By Tim Welker
The shooting death of Denver Broncos player Darrent Williams on New Year’s Day and the 2005 shooting deaths of Javad Marshall-Fields and Vivian Wolfe, witnesses to a gang-related crime, leave us wondering if we’re experiencing another wave of gang violence.
By Tim Welker
The shooting death of Denver Broncos player Darrent Williams on New Year’s Day and the 2005 shooting deaths of Javad Marshall-Fields and Vivian Wolfe, witnesses to a gang-related crime, leave us wondering if we’re experiencing another wave of gang violence.
What we do know is that these tragic cases and others are shaking our communities to their cores, and I know that a lack of education is at the core of this issue. In fact, there is a direct correlation between dropouts and gang members. We cannot sit back and let the problem spiral out of control.
We must act now to ensure that young people have hope for their futures through education, youth mentoring and employment opportunities.
At Goodwill, our programs help at-risk youth connect the relevance of their education to their futures. But we can’t accomplish this work alone. We need and accept financial support, of course. But we also value our hundreds of volunteers, who are willing to do what it takes to ensure each and every student can look forward to a bright future.
Goodwill seeks to ensure that young people have the education and post-secondary options that will help them stay in school, graduate and prepare for the work force. We help provide options to the street, to drugs, and a life of violence. At Goodwill, we help people help themselves. And to do that we need the help of the community.
Many volunteers devote hundreds of hours to teaching young people a better way. At Goodwill, we have a multitude of programs that are addressing problems we know can become a barrier to young people reaching their full potential. The following are initiatives of our youth services program:
School To Work, based in 27 public schools in Denver, Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe and Weld counties, is a nationally recognized program that places us with the most at-risk students. The program’s curriculum complements the schools’ academic objectives. Local business leaders support the program by sharing their expertise with classes. Our staff and volunteers also provide one-on-one mentoring of students.We welcome any help from the community to keep these programs going and to increase the number of young people we assist. For more information about partnering with Goodwill as an employer, please contact Mary Hendrix at mhendrix@goodwilldenver.org or call 303-650-7734. To volunteer in the schools, please call Mary Lane at 303-650-7733, or e-mail at mlane@goodwilldenver.org.
The time and money it takes to continue and expand these initiatives to reach more at-risk youth in additional schools is a small price to pay to help our young people become educated, contributing members of society instead of resorting to lives of crime.
Tim Welker has been president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Denver for 28 years.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 PM
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This Speakout has not been edited
By Robert E. Forman, Lakewood
Some people I know are wondering whether or not the 82-year-old former President Carter has acquired the early stages of Alzheimer’s (or the Dan Brown syndrome) since he continues to stand by a book whose basic premises are totally flawed and inaccurate.
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By Robert E. Forman, Lakewood
Some people I know are wondering whether or not the 82-year-old former President Carter has acquired the early stages of Alzheimer’s (or the Dan Brown syndrome) since he continues to stand by a book whose basic premises are totally flawed and inaccurate. Just like an elderly man who won’t admit that he mentally incapable of driving, Carter seems to be an elderly man who is incapable of admitting that he and his book are horribly wrong.
According to a story on page 6A of the Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 edition of the combined The Denver Post / Rocky Mountain News, apparently a number of critics have characterized Carter as being a liar, an anti-Semite, a bigot, a plagiarist, and a coward — and at least 14 members of his own advisory board to the Carter Center resigned to protest what they and others contend is a book that is unfairly critical of Israel.
And yet Carter has the lack of understanding to still claim that “Not one of the critics of my book has contradicted any of the basic premises...that is the horrible persecution and oppression of the Palestinian people and secondly that the formula for finding peace in the Middle East already exists.”
First of all, if there is any of this “horrible persecution and oppression of the Palestinian people” it comes mostly at the hands of the Palestinian people against themselves, by other Palestinians, by Arabs, by Persians and by other Muslims who have no desire to allow Palestinians to live or assimilate in lands that is not in “Palestine proper.” Jordan, for example, for many years had and has Palestinian refugee camps where Palestinians who fled “Palestine” over the years are kept. Jordan has absolutely no intention of allowing a large number of Palestinians to swell the populace of Jordan. And the same is true elsewhere in the Middle East.
And an “honest” critic of the Middle East would point out that the Jews and Christians in any other country in the Middle East other than Israel are under horrible persecution and oppression. Woe to any human being in Iraq, Iran or Saudi Arabia who even dares to convert from Islam to Christianity; death is the punishment for anyone who dares insult Allah by doing such a thing.
When Israel completely left the Gaza Strip, what was the first thing the Palestinians did? Did they make any attempt to improve their lives, to improve their situation, to improve their infrastructure, to show Israel and the world that they could be “good neighbors?” No, of course not; they lobbed rockets into Israel. And Israel had to respond. The Palestinians are their own worst enemy. Virtually any and all “horrible persecution and oppression of the Palestinian people” is as a direct result of what they themselves do to themselves.
Secondly, any contention on the part of Carter that “the formula for finding peace in the Middle East already exists” is Alzheimer’s wishful thinking if Carter truly thinks that the Palestinians, the Arabs, the Persians (Iranians) and Israel can and will coexist in peace and tranquility.
Hamas wants Armageddon.
Hezabollah wants Armageddon.
Iran wants Armageddon.
The Palestinians would prefer Armageddon over sharing Palestine with Jews.
Virtually every Muslim nation and every Muslim person in the entire world would prefer a Middle East without Israel if a Middle East with Israel means conflict and war with those who don’t want Israel in the Middle East.
And more and more non-Muslims throughout the world are slowly coming to the conclusion that a Middle East without an Israel “may” be the better long-term solution, since the only alternative seems to be a Middle East with Hamas, Hezabollah, Iran and everyone else who wants Armageddon to exterminate Israel and the Jews.
The “formula for finding peace in the Middle East already exists” is absolutely true from a Hamas, Hezabollah, Iranian and Quran point of view: It’s called exterminating Israel. The Bible calls it Armageddon.
The Oslo “Peace” Accord is not the Oslo Peace Accord according to the Muslims; it’s the Oslo Hudna Accord. A “hudna” is a “false peace” treaty Muslims make with non-Muslims. It is not binding and means absolutely nothing. A “hudna” goes back to Mohammed himself. That is what he did. He signed “hudnas” with his non-Muslim enemies to make “peace” until he was strong enough to defeat them in battle.
Carter can defend his book and his views all he wants to. But his book and his views are not based on the realities of the Middle East. They are based upon the wishful thinking of a silly old man who hasn’t a clue what the real stakes are. The very existence of Israel in the Middle East is an insult to the Quran and to Allah. Hamas knows that. Hezabollah knows that. Iran knows that.
The Palestinian people know it. And they will sign all the “hudnas” Carter and anyone else will come up with.
But, eventually, it will come down to the event Hamas, Hezabollah, Iran, the Palestinian people, much of the Muslim world, and most of the rest of the world will want: The attempt to exterminate Israel once and for all. The Bible calls it Armageddon. And there is nothing Carter can do to stop Hamas, Hezabollah, Iran and others from trying to exterminate Israel.
Posted by denver-admin at 10:09 AM
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Shocked by Salazar's speech in Spanish
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By James J. Tenant, Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired, Centennial
When U.S. Sen. Salazar took office, he said, “I’m not the Hispanics’ senator". His political track record to-date, tells a far different story. Much like “Mecca: nuke’em till they glow” Tancredo, I am shocked Salazar delivered the Democrats’ pre-State of the Union address in Spanish, as reported in the Jan. 20 Rocky Mountain News article, “Colo. senators clash over Spanish speech".
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By James J. Tenant, Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired, Centennial
When U.S. Sen. Salazar took office, he said, “I’m not the Hispanics’ senator". His political track record to-date, tells a far different story. Much like “Mecca: nuke’em till they glow” Tancredo, I am shocked Salazar delivered the Democrats’ pre-State of the Union address in Spanish, as reported in the Jan. 20 Rocky Mountain News article, “Colo. senators clash over Spanish speech". Latinos comprise 14% of this nation’s population, and it is un-American that Salazar selfishly opted to communicate only to this small segment of citizens and “illegals". Furthermore, Salazar uses his energies only for the financial gains of the ag industry and Vatican, through the exploitation of criminal illegal Mexicans, and their new -wave “paid” slave labor. “Illegals” contribute to blacks only by adding to our already staggering misery-index (decreases in wages and benefits, resegregation of communities, corrupting the Voting Rights Act of 1965, retarding black student achievements, etc.).
