All about personal responsibility

I understand this may be a very controversial letter and will offend many readers, but I think we need to remind the public of something many of us were taught by our parents and teachers in a time very different from today.

Please note this is summarized from five sources and the web.

“Personal responsibility is the idea or belief that human beings choose, instigate or control their own actions and destiny. It also means that they can be held morally accountable or legally liable for the outcomes of their actions. Personal responsibility involves recognizing and accepting that one will receive credit or blame for any situation or project one is involved in. It also means actively progressing toward the completion of goals to achieve self-sufficiency, self-advocacy and financial stability. Personal responsibility implies that one accepts complete responsibility for one’s behavior, feelings and decisions in all areas of one’s life.”

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In other words, it wasn’t the teacher that made you have failing grades; it was the lack of effort on your part to do the assignments and prepare for the exams.

It wasn’t the bartender or the car that made you drive drunk and high and kill someone, that was all you.

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It is the person pulling the trigger, not the gun. That person isn’t swayed by any gun laws; if they decide to murder other people, then I am certain they will get it done without worrying about any laws. Because lawmakers make laws that make them feel good, it does not keep the lawbreakers from committing crimes. Last time I looked, murder was illegal, so a gun law that takes away the rights of law-abiding people does not really do much good. If it did, Chicago would not have had 1,900 homicides between 2015 and 2017, a period during which the next-closest city, Baltimore, registered around 1,000.

How about we all learn how to be responsible for our actions. Never mind, I know that is just me dreaming.

Doug Meyers, Silt

Support Little Blue Preschool expansion

Childcare access continues to be an issue in the Roaring Fork Valley. I am fortunate to have spots for my children but know so many families that struggle to find safe, reliable, quality childcare in this community. 

Blue Lake Preschools are dedicated to making a difference for local families by expanding their programs in the community. Little Blue Preschool opened in 2015 and now seeks to expand and continue serving the families and kids in Carbondale. Unfortunately, they have come up against a number of hurdles during the rezoning process with the Town of Carbondale. I am a parent of two children at Little Blue Preschool, and I work three blocks away. Having the school located in town is the reason that I chose this school for my children. Not only is it near my work, it is also within a community where they can walk to parks, go on walking field trips to local businesses and be a part of the community they live in. 

I grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley and have seen how the “urban sprawl” has changed our lifestyle. We get in the car to get groceries, go to eat, do practically anything. We go online to purchase clothing, schedule services and conduct everyday chores. This is what has become normal instead of seeing a vibrant town center with people walking to parks or going to an actual bank, going to the library or to a farmer’s market. I want my children to know what community actually means.

The expansion of Little Blue Preschool would add essential childcare spaces in a community/valley that is growing faster than our infrastructure can handle. We are in desperate need of additional childcare. There is a long waitlist to get into any daycare center in the valley, and when you do get a spot, it is often not for enough days or the days you need. Families are often left piecing together inconsistent childcare for their kids until they are 2 or 3 years old. 

If we expect to grow our community, we need childcare for our children. To the Town of Carbondale: as a lifetime local and parent of two, I urgently ask you to approve the expansion of Little Blue Preschool.

Vicky Bogner, Glenwood Springs

Beware the poets

Come join in the revival of the Aspen Poets’ Society on Saturday, May 6, from 4:30-6 p.m. at Explore Booksellers, featuring musical artist Dylan Starrs, an open mic for poets and short storytellers of all ages, plus guest poet Tori Miner. Those who sign up for open mic will be given five minutes to share their words. The event is free, and the public is invited.

The Aspen Poets’ Society plans to schedule a few Live Poetry Nights yearly, once again providing the Roaring Fork Valley community, and beyond, an intimate stage for the spoken word.

Live Poetry Night began at Zélé Café in 2006 and moved to the Hotel Lenado, then Victoria’s Espresso and Wine Bar and lastly the Mountain Chalet where the most recent gathering was held in October 2018. Restrictions of the pandemic delayed revitalizing the group for over four years.

The Board of the Aspen Poets’ Society, Ink

Lisa Max Zimet and Kim Nuzzo, co-founders

Marjorie DeLuca, Vice President

Lisa Zimet, Carbondale