Dear Editor,

As one of the rules of letters to the editor, the Post Independent does not allow personal attacks. I would suggest that the same rules should apply to guest columnists. Bob Richardson’s vitriolic column of Sept. 6 against the Re-1 school district, teachers and administrators certainly fit the “personal attack” criteria.

There were no facts or substance in his attack against professionals who work very hard at wages far below what other professionals earn with similar education and experience. These attacks without support from someone who has scorned elderly people!

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Please look in the mirror, Mr. Richardson, check your information and facts, visit a few classrooms, spend some time in the teachers’ and administrators’ shoes, become educated about your subject before you write another column based on your gut feelings about a subject you clearly know little about.

Bill Lamont

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Carbondale

Dear Editor,

Mr. Sunny Stapleman, Sir, you are absolutely right. Bleeding heart liberals do not have a clue, or perhaps they just want to see what they want to see.

Saddam Hussein is pure evil. He has no regard for human life at all. I absolutely guarantee if Saddam gets his dirty little hands on weapons-grade nuclear material he will use it. We need to get rid of him right now, and to all your bleeding heart liberals, if you think weapons inspections will solve the problem, well then you have your heads in the sand. Saddam Hussein has had plenty of time to hide his weapons program; why do you think he is inviting the U.N. inspectors back? He has fooled the weapons inspectors before and he will do it again.

Hey all you bleeding heart liberals, if you want something to bitch about, how about the fact that in women in the Middle East are treated like second-class citizens. How do I know? Been there, twice, bet you haven’t.

Ken W. Heller

YNC (SW), USN (Ret)

Glenwood Springs

Dear Editor,

Recently there have been editorial comments by Scott McInnis, Cal Thomas and others likening a “diplomatic” course of action with Iraq to Nevill Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler. Scott, Cal and others who use this historical analogy conveniently ignore the reason why Hitler happened in the first place.

Following World War I, France and Britain decided to extract extreme reparations from Germany in terms of territorial concessions, financial remunerations and dramatic industrial change. This caused the German economy to implode and the major social unrest that followed set the stage for Hitler. Imagine how different the 20th century would have been if France and Britain had listened to Woodrow Wilson and not taken the hard line. Consider the effects of the Marshall Plan on post-war Europe and how it gave Germany a new lease on life.

The United States is now about to embark on a military campaign that potentially will have as far-reaching consequences as the World War I truce. I don’t hear anyone saying that Saddam is a nice guy but the greater concern should be what happens after he is gone. The Bush administration doesn’t offer any clear plan for this. You may recall that at the outset of the Afghanistan invasion, Bush said that we were not in the business of “nation building” and that we would go in and clean up the Taliban and get out. That has not happened. The situation in Iraq is far more complex given the combination of two different religions factions (Shiites and Sunnis) and the Kurds, not to mention ALL THAT OIL.

Chances are that we will be signing on to a long-term commitment that will have long-reaching effects just as the World War I truce did. Let’s think hard before we leap.

Wick Moses

Carbondale

Dear Editor,

Every few years I get the urge to write a letter to the editor. The last time was in June 1997, when I was the instigator in circulating a petition to have the new jail built on the old UPL site where it eventually ended up. More than 500 signatures were obtained by my “partners” and me, and the issue was actually printed on the ballot and voted upon, but a protest was upheld by a judge in Denver (I still think the city attorney could have rendered a decision) due to a legal technicality and the results were never made public. Had they been, I think the jail would have been built sooner at a savings of a million bucks or so.

Now for the issue at hand, so the city would have a little more money to spend! I bowl in an evening league down at New Castle and drive on Midland Avenue to our car-pooling place at the Glenwood Springs Mall. The sun has already set by the time I leave my house and I meet a lot of cars coming towards me.

Our state driving regulations state that “driving lights” must be used between sunset and sunrise. I would venture to say that even though it is getting quite dark, about 25 percent or more of the violators I meet still do not have their lights on. I switch my lights on and off to “wake” them up. But they probably just think “mind your own business” and go on.

It is a narrow road and does not have enough room to stop cars just any place, but the police could flag down the violators at a convenient location and give them a ticket. The State Patrol and the city cops could do the same thing on Grand Avenue. Maybe we could all benefit from lower taxes if they caught enough “dark lovers!”

Now that I am “on the air,” maybe I can mention something else that has bugged me for a long time. I believe that one of the most widely misused grammatical errors applies to the difference in use of the letter “o” and the numeral zero “0.” There really is a big difference, and I think the biggest offenders are the radio and TV stations.

How many people use the letter “o” in giving you a telephone number or a street address? You would be right if you said “most of them.” All telephone numbers and street addresses are composed of numbers, not letters. Some people might say, “What difference does it make?” Well, in most cases it probably doesn’t, but why not say it right?

In an e-mail address, for instance, if you don’t use the right one, it won’t go through.

I don’t expect to change the legendary misuse of the letter “o” in baseball games and other places, but they really do mean zero in defining the number of balls and strikes! I just want you teachers out there to use the right term in teaching your students.

One more thing – it’s not a cement sidewalk – it’s a concrete sidewalk, if you want to be right.

P.S.: Regarding Tom Williams’ letter to the editor recently. I have known Tom for about 50 years and he’s a “straight shooter,” so you crooks better watch out! It is too bad that he wasn’t in the vicinity when those culprits stole his hunting camp tent – maybe he could have gotten in a little target practice!

Just talking,

Maurice “Mo” Barz

Glenwood Springs

Dear Editor,

I read Mr. David Krest’s letter regarding Madelyn Toogood. I am so appalled by the statement Mr. Krest made that after reflecting on her situation, “… more likely than not we have all abused one another mentally and most likely physically, especially our own children.”

I beg to differ with you sir, but more than likely most of us have not “abused one another mentally and most likely physically, especially our own children.” I have no idea the community you grew up in, household, schools, etc. but I can tell you this, after reading your letter, I also reflected on your letter just as you did on the Toogood situation and I cannot help but feel that you, Mr. Krest, owe your children and the parents of this community trying to raise our children to be decent citizens, with people such as yourself as our neighbors, a huge apology.

You sound like her defense attorney or my mother. I would hope most citizens agree that no child belongs with that kind of mother and instead of making excuses Mrs. Toogood and her lawyer need to own up to her actions and take responsibility. Lucky for you Mr. Krest, your children grew up without a surveillance camera. Perhaps not so lucky for your children?

Sincerely,

Barbara Arrowood

Battlement Mesa