Blacks comprise 14% of this nation’s population too, and it is clear that Salazar has fired a shot across the bow (hood), that he only represents Latinos, and Allard has clearly shown he only represents whites. Colorado blacks are left without any representation in the U.S. Senate. If U.S. Sen. Obama had delivered this speech, he wouldn’t have done it through any African language dialect. Obama can’t communicate to blacks in a selfish way, because when we came to this country, we were stripped of our native language, religion, culture, and our women-folk were raped and bred like cattle, in pursuit of Herculean slaves. Salazar supports Bush in his attempts to strip Arabs of their religion, language, and culture. It is mind-boggling that Salazar can distribute a newsletter, listing his vapor accomplishments (Bush-league), with no mention of Iraq-NAM. When the Vietnam War “broke-out", Salazar broke for sanctuary in the priesthood and Romney scampered off to his Mormon mission. In their stead, 55% of the “draftee-soldiers", killed “in-country” Vietnam, were black, while we only comprised 14% of the nation’s entire population. Ali is still scratching his head. Allard called Sen. Feingold a “insurgency-sider". I wonder if Allard considers himself and Salazar, “communist-siders".
Despite hundreds of e-mails and letters I’ve written to Salazar and Allard, regarding how disabled black Vietnam veterans’ job, contracting, and disability benefits are being stolen, neither has chosen to take any action or responded. This fraud, waste, and abuse of federal funds, is true within all Front Range regional federal agencies, state and local government agencies, and their corrupt contractors. Allard did go to the rescue of a white disabled Vietnam veteran, and he got that warrior more then $400K in arrears VA disability pay. Allard could only blush though, when it was disclosed that this warrior lied about him being a POW. No sighting of Tancredo, Pelosi, Reid, and the Denver Deputy USAG, on this Mile-High racist fraud.
Cunningham and Ney could use some more “roomies". I proudly join U.S. Rep. John Murtha (USMC Vietnam War-hero), “I wouldn’t serve in today’s armed forces".
Posted by denver-admin at 10:03 AM
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Support Our Troops - with 200,000 Iraqi Solar Energy Technicians
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By Jason Spellberg, Boulder, and Laura Hagg
During Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Bush urged support for his "new" Iraq strategy. But most Americans don't regard sending 20,000 more troops to be much of a policy shift. Indeed, the Bush Administration seems to be following the same game plan that has, so far, failed to control Iraq's spiraling violence.
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By Jason Spellberg, Boulder, and Laura Hagg
During Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Bush urged support for his "new" Iraq strategy. But most Americans don't regard sending 20,000 more troops to be much of a policy shift. Indeed, the Bush Administration seems to be following the same game plan that has, so far, failed to control Iraq's spiraling violence. And even if these troop reinforcements do stabilize Baghdad - which is far from certain - the victory is sure to be fleeting, because the Sunni Triangle remains deeply divided along sectarian lines. It's hard to imagine that even a reinforced U.S. military can appreciably transform the destructive mindsets of so many Iraqis. And with most Iraqis now blaming U.S. forces for enflaming the violence, simply sending more troops might even make the situation worse.
In order to maximize the chances that our military succeeds, the Bush Administration should recognize that Iraq's problems cannot fundamentally be resolved via force alone - especially not an occupying one. Because widespread community involvement is the most effective way to get Iraqis to cooperate in building rather than destroying, U.S. policymakers should consider an entirely new approach to the reconstruction itself. Specifically what is needed is a large-scale, grassroots development effort that effectively galvanizes "ordinary" Iraqis to eagerly participate, en masse, in the reconstruction of their country. A nationwide, community-based solar electrification program, coordinated centrally but implemented locally, may be just the support our troops need.
Why solar? Well, there are actually many compelling reasons, but here are four:
First, Iraq's sun, unlike its oil, is a collective, inexhaustible, and uniformly distributed resource (i.e., no sectarian group has a geographic monopoly), meaning that it can be harnessed and distributed without instigating further conflict.
Second, because solar arrays require no fuel, their ability to generate electricity cannot be compromised by attacking fuel distribution infrastructure. Thus, solar power is harder to sabotage than fossil-fuelled energy - a key plus in war-torn, electricity-starved Iraq.
Third, solar panels are very easy to install and maintain, enabling masses of underemployed Iraqis to be quickly trained as photovoltaic technicians. This ease of deployment aspect, combined with the undeniable life-improving benefits associated with solar energy, could impart average Iraqis a powerful incentive to get involved by helping to install more panels. After all, electricity to light and air-condition one's home - and to refrigerate one's food - represents a valuable commodity in Iraq's harsh desert environment. Solar electrification thus offers Iraqis an immediate, tangible reward for doing something positive about their frustration with the paltry reconstruction progress.
Finally, a solar electrification campaign has enormous public relations potential. With some shrewd leadership on the part of Iraq's central and/or regional governments, such a program could be hyped-up into a clever "Power to the People" initiative that further entices Iraqis to set aside sectarian differences in favor of modernizing their country - community-by-community. And because Iraqi masses would be doing all the work, radicalists might find sabotage increasingly difficult to execute without instigating intense popular backlash. Solar electrification is therefore one of the few reconstruction proposals that has a decent chance of weakening the insurgency and shifting Iraq's public opinion more towards U.S. favor.
Contrast this multitude of benefits with the stark disadvantages of conventional, "top-down"-oriented development projects - such as the $27 billion network of diesel generators the Iraqi government has proposed installing in Baghdad. While solar power can help liberate Iraq from its horrible civil conflict by invigorating the reconstruction via widespread community implementation of a plentiful, securable energy source, conventional projects like diesel electrification just reinforce the status quo by doling more money out to large, multinational contractors - who then eschew grassroots participation in favor of exclusive, specialized work teams. Hence, conventional development does little to encourage the cross-sectarian collaboration and widespread employment upon which Iraqi unity ultimately depends.
Of course, to make a truly formidable nationwide impact, Iraq needs solar energy on a grand scale: scores of giant, megawatt-sized arrays that really help bolster the country's feeble electrical services by harnessing lots of that infamous desert sun. Only a large-scale public works program offering powerful socio-economic incentives can align the entire nation towards a steadfast, singular objective - no security force could ever impose such a profound transformation entirely on its own.
How much will all this cost? Well, a five-megawatt solar energy program implemented in a few select communities might run about $25 million. But this investment could reap astonishing returns. Not only would it electrify thousands of Iraqi homes - most of which currently endure deplorable basic services - it would also promote a durable, environmentally-friendly technology that, unlike petroleum-based energy, is ideally suited to encourage essential community involvement in the reconstruction. If successful, this pilot program could then be expanded into a nationwide campaign perhaps 100-times larger, thereby proliferating the stability upon which more conventional aspects of the reconstruction so crucially depend.
But the most compelling grounds for considering this proposal might be that it offers enormous potential reward at minimal cost. Indeed, a mere $25 million can establish the efficacy of a truly original development plan - one that can lend critical support to our military as it struggles to finish an extremely arduous mission. We owe it to our troops to try.
Posted by denver-admin at 09:53 AM
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Wal-Mart and bank bill
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By John K. Miller, Rolla, MO
First of all, I’m surprised to see RMN in favor of Wal-Mart.
On the other hand, like most liberals, you’ve missed the point of Wal-Mart’s wanting to own an “industrial bank.”
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By John K. Miller, Rolla, MO
First of all, I’m surprised to see RMN in favor of Wal-Mart.
On the other hand, like most liberals, you’ve missed the point of Wal-Mart’s wanting to own an “industrial bank.” As Wal-Mart has stated repeatedly, they are NOT interested in having an industrial bank to operate banking facilities in their stores. Wal-Mart wants to own an industrial bank to handle all of the credit card and debit card transactions in Wal-Mart stores, Sam’s Clubs and Neighborhood Markets, so that they don’t have to pay fees to a regular bank to process these transactions. By processing these transactions themselves the company will save money and can pass these savings along to their customers. By prattling on about how Wal-Mart can/will open full service bank branches in their stores and compete with regular commercial banks, you’re just adding fuel (and fear) to the anti-Wal-Mart fire of the Democratic Party and the labor unions.
One fact that Sen. Tochtrop & Rep. Marshall (and other politicians of their ilk) had better wake up to is, the majority of the citizens of Colorado (whom they work for, not the unions) as well as the majority of the citizens in the rest of the U.S., like Wal-Mart. If they didn’t, Wal-Mart wouldn’t be the largest company in the world. They keep attacking Wal-Mart & come re-election time, they may find themselves unemployed.
Since SB 40 prevents Wal-Mart from doing something they have repatedly said they have no intention of doing, let the Colorado legislature pass it.
It will serve to show the people of Colorado that contrary to popular opinion (and the way it’s supposed to work) the state legislature doesn’t work for the people, those who elected them, but works for the unions who pay them extra to vote the way they (the unions) want.
