Uinta Basin Railway concerns

I’ve lived in Glenwood Springs for 20 years and seen many changes. Some keep pace with the times while others demonstrate infrastructure struggles to keep up. Recently, I’ve noticed increased rail traffic, specifically the size and frequency of oil tanker-trains rolling through our city. I’m also aware of the Uinta Basin Railway (UBR) proposal to increase the number of tankers running alongside the Colorado River. I’m concerned with the unpreparedness of the rail system and an increased potential for train derailment. Even one, small accident could have enormous effects on our local environment, public health and regional economy.

These concerns are not without precedent. Last May, a train was engulfed by a mudslide in Glenwood Springs, causing track damage and disabling the train. A 2015 toxic spill into the Animas River in southwestern Colorado devastated communities for years, demonstrating the horrific effects these types of accidents can have when discharged into rivers. Then the tragic incident in eastern Ohio last February caused the evacuation of thousands and presented those unassuming residents with unimaginable health vulnerabilities on multiple levels.

As a concerned citizen, I’m worried that we could have similar incidents in our own backyard. We are already taking this risk. Why would we want to increase our chances of incurring a crippling disaster? I want to do everything I can to make as many community members as possible aware of this issue. I think the most important thing we can do right now is to let our elected representatives (local, state and federal) know our concerns. Ask them to block the advancement of any proposal that threatens our lives and our livelihoods. The recent court ruling citing the project proponents’ environmental study was insufficient shows that those who stand to benefit from this proposal don’t necessarily have the safety nor best interests in mind of those who would be most impacted by a mishap. Tell our elected officials to keep the UBR project from becoming a nightmare we could suddenly find ourselves in.

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Bob Cambell, Glenwood Springs

American Birthright is alarming

It is alarming the RE-2 School District is considering American Birthright as the social studies curriculum, which calls “diversity, equity, inclusion or social justice as harmful to learning” (Glenwood Post, Aug. 31). Social studies should teach history and critical thinking, presenting many view-points and encouraging issue evaluation from multiple perspectives.

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A good social studies curriculum isn’t a list of everything good America has ever done — it is a look at how America has changed and evolved, and current issues it is facing. It doesn’t cherry pick facts or avoid issues to appease groups of people.

Two of the Unitarian Universalist guiding principles are the “inherent worth and dignity of all individuals” and “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” We believe that the content taught in public schools should be decided by professional educators, and worry when a small group of people try to limit exposure to ideas and information.

Peter Westcott, Carbondale 

Chair of Two Rivers Unitarian Universalist Social Justice committee

Pay attention. This matters.

Firstly, I too was at the Silt Community Forum in support of the already in place Colorado 2022 Standards. While the majority that spoke were in favor of the American Birthright Standard there were a handful that spoke who were against them. I did not speak at the forum because of the four white males who did speak who were sitting in the front row wearing hats with the word “outlaw” on them. Immediately, they brought back memories of Jan. 6 and the images of brazen Proud Boys who thought they were above the law. We know now that they were not. One by one, as numbers were called, many speakers passed out of what I believe was fear. Fear not, my friends, there are other ways to make your voice heard. One can write a letter to the editor, complete the survey at garfieldre2.net, talk to other parents and share the survey with them.

Secondly, the Post Independent got it right in saying that the AB Standard is conservative but they are also white nationalist conservative. We the people do not exist in a vacuum but are a part of a larger whole where everyone, whether LGBTQ+, minorities, or man and women matter and so do their historical accomplishments. We are all human.

Lastly, Our America is growing in diversity and it isn’t going to stop. It is important for the district to prepare our children for the future not by sticking to the way things used to be but by embracing change and educating our children on the past, present and future.

Stacy Duchscher, New Castle

Full story on Trump’s indictment

While I sit here on Labor Day, I realized that In just a few short years Joe Biden has been able to make some major accomplishments. He has created a historic inflation crisis, more than doubled the interest rate to buy a new home, devalued the dollar, increased our national debt to an all time high with excessive spending, botched the Afghanistan withdrawal, created the lowest test scores among K-12 students in decades, has the highest vacation rate of any president in modern history, has allowed 7.2 million illegal border crossings amid the worst border crisis on record, prolonged supply chain shortages, has our strategic petroleum reserves at historic lows, has created record personal credit card debt for Americans, has record homicide rates in a dozen major cities, has gotten us to return to energy dependence and sky high energy bills, and has weaponized the federal government against political opponents, and so much more. I’ve got to say, “Bidenomics is a total failure.”

I find it strange, not really, that every time negative news comes out about the Biden family, almost the next day there are new charges filed against trump. Usually within 24 hours. June 7 FBI releases documents alleging that the Bidens took a $10 million bribe from Burisma. The next day, June 8, Jack Smith indicts Trump. July 26, Hunter Biden is denied blanket immunity from future prosecution. This is one of the craziest things that I have ever heard. The DOJ wanted to sneak a deal that said that he could not be prosecuted for any criminal charges for ever going forward. One day later, July 27, Jack Smith adds more charges against Trump. July 31, Hunter’s business partner testifies to Congress that Joe Biden was on over 20 business calls with his son’s business partners over Burmisa. You got it right, the next day, Aug. 1,Trump is indicted again.

The media is only telling you what they want you to hear. I challenge you to watch CNN or NBC, etc. For every 30 minutes you watch these channels, you must watch Newsmax for 30 minutes to get the whole story.

John Harcourt, New Castle