Thankful for a new bike

I am overwhelmed by the response to the article about the theft of my bike. Words of sympathy, offers of help — from friends and from total strangers — all have served to relieve the sting of the loss of my beautiful bike.

A few groups I can identify: The Downtown “Y” pilates gang, the altos and basses of the CC Community Choir and an inner circle of close friends (two of whom were totally committed to a new bike for me) and family. Thank you. Thank you all. A new bike awaits a little more sunshine, a little less ice.

Polly Ogden

Colorado Springs

Guns are also helpful

My name is Stephanie and I am writing a response to the article “Our View: Gun ban would threaten students.” As a junior at Pine Creek High School, in Colorado Springs, I live in one of the most conservative and safest communities in the nation. But, even in these conditions, our city still had a tragic experience concerning a shooting. At New Life Church, there was a random shooting of two girls, and a lady had a gun that may have saved her life. It is apparent that shootings may occur anywhere at any given time, and if the lady hadn’t carried a gun, hundreds of people could have died. In my opinion, guns are also helpful, not only harmful.

Schools are much more targeted because of the mass amounts of people. Having guns on campus is a very smart and effective idea because if anyone was to ever attack, immediately there would be protection to the majority.

Stephanie Yassa

Colorado Springs

What about others’ civil liberties?

I am writing to voice my strong support for the Fountain-Ft. Carson School Board and Superintendent Cheryl Serrano and their decision not to allow Coy Mathis to use the girls public restroom. They have accommodated her and her parents by allowing her to use the nurse’s restroom. What is wrong with using this restroom? I do not think a boy, regardless of his age, should be allowed to use the same public restroom with the girls.

The school is supporting Coy and her desire to be treated as a girl. They are only asking that she not use the same restroom as the girls, since she is physically still a boy.

I have been a resident of Fountain for over half a century and served on the City Council. My husband and I raised five girls all graduating from Fountain Ft. Carson High School and would not have wanted a boy using the same restroom as our daughters. What about the civil liberties of the other girls in the school?

Mary DeGroot

Fountain

Time to govern and lead

March 1, the infamous “sequestration” began — a day which the American people should remember as a day of shame, a day when political leaders on both sides of the aisle failed to govern.

Politics is the art of the possible, and requires compromise. The president has steadfastly refused to negotiate and to compromise, and to give congressional Republicans something for which they can vote.

Likewise, many congressional Republicans, without even serving one day in their lives wearing the uniform of our nation, have put our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians and department of defense civilians, in great harm by passing this harmful and foolish “sequestration” legislation.

As I write this letter, I have never been more ashamed of our political leadership.

It is often said by the president and pundits, that our system is broken. No, our system is not broken, but the people who lead our system have failed. The American people decided to give us divided government. Divided government means compromise and prudence are a must.

It is time for the president and for the Congress to set aside political agendas and do their most essential job, which is the defense of the nation.

I am a retired U.S. Army Reserve brigadier general, and also a Department of Defense civilian. Somehow, should furloughs actually happen, our family will muddle through and trust the Lord who is our provider, even if we cannot trust our political leadership who have broken faith with us.

However, our deep, constant concern is for the 66,000 Americans in uniform serving in harm’s way in Afghanistan. Our family has three soldiers deployed right now. Our oldest two sons are serving in the Army in Afghanistan, along with one of our nephews elsewhere in the Middle East.

Congress and the president have failed our sons, and if these devastating and automatic budget cuts last long, our sons will not have the support they need, and their lives will be endangered.

Contrary to foolish comments that the impact on DOD is not that great, one less aircraft carrier is in the Gulf, which means decreased support to our troops in danger. The United States Army, as the Army Chief of Staff said, will not be able to train for upcoming deployments, increasing risk of mission failure and danger to our soldiers.

It is time to govern and lead. Should this impasse not be resolved, may the American people remember this day of shame, and punish both parties during the 2014 midterm elections and beyond.

Ray Woolridge

Colorado Springs