If the FDIC buckles under to the Democratic Party and labor unions and denies Wal-Mart (and other large corporations) the right to own an industrial bank, they’re going to have a lot of explaining to do since a precedent has already been set by letting other large corporations own an industrial bank.
Oh, and in case you haven’t already guessed it, I’m a Wal-Mart hourly associate. I work at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in St. James, MO. I read an abbreviated version of your article in the Daily News section of Wal-Mart Wire, a company on-line service for associates that features world-wide news articles about Wal-Mart (good and bad) and other company related items. I then read the entire article on your web site. I’m 58 years old, have worked for Wal-Mart for 5.5 years, and haven’t had any use for unions for over 40 years, so no one can say that I’ve been brain-washed by Wal-Mart. I’m retired from one career and am working at Wal-Mart to supplement my retirement income. I’m earning well over twice the minimum wage.
Posted by denver-admin at 09:50 AM
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The Juan Diego project
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By Randle Loeb, Denver
Juan Diego Project in Highlands, across from the Neighborhood Recreation Center and three schools was debated in a meaningless public hearing last night before the full City Council, minus Councilperson Charlie Brown.
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By Randle Loeb, Denver
Juan Diego Project in Highlands, across from the Neighborhood Recreation Center and three schools was debated in a meaningless public hearing last night before the full City Council, minus Councilperson Charlie Brown. The meeting was a courtesy hearing for the community and the advocates for the Colorado AIDS Project, who had Director Jacky Morales-Ferrard, of Housing and Neighborhood Development Services, explain what this seventeen unit individual permanent apartment building for homeless individuals with AIDS represents for Denver. Many residents resent the idea of doing more than their full share with regard to housing poor, disaffected people. Some said that the Juan Diego Project was in the wrong location. Others in the community lauded the presence of the homeless with AIDS as a necessity, but want the property used for an expansion of the recreation center in a few years.
Juan Diego was the farmer who discovered the bleeding roses outside Mexico City and saw the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe, for which a day of celebration is recognized on December 12 every year. The name of the project is for those who are poor and who have a place in the world, which certainly relates to these people who will be residing in Highlands.
Both sides had merits in their arguments regarding the placement of the apartment complex. Juan Diego is an expensive development and Del Norte has had many management problems. The use of this land for seventeen units of housing is over priced and questionable. I could not testify before the Council because I felt torn in my belief that it is not a cost effective program. What I believe though, more ardently, is homeless people have a place as citizens here and need places to live. When Mr Brown, the Councilperson is willing to site facilities in his district and the affluent White people in the Southeast and west are willing to shoulder their burden of the housing needed for low income people, who fall below 30% (Areas Mean Rental Income), then meetings like last night won’t be necessary. There was no doubt that almost all of us who attended the meeting agreed that housing for the poor (affordable housing below 30% AMI) is necessary. Work force housing would be a significant step in this direction since most families and those who are ill, on fixed incomes, who have disabilities, cannot afford to live here or even in North Denver.
This is the crux of the problem, and not that we have no tolerance for the homeless with HIV/AIDS.
Posted by denver-admin at 09:44 AM
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Cervical Cancer Privacy Glitch
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By Mari Lynn Glidden, Aurora
Everytime I visit my posse of health care providers I am asked to sign a HIPAA disclosure to explain my rights to medical privacy and the office’s policy to respect that privacy. What does SB 080 provide with respect to my family’s medical privacy?
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By Mari Lynn Glidden, Aurora
Everytime I visit my posse of health care providers I am asked to sign a HIPAA disclosure to explain my rights to medical privacy and the office’s policy to respect that privacy. What does SB 080 provide with respect to my family’s medical privacy? SB 080 is the bill requiring parents to declare their daughters have been vaccinated to prevent HPV by age 12 in order to attend public school in Colorado. Although the bill allows for parents to opt out of the vaccine, the document the schools use to verify a child’s vaccination history suggests the vaccinations are mandatory. It is a government mandate for parents to vaccinate.
This bill is written in the spirit of protecting the daughters of Colorado from a disease that may lead to cervical cancer. The current preventative treatment for cervical cancer - early detection with PAP tests - is nearly 100% effective in treating cervical cancer. From a cost efficiency perspective the drug Gardasil made by the drug giant Merck does not eliminate the need for PAP tests. The vaccine only provides 70% protection against cervical cancer according to Dr. Emily Senay from her recent appearance on CBS The Early Show. If our legislators are trying to curb medical expenses, it appears to only be adding to the bottom line. The Center for Disease Control states cervical cancer is responsible for an average 150 cases and 40 deaths in Colorado annually. The use of this vaccine may not change those numbers. It may increase the numbers if women rely on the vaccine and forgo regular exams.
The sponsors of the bill are well-intended to educate the public of the options available to them, but at what expense. Literally - how much will this program cost? As recently as January 4, 2007, the Lt. Governor Norton and then incoming Lt. Governor O’Brien declared January Cervical Cancer Awareness Month as part of an initiative to educate Colorado women. They have launched a program that provides education and treatment for all women regardless of insured status or income levels. This is a perfect platform to accomplish what this bill is addressing without jeopardizing medical privacy, increasing regulation for our schools and adding burden to our state budget.
As a cancer survivor I am very aware of the benefits of Gardasil. But even with my history I am approaching this decision for my daughter with a great deal of thought. Other miracle drugs have been introduced in the past only to be quickly taken off the market due to side effects that weren’t evident in the testing phase. Gardasil is still experimental. A series of three shots are required but there is not enough evidence to know if a booster shot may be needed later. There are many reasons for a parent to opt out of this treatment. This is a personal decision and I do not wish to share my choice with anyone other than my family physician.
The legislature should be encouraging education, not mandating treatment. Merck is the big winner in this legislation. Merck should pay the bill for marketing their miracle drug.
Posted by denver-admin at 09:32 AM
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North Denver Schools - Finger Pointing and Looking in the Mirror
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By Mike Archer, Golden
As a graduate of North High (1968), Horace Mann Junior High and Bryant-Webster Elementary I watch with great sadness the decline of those wonderful schools.
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By Mike Archer, Golden
As a graduate of North High (1968), Horace Mann Junior High and Bryant-Webster Elementary I watch with great sadness the decline of those wonderful schools.
I still remember so many fine teachers - Mrs. Moore the librarian at Bryant-Webster; Mrs. Papadeas (my ATF), Mr. Brewer and Mr. Lucas at Horace-Mann and Mr. Zordani and Mr. Verderber at North. The complete list would be very long. Were there any bad teachers? None that I remember. There were some strict teachers. You didn’t turn your head in third-grade class when Mrs. Ballou was speaking, that’s for sure!
It seemed to me then that if you came to class ready and willing to learn, you would learn. That’s not rocket science. As for any child then or now, the distractions were many but almost everyone held the primary charter of getting an education.
So, what’s the problem today? There has been much finger pointing and some outright ridiculous actions - such as the wholesale firing of teachers at North. The problems have been a long time coming and they will be a long time in repair, even assuming the correct path is eventually taken.
The correct path, it seems to me, is going to require less finger pointing and more looking in the mirror, especially by the Hispanic/Latino communities whose students comprise the majority of students in those schools today. I’ve repeatedly requested historical statistics from DPS, to no avail. It’s clear a chart of the rise in the Hispanic/Latino population has a very high correlation with the fall in graduation rates; but no one wants to go there for fear of political-correctness.
There are gangs. There is a language problem of enormous proportions. They are no standards for the students - they dress as they like, come and go as they like. Funding is inadequate. New plans come and go almost as quickly as the kids jump on and off campus.
Still and all, the primary reason for the decline is students who do not come prepared, are unready to learn and have no pride in getting an education. This doesn’t start with the teachers, the administrators or the budget. This starts at home. If you are truly ready to learn the opportunity has always been there and is there today.
I must agree with former governor Dick Lamm and representative Tom Tancredo who have said the current Hispanic/Latino culture places too little emphasis on the traditional American values of pride of achievement and goal-directed action.
Students need to learn English early on in their school years. If we need bilingual classes at the high school level something is already seriously wrong. I remember the Hungarian immigrants at Bryant-Webster who came over during and after the Hungarian uprising of 1956. All of them could write and speak English within months of their arrival in America. There parents insisted on it and so did the schools.
They received no special privileges and achieved for that very reason: they had no other choice and were grateful for the opportunity. No one was rich in our neighborhood and many people of all races were very poor. I remember one Greek immigrant student; his t-shirts were made of rags and - yes - paper. But his single mother sent him off to school every day. He graduated in the top of his class at North and is today a very successful contractor in California.
