so do we. It’s time to “Crank it Up”.

Peter Knepell

Colorado Springs