Reflections on the loss of Charlie Kirk

We lost a patriot on Sept. 10. His name was Charlie Kirk, and he was assassinated. His organization is Turning Point USA. He was a man of unwavering faith in God and his son Jesus. That’s God with a capital G, not god with a small g. The small g denotes pagan gods. In the Ten Commandments, God tells us that we shall have no other gods before Him.

Charlie’s death has opened a window for all of us to see God. The eyes are the window to the soul. Look in the mirror. Look deeply into your own eyes. Do you see love, or do you see hate? If you see hate, you can cast out that hate by filling your mind and your heart with thoughts of God and prayer. You can actually turn away from hate, and this country must turn away from hate.

We must make this a turning point for all of us. Don’t stop praying. Thoughts and prayers do make a difference.

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May I suggest reading two books that put things in perspective: The Dragon’s Prophecy and The Avatar. They are both currently available. Also, there is a tribute song to Charlie: Take Him Home Lord by Jelly Roll.

Charlie made a difference around the world, especially with young people. Charlie Kirk: CK: Christ is King.

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Mark Barritt, Glenwood Springs

Vitality Walk shows community support

The morning of Saturday, Sept. 13, at Crown Mountain Park was glorious. The Parkinson Association of the Rockies sponsored the third annual Roaring Fork Valley Vitality Walk. And it was another great success — thanks to our local, regional and national sponsors; our exhibitors; and, most importantly, all the donors and the walkers.

We had 108 walkers registered and 17 teams, which included new faces and friends and quite a number of familiar “regulars.” I particularly want to recognize Bighorn Toyota and Right at Home In Home Care & Assistance for their sponsorship and for exhibiting — thank you for being there.

As I was walking I met people who came from not only other parts of Colorado but from other states as well. They came to support family and friends who live with Parkinson’s every day. In the Roaring Fork Valley alone, we have more than 80 people with Parkinson’s.

The Vitality Walk is PAR’s only yearly fundraiser. They support the Parkinson’s community by providing boxing classes in Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and Rifle; strength and balance classes at Glenwood Community Center; NeuroPong classes starting Thursdays at Glenwood Community Center; monthly caregiver and PD support groups; and a yearly “Chat with a Professional” seminar. Additionally, they have an equipment loan program and can provide access to a social worker ensuring comprehensive treatment and care.

Those of us with Parkinson’s want to thank PAR for being here for us and for our community’s support. The Roaring Fork Valley Vitality Walk is always in September at Crown Mountain Park, the premier park in our valley. See you next year.

Just another Parkinson’s person,

Suzanne Stewart, Glenwood Springs

Editorial prudence

The editorial staff of this paper published a letter Monday in which it was expressed that “the U.S. is in a better place now” following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is extremely disturbing.

Prior to the murder of Charlie Kirk, I didn’t know much about him, so to try and make sense of what happened I spent a few hours digging into the details of who he was and what he did, with an open mind for both perspectives.

What I found is that there are many short clips where his words are taken out of context to profess the opposite of what he said. Finding the longer form of the same conversations, it’s clear that he approached every conversation from a place of compassion while being uncompromising in communicating the truth of his Christian faith as he understood it.

It became clear to me that Mr. Kirk was 0% racist, 0% homophobic, 0% fascist, 0% violent. He was simply a Christian with a powerful intellect who engaged in civil debate. His views were very mainstream and moderate. My general impression is he was a nice and loving person.

One can conclude that Charlie Kirk was murdered because he was a Christian. Apparently, some members of this community think the world is a better place because of the assassination. Having published that opinion, this paper condones and encourages more of the same. It’s one thing to see that type of rhetoric swirling in the dirty ether of social media, it’s another thing entirely when it’s physically printed in your local newspaper.

Joe Claypool, Glenwood Springs

Concerns about South Bridge toll decision

An open letter to Glenwood Springs City Council members:

First of all, thank you for your service to our community.

Second, I’m concerned about the recent vote by the Glenwood Springs City Council to implement tolling for South Bridge. I don’t oppose the idea of a toll for nonresidents of Glenwood Springs (in fact, I like the concept), but based on the article in the Post Independent on Thursday, it appears that this decision is almost certain to jeopardize the $50 million in federal grant money currently pledged for the project, which would mean the death of the South Bridge altogether.

As a resident of South Glenwood, I see a lot of benefits to South Bridge, including increased evacuation capacity in the event of wildfires, reduced traffic pressure on the already overcrowded 27th Street roundabouts and the intersection with Grand Avenue, and reduced upvalley commute times for residents of South Glenwood and Four Mile.

On the other hand, I’m also concerned about the potential for increased traffic on Midland if it were to become a bypass for commuters going through Glenwood (although the 25 mph speed limit along with multiple speed humps and stop signs on Midland north of the 27th Street roundabout would hopefully make that an unattractive option).

The nonresident bridge toll seems like it could be a great tool for mitigating bypass traffic, but if it results in the loss of the $50 million grant, we will have lost an opportunity that isn’t likely to return for a generation (if ever).

I urge the City Council to rethink their decision on the toll to ensure that the South Bridge project keeps moving forward. I’m no expert on the subject, but there must be other ways to disincentivize commuter bypass usage that don’t scuttle the entire project.

Sincerely,

Mark Kirch, Glenwood Springs

Response to divisive rhetoric

You posted a letter by John Hoffmann complaining about divisive rhetoric that was full of … divisive rhetoric. Not only that, but it was full of lies about Charlie Kirk. Oh sure, you can take quotes out of context to prove any point you want, but I challenge anyone to find any evidence of “hate and divisiveness” or “call to arms” from Charlie Kirk, if they read the entire message he stated.

He goes on to talk about the “drumbeats of division” from the right, as if calling us racists, homophobes, fascists, Hitler and a threat to democracy are not drumbeats of division. And in the utmost irony, he complains about misinformation and disinformation, when he himself is spreading both.

I find it unbelievable that so many on the left are so chronically self-unaware that they constantly complain about the things they themselves are doing. As Karl Marx said, “Accuse your enemy of what you are doing as you are doing it to create confusion.”

Today, Marxist progressives support centralized government, control over the economy, wealth redistribution, censorship, disarming the population and demand that people are subservient to the state. All the same ideals espoused by Lenin, Hitler and Mussolini, but we are the fascists and the Nazis?

As for hate, the left just murdered a man because they hated the truth he told, more evidence that the left is the party of hate. The left needs to wake up to the path progressives are taking and start asking if they really want to be a part of the horror that is collectivism.

Joe Blanc, Silt

In support of Tony Hershey

Tony Hershey has received a lot of criticism lately, much of it unfair. I want to offer a different perspective.

Tony is a lifelong public servant who has dedicated his career to our region — as a prosecutor, city council member, assistant county attorney, YouthZone volunteer, and now as a trustee for the Garfield County Public Library District. He understands what it means to serve the public and stand by ethical principles, even under pressure.

Tony has faced intense political pushback from activists trying to remake the library system to match their personal agendas. But he has not wavered. He follows the law, honors library ethics and defends the public’s right to free and open access to information.

Tony’s commitment runs deep — his own family fled Poland when authoritarian control made truth and free expression dangerous. That experience shapes his values and his work.

I previously served on the Library Board of Trustees and was disappointed by how the BOCC handled recent appointments. But I strongly support Tony Hershey as my successor. He’s the right person for the job.

Susan Use, Glenwood Springs