No student of any color should get a free pass. We’ve done this for decades and the results are obvious in the poor achievement of the students and the decline in the schools. We’ve instilled a sense of entitlement that has led to years of one excuse after another. “The road to hell is paved with good excuses,” my Uncle Gene often reminded me. My grandmother was more succinct, “Shut up and get to school before you are late!” Continuously lowering the bar for students lowers the bar for the school as well as the community. The end result is the unmitigated disaster we now have on our hands. Pride, critical to success in America, gets washed down the drain.
Parents need to insist their children attend school regularly and are ready to work. They need to instill the American dream that hard work pays off. It may take time, but it has worked for every other minority that has come to this country; it can work for the Hispanic/Latino community, too. However DPS and the community can aid these goals is the way to go and the only way to go: Mandatory attendance to conferences and English language for parents, dress standards for students, scholarships to encourage excellence; whatever it takes.
In my years at Bryant-Webster, Horace-Mann and North High there was very little racial animosity. Bryant-Webster at the time was probably fifty percent Hispanic. I’m certain the differential in graduation rates as a function of race were very small. North was perhaps fifty percent Caucasian, thirty percent Hispanic and twenty percent Jewish. The smartest girl in my class at Bryant-Webster was Hispanic. There were several Hispanic kids in the top 10-25 of my graduation class. (No, I wasn’t in there with them!) Almost everyone graduated. We were all students and children first; race was scarcely an issue. That was because no one played the race card to gain advantage or privilege. You went to school, you studied, you learned - you graduated. Let me say it again: It is not rocket science. Take a good look in the mirror. It’s reality check time, folks.
Posted by denver-admin at 09:29 AM
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Immigration raids not racist
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By Nick Adlon, Sheridan
OK, OK, OK, enough is enough people. ICE raids are not racist. ICE enforcement of laws is not racist. They are not out to get immigrants living and working in the United States legally. They are tasked with enforcement of immigration laws.
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By Nick Adlon, Sheridan
OK, OK, OK, enough is enough people. ICE raids are not racist. ICE enforcement of laws is not racist. They are not out to get immigrants living and working in the United States legally. They are tasked with enforcement of immigration laws. No single person is targeted because of their race or country of origin. People are arrested for violating federal immigration laws. They are advised of their rights and detained as per court order. It is actually quite simple really, should ANY immigrant wish to avoid arrest and detention, then enter the United States legally. File the paperwork and do the time as thousand do every single day. If you are here legally, I shall support you each and every step of the way, if not, I have no sympathy. Yes, wanting to make a better life for your family is a noble cause, but should you rob a bank or any store or person, then you shall be arrested and sentenced accordingly.
As for language barriers, look at it this way, with over 200 spoken and written languages, you can not accommodate each and every one. To expect all others to speak English while you continue to ignore the language, then you are the true racists. Amazing isn’t it that with all the known languages on this planet, some of which have no written form, only Spanish is “forced” to be common place in print, radio and television. True there are satellite broadcasts and internet broadcasts that can be found in many languages, but at a price. Again, racist that one language is provided for free and others must pay. As of yet, I have not found any that cater to Aborigine, or Bushman, why doesn’t some “activists” call for all languages to be printed, and broadcast openly?
As for some religious leaders saying we must show compassion, I agree.
However you must also remember “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesars and Render unto GOD that which is GODs.” The spirit of man is what you are tasked with comforting, and the laws of GOD accordingly, but the laws of man must also be obeyed. By deciding which laws are applicable in the view of the church, and which are not, you become much like the Taliban and various other sects.
I have looked in various dictionaries, thesauruses, and the all mighty web. I have spent time asking people of intellect, street and spiritual wisdom. I have read until my eyes bled and yet one fact remains true. NOWHERE does the term “illegal immigrant” specify any one race, religion, sex, age or creed.
All it defines is a person from one country, living in another country in violation of the latter’s laws. To say the term is racist is not a fact in any way shape or form. It is an opinion, and unless you can find a law, any law of immigration stating that “illegal immigrant” refers to any race, then it is not racist, but does show that you are.
So please stop with all this “ICE RAIDS RACIST". Implying that all other nationals in this country abide by immigration laws and that a certain group of foreign nationals need not, you have shown what true racism is. And as we again remembered the late Great Rev. Martin Luther King, he never pointed out any one race, he embraced all so that all would be judged by their accomplishments, not the color of their skin To those who pervert that great simple truth, you destroy his memory and taint his legacy.
Posted by denver-admin at 09:25 AM
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By Denny Dressman
If you’ve ever driven past a pickup truck or SUV sitting on its roof in the snow and wondered, as I have, “How on earth did that happen?” this story should help you figure out the answer.
By Denny Dressman
If you’ve ever driven past a pickup truck or SUV sitting on its roof in the snow and wondered, as I have, “How on earth did that happen?” this story should help you figure out the answer.
It was seriously snowing as we passed through Idaho Springs on our way back to Denver early last Sunday afternoon. Unexpectedly, traffic began to crawl the way it does after the lifts have closed. But this jam had nothing to do with eastbound skiers.
Up ahead, three Colorado Department of Transportation snowplows in tight formation were clearing the accumulating snow from that stretch of Interstate 70. Seeing the maneuver was a first for me, and I found its precision as impressive as a flyover of fighter jets in formation.
In case you’ve never seen it either, let me tell you how it worked.
In the three-plow phalanx the blade of the lead plow directed the snow from the high-speed lane over in front of the second plow, which was lagging slightly behind. That truck, in turn, deflected the roiling mess into the path of the trailing third plow, whose angled blade propelled it toward the guard rail beyond the slow lane.
So what does that have to do with upside-down vehicles in the medians? The answer is in the way some drivers responded to those lumbering snowplows.
As we proceeded deliberately but steadily, I noticed headlights approaching in the side view mirror on the passenger side of my Cherokee. A pickup truck was closing determinedly in what is a traffic lane in better weather but was an extension of the shoulder in these conditions.
He was going to have to cut in on someone, maybe me, I thought. The plows were less than a hundred yards ahead.
I tensed, expecting to have to avoid either the car in front of me, if it had to brake quickly to make room, or that truck and its crazy driver. But I was wrong. The pickup forged onward, and eventually passed the third plow in a shower of caked snow and road grit.
That fast, the “Parade of the Impatients” was on. Over the next several miles, 50 or 60 pickups, SUVs and, yes, sedans, too, followed the leader. Even drivers near the front of the high-speed left lane, who up to that point had accepted the slow pace, began jockeying for the middle lane as a first move toward busting out and around the plows.
I shook my head and hoped that no one would lose control and spin out. It could have been quite a pileup if they had.
And I wondered what those plow drivers thought, as rude driver after rude driver slogged past them. I decided they have seen it thousands of times. And are probably never puzzled whenever they see another idiot who wouldn’t slow down cattywampus in a ditch.
Denny Dressman is the Rocky’s associate managing editor/administration.
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By John Dumbleton
On Jan. 13, the Rocky Mountain News published “North High teachers take fall for inert students, bureaucratic bog,” a guest column by former North High School English teacher W.L. Herrick. To say that Herrick’s attack on students at Denver’s North High School was misguided and inappropriate would be putting it mildly.
By John Dumbleton
On Jan. 13, the Rocky Mountain News published “North High teachers take fall for inert students, bureaucratic bog,” a guest column by former North High School English teacher W.L. Herrick. To say that Herrick’s attack on students at Denver’s North High School was misguided and inappropriate would be putting it mildly.
I was hired to teach English at North High School in December — to replace Herrick. I graduated from Metro State in the fall of 2006, so I am a first-year teacher. I completed my student teaching at another Denver Public Schools high school that is similar demographically to North, but during my short time there, I reached out to all of my students, demanded high levels of academic achievement and personal conduct from them, and would never accept anything less than their best efforts. My students responded better than I could have imagined.
DPS recently implemented an inquiry-based education model, and “What is a Monster?” was the major question for first-semester freshman to ponder and answer. During my student teaching experience, my students and I studied the Holocaust and worked our way to the current tragedy taking place in Darfur, Sudan. The relationships I built with my students and the unwavering faith that I had in them, along with a tiny bit of nudging, allowed them to accomplish more than I ever could have hoped for.
They conducted a bake sale and a raffle to raise money for the victims in Darfur, and they initiated a campaign to raise awareness throughout the school about that terrible situation. The students took ownership of the project, and they completed it almost entirely on their own (several volunteered much of their free time after school). Children are capable of anything when given opportunity and encouragement. All they need is an adult to simply believe in them.
Though I may be inexperienced and idealistic, I know that my students at North — Herrick’s former students — will make me proud with their creativity, effort and continued growth as good young men and women.
