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Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

I’m compelled to ponder the significance of moral imperative, especially the consequences resulting from its absence. A church sermon on the subject came just when had I experienced untruths, deception and unfairness resulting from an absence of moral imperative in our justice system.

The term is defined as having a deep instinctive sense of right and wrong that creates a desire for fairness and justice, which prevails in humans throughout civilization in all the world’s cultures.

Significantly, moral imperative is an inborn human instinct, not one that’s acquired. It’s well documented by recent scientific studies proving that infants, as young as six months, possess this strong moral code, enabling them to discern the difference between good and evil.



Isn’t there ample proof in our daily lives that we know right from wrong? Notably, accepting the adage that “life isn’t fair” proves we do know the difference.

Nowhere is the lack of moral imperative more obvious than in the politics of our government at all levels. The best examples are politicians we vote into office based upon their pledges to represent “we the people,” who then break their promises and choose to ignore what is right and wrong and what is fair and what is unjust.



In regard to moral imperative, I’ve spoken to many people who’ve had occasion to seek help from public officials, almost always with the same outcome – broken promises with no apparent results.

As a way of life, moral imperative could mean less crime, less discrimination, less governmental control resulting in the fairness and more individual freedom. Certainly the greatest impact would be in running the government with less inane legislation, innocuous rules and regulations, illegal executive orders and unfair court decisions, all of which negatively affect our daily lives and livelihoods.

Just ponder, if you will, what if moral imperative became a way of life, a social absolute and a government priority? Would it not attest that we ordinary citizens, as well as our political representatives, would simply be doing what comes naturally?

Moral imperative has even more incredible spiritual truths for all who chose to learn.

Richard D. Doran

Parachute

My name is Terry and I’m writing this because I am very concerned for the safety of my fellow pedestrians.

About six weeks ago, I was crossing in a crosswalk when I was struck by a vehicle. I had the right of way. The driver simply failed to look my direction before they turned left. Thankfully I wasn’t seriously hurt, this time.

Since being struck, I have had numerous close calls with traffic, most of them occurring in intersections containing crosswalks while having the right of way. My question is, what will it take for motorists to realize they can seriously maim or kill someone in a crosswalk, all because they weren’t paying attention?

Please, for the sake of the community, pay attention when you drive. It could be someone you know in the crosswalk.

Terry Ethington Jr.

Glenwood Springs

As expected, there are those who are critical of Congressman Scott Tipton’s vote against the Senate bill (actually it is more accurate to call it a “deal”), which some claimed would avert the so-called fiscal cliff. Those same critics would have us believe that Rep. Tipton actually wants to see a recession and a government shutdown. That’s absolute nonsense.

Rep. Tipton voted exactly the way he told his constituents he would vote if he were called upon to raise taxes, absent some unforeseen and compelling reason. Moreover, the Senate package did nothing whatsoever to address the bigger problem, a need for meaningful spending reform.

Along with most of his House colleagues, Rep. Tipton is correctly bent on cutting wasteful spending in Washington.

Those who think that the House of Representatives is doing nothing are uninformed. For example, the Republican-led House has passed two budgets in the 1,350-plus days since the Democrat-controlled Senate last passed a budget. However, President Obama and the Senate Democrats won’t act on the House budgets, presumably to protect special interest spending and government waste that would otherwise be cut by Republicans.

It’s ironic how Democrats continue to warn that Tipton and other conservatives are somehow a threat to Medicare and Social Security. The truth is that these conservatives realize that those programs are facing bankruptcy if Washington doesn’t do something now to curb wasteful spending.

We in the 3rd Congressional District should be relieved to know that Rep. Tipton did not give his stamp of approval to the so-called fiscal cliff “deal” that tap-danced completely around the obvious culprit of the problem – irresponsible government spending.

Nor, by the way, did he go along with the part of the “deal” that punishes small businesspeople with higher taxes, job reductions and a plan that crushes economic growth. Rep. Tipton is making good on his promises to fight against higher taxes and to stop the spending frenzy. We need more of his kind in Washington.

T. Michael Holmes

Grand Junction

Thank you to the Carbondale Fire Dept volunteers for their midnight response to our 911 call Dec. 31 for my parents’ house six miles up the Crystal River. The smoke alarm awoke us at midnight and we discovered smoke pouring from the furnace.

Our rural driveway has no address markings for the six homes that share it, just a U.S. Postal Service box. The fire department drove past and turned around when they saw the next address that was visible, realizing they had gone too far.

My parents have been here for 42 years and this was their first emergency, so it was the first time I realized how much danger they were in from lack of a visible street number, as are our neighbors and many other rural dwellers who have Highway 133 addresses but no visible numbers on the road.

I called Pitkin County the next day to find out about numbering. We are supposed to have 4-inch-tall numbers that are visible in the dark from both directions.

I went to buy adhesive numbers and discovered that neither tape nor paint will adhere in this frigid cold to our driveway marker, the metal mail box.

Fire Chief Ron Leach has been very kind and will inform his team captains about exactly where my parents are should another emergency occur.

Delta County installs red and white numbered signs on every rural driveway in the county. It is a poor county compared to Pitkin County. I suggest that Pitkin and Garfield counties follow this excellent safety measure.

Last year was a terrible wildfire year. We should all have easy-to-find addresses for any emergency that should occur. If the county would install these on every public road to indicate house numbers, we would all be safer.

Illene Pevec

Carbondale

I’m just appalled by the half-million-dollar severance pay that Colorado Mountain College trustees gave to President Stan Jensen without any explanation to the public.

In recent years I have seen many people dismissed under the confidentiality clause in many government entities. These people work for us and must govern in total transparency. We must insist on this and take away all powers from them to act under the confidentiality clause.

When teachers, police officers, CEO’s or anybody is terminated by a government entity, it should be done with total transparency. When there is severance pay or wrongful termination lawsuits, it’s all the taxpayers’ money and not the money of these representatives.

Another question I have is, was the vote even legal under their rules of procedure? Most government entities require a two-thirds vote for any major decisions. Four out of seven is not two-thirds, and out of that only three voted. So was the vote even legal?

I ask the Post Independent to investigate CMC’s rules of procedure. This should be public information. If these trustees did break their own rules, they must be recalled from office immediately and their decision reversed.

And what’s really funny is now they’re talking about replacing this position with two positions. Are both going to get $198,000 per year plus benefits? Will we pay both of them a half a million dollars when they leave?

Steven Elmore

Rifle

Editor’s note: CMC’s rules state that a majority of the seven-member board forms a quorum. Thus, a meeting of four members constitutes a quorum. CMC does not have a two-thirds vote requirement for its board, just a simple majority of those present.


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