All of that said, I cannot on good conscience let Herrick’s flagrant verbal assault go unanswered. If so, I would be negligent as a teacher, mentor and leader. The situation at North is tense, and my comments might alienate some. I prefer not to, but I am here for my students, no one else.
Herrick said his “central” reason for resigning his position at North “is that [he] will no longer be in a student culture of complete indifference.” Are there some indifferent students at North? Of course, just as there are indifferent students in every other school in the United States. What is obviously inaccurate is Herrick’s decision to use the word “complete.” Can one ever use the word “complete” with any certainty when discussing people? I doubted the assertion, so I asked my students if any of them were indifferent about their education. Out of five classes, five students answered yes. That’s an average of one per class.
Herrick’s evidence to support his imprecise language is equally weak: “If my students are typical, the center of gravity resides with those who loudly proclaim they don’t care, they will not listen, everything is stupid, so why not drop out?” First of all, assuming Herrick’s assertion is accurate — which, according to my observations, is not the case — one of a teacher’s main jobs is to reach out and find a way to engage reluctant learners. Another problem with Herrick’s choice of words was to use the modifier “my.” To be a teacher and an educator is a privilege, and he gave up any claim to those students. Lastly, isn’t “drop out” another way of saying quitting — or resigning?
Finally, the absurdity of the statement that “there is a tiny, gratifying minority who fly below the radar and have goals and aspirations” stands alone. I’ve never worked with any student who doesn’t have a dream or aspiration of some sort.
I don’t care about Herrick’s political views or what effect his words will have on the debate regarding the redesign of North. What I absolutely care about is the negative effect his words have had on my students, those whom he worked with every day, those students whose parents entrusted him to educate and uplift them.
As George Orwell once wrote, “Political language ... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” Herrick attempted to make his wind solid. But I’m here to let him and everyone else know — in particular, my students — that his wind stops here.
John Dumbleton is an English teacher at North High School.
Posted by denver-admin at 01:00 AM
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HB 1072 a way to reform archaic labor laws
By James Hansen
Oops!
The Rocky Mountain News left a vital fact out of its Jan. 20 lead editorial about House Bill 1072, “ ‘All union’ bill a blow to liberty.”
By James Hansen
Oops!
The Rocky Mountain News left a vital fact out of its Jan. 20 lead editorial about House Bill 1072, “ ‘All union’ bill a blow to liberty.”
“In Colorado, once a bargaining unit has been established at a company by an employee vote, a special election is required if the union wants an ‘all union agreement’ in which every worker — union member or not — must pay dues,” according to the Rocky’s editorial.
Unfortunately, that is a half-truth and it is misleading.
What the Rocky and many of the Republican legislators who testified against the bill conveniently left out of their opposing arguments was the important fact that the special, or second election, only allows the union and management to negotiate for an all-union clause in the labor contract.
Under the Colorado Labor Peace Act, to become the collective bargaining agent for employees at a company, a union must first win an election — conducted by the National Labor Relations Board — by 50 percent (plus one) of all employees voting. Then, the union must win a second election by 75 percent of those voting, or 50 percent (plus one) of those eligible to vote, before it is allowed to negotiate with management for an all-union clause in the contract. With the exception of so-called right-to-work states, unions in all other states are permitted to negotiate for the all-union clause after the first election.
All HB 1072 does is eliminate the second election, which gives the unions the same rights, for example, that a politician exercises when he runs for election. It takes the government out of private sector negotiations, which should appeal to all conservatives, if they truly are conservatives. It allows for labor and management to negotiate the issue, that’s all. Some unions will successfully negotiate the clause into a contract; others will not.
The legislation does not require anyone to become a member of a union. It doesn’t mandate that anyone be fired if they don’t become a member. It doesn’t stipulate that dues money may be used for political purposes.
The last major changes in state and federal labor laws were passed about 50 years ago and are archaic. Since then, the business community has outspent organized labor in the political arena by more than 15 to 1. That kind of imbalance has ensured that political, legislative and judicial decisions have for many years favored employers to the detriment of their employees.
According to a University of Chicago study, corporations continually deny workers the freedom to decide for themselves whether to form unions to bargain for a better life. They routinely intimidate, harass, coerce and even fire workers who try to form unions and bargain for economic well-being. In fact, 30 percent of employers fire pro-union workers; 49 percent of employers threaten to close a worksite when workers try to unionize; 82 percent of employers hire union-busting consultants to fight organizing drives, and 91 percent of employers force employees to attend anti-union meetings one-on-one.
Labor’s opponents say unions are ruining the country. That’s laughable. With only 12 percent of the nation’s work force unionized, organized labor is armed with a peashooter. It is a sad commentary that so few American workers are guaranteed the measure of job security and
good wages, hours and working conditions that are provided by unions.
Perhaps it is their opponents who are the problem.
James Hansen is active in organized labor. He can be reached by e-mail at jayhans@aol.com.
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Editorial on "All Union" bill misses the mark
>
By Assistant House Majority Leader Michael Garcia (D- Aurora)
The 1/20/07 editorial “‘All union’ bill a blow to liberty” misses the mark and misstates the facts.
This Speakout has not been edited
By Assistant House Majority Leader Michael Garcia (D- Aurora)
The 1/20/07 editorial “‘All union’ bill a blow to liberty” misses the mark and misstates the facts.
What my bill does is simple. It’s a minor change in an antiquated law that no other state still has on the books. Once a union has been democratically elected, the union then enters into the collective bargaining process — negotiations — over a contract with the employer.
HB 1072 puts both parties on a level playing field when they go to the negotiating table.
The bill removes one archaic provision from the state’s labor peace act. It eliminates the need for the state – at taxpayers’ expense — to conduct yet another election amongst workers as to whether the already-elected union can merely bring the issue of an all-union agreement, or union security clause, to the bargaining table with the employer.
It’s important to remember how the bargaining process works. The employer and the employee organization both bring issues to the table. Either side may refuse to consider any issue during negotiations. The employer is not asked to conduct an election of its board of directors or share holders in order to bring an issue forward, just as the employees are not asked to hold an election on any other specific issue.
If the employer feels strongly that it does not wish to consider a union security clause, it can simply refuse to do so. Employers are big boys and girls and are able to decide whether they are willing to bargain on an issue without government interference.
Before a contract is agreed upon, workers also have an opportunity to vote it up or down.
The bill’s opponents make the false claim that it will force workers to join the union. Under federal law no one can be forced to join a union. If a union security clause is in place, workers can be asked to pay an agency fee to cover the costs of representation if they choose not to become union members.
The bill ensures workers the same representative democracy in the workplace that citizens of Colorado have. If workers elect a union to represent them, it is by majority rule, just as voters do with their legislators. Once selected as the employees’ representative, the union is responsible for representing all workers — members and non-members — through negotiations, servicing and handling grievances. The need for the state to hold an election to decide whether the elected employee organization can bargain on one particular issue would be akin to the state requiring an election as to whether an elected legislator was allowed to introduce a bill on a given topic.
Paying an agency fee to cover a worker’s fair share of representation costs, should they choose not to be a member, is also a principle well grounded in our democracy. Freeloaders are not permitted in the American tax system. If a citizen does not support the war in Iraq, they cannot decide not to pay their taxes. Taxes must be paid because we all use services and infrastructure paid for with tax dollars, and because “majority rules.”
Finally, what the Rocky editorial misses is that making Colorado a “Free Bargaining State” for unions is good for workers, families, and the economy in Colorado.
We join twenty-seven free bargaining states where workers earn wages that are on average about 5,300 dollars more per year than “Right to Work for Less” states. “Free-Bargaining” states have stronger economies and spend 1,700 more dollars per pupil than in “Right to Work for Less” states. Workplace deaths are fifty-one percent higher in “Right to Work for Less” states. In “Right to Work for Less” states, twenty-one percent more people lack health insurance. The bottom line is that when both unions and employers are free to negotiate any issue, both workers and the state benefit.
So here are the facts: The employer can refuse to consider an all-union agreement during bargaining.
An employer must pay union and non-union members the same salary and same benefits.
An all-union agreement does not cost the employer a dime.
The real reason some members of Big Business and some Republicans oppose it is that they want unions to be at a disadvantage. Requiring a second, state-sponsored election takes time, taxpayers’ money and resources that could be better used to help working families get a fair wage for their work.
Support HB1072.
Posted by denver-admin at 01:00 AM
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By Don A. Childears
The Rocky’s Jan. 18 editorial about banking (“Banking bill shafts consumers”) misses the logic of the federal policy of separating banking and commerce.
By Don A. Childears
The Rocky’s Jan. 18 editorial about banking (“Banking bill shafts consumers”) misses the logic of the federal policy of separating banking and commerce.
That policy has enjoyed strong and broad support from both political parties, multiple administrations, Fed chairmen, bank regulators, consumer advocates, industry groups and others for decades. Not having that almost unanimous policy has huge ramifications. For consumers, almost all of them are bad. The policy keeps lenders from competing and from having a conflict of interest with their own loan customers. There’s a loophole in that federal policy that regrettably would allow that conflict — hurting consumers and small businesses.
Two bills in the Colorado legislature would close the loophole. Consumers and businesses need and deserve objective credit decisions. Otherwise, a bank lending to Independent Flower Shop (thus knowing the florist’s business plan and financial status) could also compete with it by owning and operating Bankers Flower Shop. That’s unfair — it hurts the independent flower shop and consumers. The two bills will fix the loophole to block commercial ownership of banks and vice versa, thus preventing the bank-borrower conflict, protecting Colorado consumers and depositors, and promoting safety and soundness of Colorado financial institutions.
Commercial owners don’t have the same regulatory oversight, restrictions and prohibitions as all other owners of financial institutions. That’s a big deal. The Government Accountability Office has stated bank regulators don’t have the same authority to regulate the commercial owners of industrial banks as they do for all other owners of financial institutions. The two Colorado bills simply put all financial institutions on a level playing field — same rules, same requirements, same restrictions, same government exams and supervision.
Thankfully, consumers and businesses can take for granted the stability of our financial system. We’re simply protecting that position taken by practically every public official in the federal government and in all states, and practically anyone else involved in bank regulation. We disagree with the Rocky’s advocacy of allowing big-box stores and other commercial entities to freely get into banking with insufficient regulatory oversight. We don’t think it is wise to have lower regulatory standards, conflicts of interest, unfair competition with the bank’s customers, and other damaging consequences — all of which flow from this one loophole. The Rocky’s advocacy of Wal-Mart getting into this business with lower standards and other bad consequences hurts consumers and small businesses and is not well-reasoned.
Don A. Childears is the president and CEO of the Colorado Bankers Association
Posted by denver-admin at 09:17 AM
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By Wendell G. Bradley, Windsor
This Speakout has not been edited By Wendell G. Bradley, Windsor Consider the idea that humans have a unique spiritual morality. It can be thought of as a conscience-like gift whose social impulses arise spontaneously and creatively to give us an inner sense of appropriateness as a complement to our rationality.
Embodied morality is spiritual because its impulses issue spontaneously and creatively; it is moral, because its prompts come with an inner sense of appropriateness. Our spiritual morality first calls us to social responsibility during the mother-child attachment process. Its social influences within larger groupings may be either cultivated or repressed.
Because our spiritual morality guides without conscious reflection, it precedes reason’s ethics (does not specify any rules of conduct). This makes our spiritual morality entirely distinct from rationality’s ethics.
Our spiritual morality is wagered as a gift of animal inheritance that prompts social outreach, engenders attachments, cherishes freedom, presumes social responsibility and brings quality to interactions. Upon cultivation, our gift of spiritual morality manifestly underlies our social disposition, love of freedom, notion of fairness, and sense of fulfillment. These qualities make relational self’s creative, social imagination understandable as the starting point of society, thereby providing the basis for an entirely new social perspective.
Is such a belief system true to human nature? Is it socially realistic? Since the linguistic turn of philosophy, there are no truths and no pre-existing reality to uncover. All attempts to know are through language, which only relates things to each other-provides no fixed reference. This makes knowledge of absolute truth and reality an impossibility. As a result, postmoderns proceed not by supposed facts, rather via relational interpretations (modelings).
Keep in mind, science reductively models within ‘experienced’ causal chains. In the social sciences, these causal connections are so complex that researchers have generally been able to find, in some description, what they are looking for. This is why no consensus is likely to soon materialize that will ‘scientifically’ confirm or deny evolutionary explanations of morality. The issue for postmodern pragmatists is whether it is more productive to proceed via a nondeterminative, individual ‘gift of morality’ functioning in a mutually reinforcing relationship with social nurturing, than the currently dominant model that posits a selfish/aggressive human nature. Because of such considerations, postmodern pragmatists understand ‘truth’ as ‘what works’ by way of belief and concentrate on the practicality of relationally constructed belief systems.
Consider how Western thinking has been based on a succession of logocentrisms-presumed higher realities whose implications are eternal and pure. Examples are: Plato’s ideal forms, Judeo-Christianity’s omnipotent God, and Nature’s disclosures.
Postmodern thinkers now understand that all such centering truths are manmade. Any ‘objectivity’ we gain derives from agreement on our interpretations. Such agreement comes from a language-based, collaborative weaving of interrelationships, not from an uncovering of pre-existing natures. The more consensus, the less ‘subjectivity’, and the greater ‘fact’. As circumstances change, socially correct and eternal (logocentric) politics fail.
Modernist liberalism claims that human nature is essentially so selfish/aggressive it necessitates a higher or central ordering. An essentialist human nature, however, proves too exclusive, ethnocentric, and fixed to be adaptive. Such a ‘human nature’, for example, cannot acknowledge that we sense infringements of our personal integrity as unjust or find cooperative alternatives to selfishness relatively pleasurable (a recent neurological confirmation).
Liberalism’s universaling politics is derived from univocal reason. This makes it too estranged from our spiritual/moral endowment to lastingly satisfy. It is especially deficient in imagination, social inspiration, and adaptive ethical guidance.
Politically, reason has never spoken with a single voice.
Liberalism’s ‘universal’ reason is an exclusive rationality that can lead almost anywhere. It has, for example, accommodated various logics of domination such as patriarchy. Its reason has also pitted self against society and made autonomy possible only privately/reactively.
While today’s power-politics and positive religions cling to a right-knowing ethics that entirely discounts our vital spiritual morality, relationalists understand that social groups inform their deepest purposes via spiritually moral incorporations.
They only later rationalize them.
Contrast, for example, liberalism’s justice paradigm with the relational perspective of justness. Justness is a spiritually moral perception, while justice interprets some ethically given appropriateness. Accordingly, justice depends on legal sanction from some central political power. Its administrations are carried out according to the in-power’s prevailing rationality. Justness, on the other hand, is actualized by upholding the integrity of our spiritual morality, previous to and during all social structurings. It understands spiritual morality’s creative inspiration and quality-seeking impetus as, ultimately, our only guide for social structurings.
The socially respected spiritually moral inputs that underpin a justness-oriented society allow development of a relational, as opposed to a selfish/reactive autonomy. From a relational perspective, today’s legalisms, such as ‘appropriate person’ designations or the selective grant-backs known as ‘rights’, appear either infringing or inadequate. The advantage of a socially sacrosanct spiritual morality is: it results at once in the deep freedom rights hint at, but can never accomplish because of their partial forms.
It is, after all, our hope for unencumbered spiritually moral exercise that is behind all popular freedom and justness movements. People are simply more concerned with their spiritual moral integrity and relational autonomy than their administered counterparts of justice and liberty.
Put succinctly, postmodern relationalism understands that we must chance our gift of spiritual morality, uncertainty and all. There is hope. An inviolable spiritual morality, structurally modeled in authentically communal practice, promises to substantively improve today’s human condition.
Posted by denver-admin at 02:41 PM
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By Paul Sherbo, Lakewood
Here's a tip I got in Baghdad: When the shooting starts, get off the X. It's a tip that has more than a little relevance to our Iraq policy. As a sailor in unfamiliar territory (that is, a desert), I paid particular attention to the people trained in land combat. One of the best pieces of advice I got concerned what to do when attacked: "Get off the X."
This Speakout has not been edited By Paul Sherbo, Lakewood
Here's a tip I got in Baghdad: When the shooting starts, get off the X. It's a tip that has more than a little relevance to our Iraq policy.
As a sailor in unfamiliar territory (that is, a desert), I paid particular attention to the people trained in land combat. One of the best pieces of advice I got concerned what to do when attacked: "Get off the X."
The X is the spot your attacker has drawn on his diagram of the ambush. Once you reach that point on his diagram, he shoots.
The advice to get off the X means you have to do something fast - attack, fall back, slip sideways, seek cover - just MOVE, because if you move, you may live. But if you stay on the X, you will die.
Unfortunately, our strategy in Iraq has been to stand firmly on a metaphorical X in the belief that if we just kept doing the same things, then in just a few more months, Iraq would get better.
So here we are, on the X - how do we get off it? My two cents:
1 - Forget about troop increases. The number people are tossing about (20,000) is not enough to make a significant difference. Unless we are prepared to double, triple or further multiply the number of troops and settle in for a Roman-style occupation lasting a generation or more, our troops will not solve the problem in Iraq.
2 - Forget about total withdrawal. This is the surest way to internal Iraqi collapse and an expanding civil war followed with a feeding frenzy by Iraq's neighbors. This is clearly not in our interests, nor is it just treatment of the Iraqis who have tried to rebuild their country. True, the reasons the administration gave for getting into Iraq in the first place were unfounded, some would say deceptive. Maybe it should not have been done. But we did it. As Colin Powell put it, if we broke it, we fix it.
If neither an increase in troops nor evacuation is an answer, what is?
3 - Move our main bases to the desert (in the south and west of Iraq) and strengthen the advisor program. By moving most of our troops to the desert we (a) secure vulnerable borders, (b) remove the majority of our troops as a source of irritation and rallying point for the opposition, (c) occupy land that most Iraqis could care less about (and would gladly accept payment for) and (d) provide forces that can quickly get to major trouble spots again if necessary. Those bases in the desert, while out of sight of the vast majority of the Iraqi population, would send a strong message to the rest of the region about our resolve. In addition, strengthening the advisor program would put more troops into a strategy where we have had positive payoff. When Coalition troops live and work directly with Iraqi troops, the Iraqis form strong attachments and perform very well.
4 - Remember that above all, we are not the people who will bring peace to Iraq. The Iraqis will do that, and they will do it their way. What we must do is give them the chance to do so, AND be prepared to live with the answer. (I would caution those who fear that a Shia-dominated Iraq would be run by Iran. Iran may be funneling money to some Shia elements in Iraq, but that's a marriage of convenience. At the end of the day, Iraqis are Arab and Iranians are Persian. While that may not mean much to us here, it means a lot in that area of the world. This is a case where nationalism trumps ideology.)
American voters showed in November that they are not happy with the way the administration has handled Iraq. I fear, however, that this dissatisfaction has gone so far that Americans now want to flee the area screaming in despair. Iraqis have also voted, three times since the fall of Baghdad, each time in increasing numbers. They have pinned their hope on their future.
And while, as Senator Hillary Clinton said last November, hope is not a plan, Central Command chief General John Abizaid gave her the perfect answer: Neither is despair. Despair is what you hear in the United States. Hope is what you hear in Iraq.
Posted by denver-admin at 02:24 PM
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By Jim Welker, Loveland, and Yeh Ling-Ling, Oakland, Calif. Congress is determined to push for amnesty for 12 million illegal immigrants. American leaders should seriously examine the impact of mass immigration on our social fabrics and on the political future of the United States -- important issues left out in the immigration debate.
This Speakout has not been edited By Jim Welker, Loveland, and Yeh Ling-Ling, Oakland, Calif. Congress is determined to push for amnesty for 12 million illegal immigrants. American leaders should seriously examine the impact of mass immigration on our social fabrics and on the political future of the United States -- important issues left out in the immigration debate.
Although some immigrants have made outstanding contributions to this country, unprecedented levels of immigration threaten our most precious rights, including freedom of speech. In December, Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) had to cancel a speech he was to deliver in Miami about immigration - because of threats by his political opponents.
The integrity of voting has also been violated. In 1996, Republican Congressman Bob Dornan of California lost his re-election bid to Democrat Loretta Sanchez by a slim margin. Independent investigations revealed non-citizens had voted Democratic. Last month, the San Antonio Express-News reported voting by non-citizens.
Mexico has actively encouraged illegal migration to the U. S. and vigorously opposed all U.S. efforts to secure our borders. More than half of the illegal aliens in the U.S. are from Mexico.
In 1997, then-President of Mexico Ernest Zedillo stated in Chicago: "I have proudly affirmed that the Mexican nation extends beyond the territory enclosed by its borders and that Mexican migrants are an important - a very important - part of it."
In 2001, U.S.-born Juan Hernandez, while serving in then-President Vicente Fox's cabinet, told ABC's "Nightline": "We are betting that the Mexican-American population in the United States . . . will think Mexico first."
Although many Mexican-Americans are patriotic and most Mexican migrants have no political agenda, last spring's massive demonstrations included many protesters who waved Mexican flags and pressured the U.S. with demands identical to Mexico's.
On 7/7/06, Mexican-American Professor Armando Navarro of the University of California-Riverside, organizer of many pro-open border rallies, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying, "A new majority is forming. Everything will change. The White House will be within our reach. We might have to change the name to the Brown House."
According to the 2000 Census, the U.S. population had increased by 13 percent since 1990, but those who identified themselves as Mexican had increased by 53 percent. If this trend continues, the majority of people in the U.S. - within a few decades - could very well be of Mexican descent.
Although racial tensions have always existed in this country, very disturbing incidents should not be ignored. For example, in 1999, Norman Berman, principal of a an elementary school in Southern Califorhia, was beaten unconscious by Latino men who told him: "We don't want you here any more, white principal..." The L.A. Times found that Hispanic parents had circulated petitions demanding he be fired and replaced by "a Spanish-speaking principal." In 2006, black American students in a Los Angeles high school were told by Latino students to "go back to Africa." Some Mexican-American activists have told white Americans to "go back to Europe."
The misnamed "Immigration Reform and Control Act" of 1986, which granted amnesty to 3 million illegal aliens, has resulted in at least 12 million illegal residents. Most provisions to curb illegal immigration have been ignored. If millions of adult Mexicans are amnestied and naturalized, they will be potential voters, as will be their U.S.-born progeny and other family members they bring in. Many open border advocates have repeatedly warned: "Today we march. Tomorrow we vote." How likely is it that our immigration laws would be seriously enforced for the long-term?
Americans should have policies that encourages individual responsibility here and abroad. Mexico has 10 citizens who are billionaires, including Carlos Slim, the third-richest person in the world. It should improve life for its citizens. Nationwide, nearly half of our adult cash welfare recipients are between 20 and 29!
For the sake of all legal U.S. residents, Congress should adopt real, comprehensive immigration reform by using Mexico's legal immigration policy as a model and by demanding that our immigration laws be enforced just as strictly. Meanwhile, non-violent prison inmates and able-bodied welfare recipients should be put to work at jobs currently held by illegal immigrants.
Posted by denver-admin at 02:18 PM
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By Angie Webb, Centennial
Once again, the issue of allowing funding for embryonic stem cell research has come up again in Congress. The House of Representatives voted to expand government-financed embryonic stem cell research this past week, and the bill will come up for a vote in the Senate soon.
This Speakout has not been edited By Angie Webb, Centennial
Once again, the issue of allowing funding for embryonic stem cell research has come up again in Congress. The House of Representatives voted to expand government-financed embryonic stem cell research this past week, and the bill will come up for a vote in the Senate soon. I thought the general public might like to know there are other ways to harvest the precious stem cells that researchers need to help battle medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy...and so many others.
First, stem cells can be found in Umbilical Cord Blood. If you would like more information on umbilical cord stem cells, please check out www.stemcelltherapies.org Second, amniotic fluid has recently been discovered as another place we can find stem cells. When grown in the right environment, amniotic fluid stem cells can become bone cells, brain cells, muscle cells, liver cells, etc. I found a great article on the promise of amniotic fluid stem cells here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16513279/site/newsweek/ Unfortunately, one disadvantage to Adult stem cells is they are present in the body in very small numbers. However, they do exist and can be used to repair adult organs and tissue.
I guess all this is also to say, why does our government feel the need to press for more funding of embryonic stem cells? Good question. It’s not as though it is the only clear cut way to succeed in improving the lives of those who have debilitating diseases like I mentioned above. I have Epilepsy, however, I am not willing to help fund research that doesn’t HAVE to be done when there are other sources of help out there. I feel it is our right to chose what the government spends our money on, don’t you?
Don’t get me wrong, stem cell research is important! But there are many ways we as humans can help further this cause without destroying embryos.
Posted by denver-admin at 02:02 PM
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By Kathleen Craven and Cynthia Clark, Boise, Idaho
“Suicide is not so much the desire to die as it is the fear of living” (National Suicide Help Center). Teen suicide leaves an unceasing wake of chaos and endless questions asking “why?” I remember with amazing clarity a story related to me by a teen several years ago as he contemplated ending his life.
This Speakout has not been edited By Kathleen Craven and Cynthia Clark, Boise, Idaho For many people, it seems beyond comprehension that a teen could be so painfully unhappy that he would consider killing himself, but with the increasing prevalence of teen suicide we cannot afford to ignore the possibility. Consider this: as the rate of depression rises, so does the rate of teen suicide. Depression may be diagnosed when feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair persist and interfere with a teen’s ability to function. Symptoms of teen depression may look different than those in adults. Depressed youth are sad, lack interest in activities that used to bring them pleasure and are often irritable and argumentative. They may feel unloved, pessimistic, neglect their appearance and hygiene, and think that life is not worth living. Sometimes parents wonder if a teen is “just trying to get attention.” Since parents cannot always be sure, it is important to address the issue. Responding with genuine concern, expressing support and listening without criticism may help teens open up and communicate their feelings and thoughts. Seek professional help if the depression doesn’t pass with time. If a teen is thinking about suicide, it is imperative to seek professional help as soon as possible. There are several myths about teen suicide. Some people believe a teen threatening suicide is not really serious about following through with that threat. In fact, teens who talk about suicide or who exhibit suicidal behaviors are at serious risk. Another myth is that if we talk about suicide it may cause a teen to make an attempt. In truth, talking about suicide does not create or increase risk, but actually reduces it. Talking openly and showing genuine concern can provide emotional relief and may be key elements in preventing the immediate danger of suicide. Suicide is a tragic and preventable cause of death. While there is no single reason for suicide, there are several common risk factors. These include a past suicide attempt, untreated depression, problems with drugs and alcohol, recent loss (parents’ divorce, death of a friend or family member, loss of a relationship), sexual or physical abuse, failing academic performance, legal problems and high levels of stress. Many times a teen will talk about or hint of suicide, give away special possessions, write a will, get affairs in order or say goodbye. If these warning signs occur, and especially if the teen has a plan and the means to complete a suicide, stay with the teen and get help immediately. Do not ignore signs of suicide or change the subject. Contact your family health care provider, a community mental health center, or a suicide prevention crisis center. The national hotline number through the Department of Health and Human Services is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). By Harry Puncec, Lakewood By Harry Puncec, Lakewood This Speakout has not been edited. Returning from a Christmas visit to St. Louis we spent the night in Hays, Kansas, just a couple of days after the great storm that paralyzed the area. After darkness fell the parking lot at the motel filled with utility company trucks driven by clearly exhausted men dressed in layers topped with mustard colored coveralls. What didn’t contribute to the crowding were remote satellite television vans. The story of the widespread damage to power lines had clearly gone cold (sorry) and they had moved on.
The next morning we joined with the vehicles heading west on I-70 and could see in the distance those quiet heroes replacing broken power polls in the bitter wind. It didn’t seem right that they should be laboring in such obscurity.
Channel 9 here in Denver broadcasts five hours of regularly scheduled local newscasts between 5 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. each weekday. They also broadcast additional news on Channel 20 during the off hours. They are typical in that such shows make up nearly all of the locally produced television. With such a wealth of time available you would think that they would be out searching for stories to tell like the ongoing work to restore power. Apparently they don’t.
About News lets get this straight right off, any broadcast that includes segments about how to cook broccoli or spends time discussing weight loss is not news. It’s entertainment and, even more, it’s entertainment directed at women. Have you ever seen a segment on replacing a transmission in a confined garage using tools found around most homes? Local daytime news is like a average home, nearly all the inside space is designed and decorated by and for the wife while the husband is free to make a mess in the garage. They need to invent a new title for it, something soft, cuddly, and color-coordinated; perhaps they should call it “The Meandering Woman’s Hour” or “The View”.
It’s not that they don’t ever broadcast real news, because they do. Every morning and evening the sky is filled with helicopters searching out the latest fender bender, or, even more thrilling, a house burning down. The streets are clogged with TV “personalities” broadcasting live on the falling snow for those shut-ins who live in homes without windows. Other TV personalities remain in the studio looking concerned while they report an Amber Alert or on a politician announcing a new initiative for something. They do a public service, but it seems to be the least of the broadcast.
Stations will spend much time on a weather forecast that is frequently given by a woman most remarkable for her big hair, finely tapered fingers, and fixed smile. The exception is Jennifer Zeppelin on Channel 4 who seems determined to survive in the business with short, stylish hair. The men forecasters are much better as they only have to decide on which tie to wear with their impeccable suits. They too smile a lot.
Sports are the throwaway for men, but I don’t know why they bother. They will show videos of a homerun landing in the bleachers, a goal going into the net, or a field goal crossing the crossbars as though such an event had never before been witnessed.
They could easily slip in an old video from last year without anyone noticing the difference. But then just giving the score would take all of a minute and then we’d be left with dead air, not that that isn’t what were getting now.
With all this time and staff you would think that a typical news hour could cover it all. It doesn’t! Every news broadcast includes a plug for another important story that will appear only on the 10 o’clock news. Unused news is used as a commodity to entice the unwary back for more later. It’s all empty calories.
In German the word for “no” is nein. Perhaps they should change it to Nein
By David M. Perkins I have learned that I am but one in a staggering statistic. Depression is an epidemic in the United States. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates that 19 million people a year suffer from depression, more people than suffer from cancer, HIV/AIDS and coronary heart disease combined. There are no statistics on how many people go undiagnosed and untreated — except perhaps guessed at in the almost 80 suicides committed each day in the United States. By David M. Perkins
I have learned that I am but one in a staggering statistic. Depression is an epidemic in the United States. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates that 19 million people a year suffer from depression, more people than suffer from cancer, HIV/AIDS and coronary heart disease combined. There are no statistics on how many people go undiagnosed and untreated — except perhaps guessed at in the almost 80 suicides committed each day in the United States.
Depression is painful and debilitating, both mentally and physically. Unlike other illnesses, depression carries a stigma. Many don’t understand it as a bona fide disease — and it is all too often an embarrassment for those who suffer with it, who feel an inappropriate shame and see it as a failure or a weakness in their makeup rather than as the treatable illness it is.
Beginning a little more than two years ago, I found myself dangling from the thread of no more choices — or so it seemed at the time. In a short span, I had started a stressful new job in Washington, D.C., and soon thereafter received the news that my younger brother in Colorado was dying of cancer and that my son was facing major surgery. My brother died within three months of his diagnosis — which hit me harder than I ever could have imagined — and I was fired from that new job the day after I returned from his funeral. There were too many strains in my life at that time to concentrate on doing the work I had done so successfully during the previous 30 years of my career.
My son went on to have a successful surgery, but the anxiety of having your only child undergo a lengthy, complicated operation also took its toll. I was out of work for six months when I realized my savings obviously would not last long at the cost of living in the Washington area; and I was forced to put my life into storage and I returned home to Colorado to stay with friends and family while I looked for work.
For a man of my age, in spite of my experience, there was little to find in my field. Finally, after more than a year of full-time desperate searching, I took the only position offered me, in another state and at less than half the salary I was making before. By the time I arrived, however, it was too late — the stresses of the past year, and the black hole of my anxiety and depression pulled me in and I spiraled into despair.
I found myself in the hospital and once again out of work. I’ve learned since then that firing someone with depression is probably illegal, but few of us who find ourselves in this position have the wherewithal — emotionally, physically or financially — to seek redress.
My wonderful friends and family welcomed me once more, and with their help, and the proper treatment and medication, I am healing and suspecting that there may be hope somewhere around any corner now, even though I am still unemployed. My story isn’t one asking for pity — it is asking only for understanding for those other millions of people every year who find themselves felled by depression and further harmed by discrimination. (No one would fire a diabetic needing a daily dose of insulin. No one would ask someone to run with a broken leg.)
I am hoping that I will find work again soon and get my life back. But more than that — now that I find myself capable of writing again — I hope that this will speak on behalf of those suffering from depression, who simply can’t express to anyone the misery that torments them.
Most of all, I hope this will speak to employers, so that they will familiarize themselves with the symptoms of depression in their work force and, instead of showing a suffering employee the door, will instead show them some compassion and perhaps even help them get the saving rehabilitation they desperately need. David M. Perkins is a resident of Arvada.
Posted by denver-admin at 01:22 AM
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Get Off the X
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Stem Cell Research
No Way Out: Teen suicide
“Suicide is not so much the desire to die as it is the fear of living” (National Suicide Help Center). Teen suicide leaves an unceasing wake of chaos and endless questions asking “why?” I remember with amazing clarity a story related to me by a teen several years ago as he contemplated ending his life. Adam (not his real name) described the emotional pain and torment he experienced after the breakup with his girlfriend, school failure, and successive losses * including the death of his beloved Labrador, Rufus. Adam recounted in impressive detail the depths of his pain that led to nearly taking his own life. His poignant story reveals the ambivalence that often occurs when one considers death by suicide. Adam told me how he sat on his bed holding a gun to his head in one hand, and a telephone to call for help in the other. Adam saw death as the only way out of what he perceived as a hopeless situation. Thankfully, the telephone prevailed and Adam chose life.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15-24 in the United States, and the suicide rate for this age group has tripled since 1950. More young people kill themselves than die in motor vehicle accidents and homicides. In 2002, 18 percent of all high school students seriously considered attempting suicide and 15 percent said they had a plan for how they would do it (YRBS Report, 2003).
Television news isn't