Need to improve Bustang

Colorado Springs has produced few new higher level jobs in the past decade. Thus, transportation to Denver is even more important.

Bustang planning and cooperation by the city of Colorado Springs needs review.

Regarding the Park-n-Ride at Woodmen and I-25, please take a moment, to check out the safety and logistic concerns.

Park and imagine the bus is not there and then look around for where the bus may be pulling up for you to get on or for someone you’re picking up to get off. If it is not dark, or raining, imagine the problems that exist if that were the case. Again, signage would be useful, as would proper and working lighting. After parking and maneuvering the new, poorly signed parking configuration exit the park-n-ride by foot. Again, signage would be helpful, as would shelter and sidewalks or designated walk ways. Walk to the auto entrance of the park-n-ride as it’s the only way you can get out of the parking lot, and cross the street – which street do you cross? Well there is a drop off on one side and a pick up on the other – guess where, because you won’t know until you get there.

Imagine it raining or perhaps below zero outside. Where are you going to cross and where are you going to stand (which is the drop off and which is the pick up) either is across the street or cross ways across the intersection. Please imagine people going across intersections. Imagine someone walking with a cane with a sight impediment or someone with a physical disability trying to maneuver across the intersection and street and not being able to find direction.

Or imagine it dark with snow and ice. There is no shelter to wait, the crosswalks not significant considering the traffic. I saw people darting across streets to get to the Bustang or their cars, no signal, no crosswalk, no shelter, no safety. We should all be concerned for people’s safety at this intersection.

Sept. 14 all the park-n-ride lights were off at the Woodmen lot that is used, but all the lights were on in the newly paved, landscaped and lighted chained off park-n-ride that was completed last year but is still unused across the rail road tracks west of the current park-n-ride. Why do we need to have shrubs and lights on at an unused park-n-ride?

I know we can do better. Let’s design better access and waiting areas (like in people’s vehicles). Why can’t Bustang drive in to the parking lot (like in Monument or Denver). Then people who love Colorado Springs so much that are willing to commute to Denver could at least wait in the cars at this end.

David Cummings

Colorado Springs

Right to freedom from religion

As a teacher (retired and substituting) I know that in our public schools all students are given classes, they may or may not pay attention, but at least they are taught, U.S. history, civics and the principles of our Constitution.

We as citizens, each have our own personal freedom of religion, but we don’t have the right to Impose our beliefs on others. What is public must serve all, of all religions, what is private serves those who belong to private organizations and those of differing religious beliefs can congregate in their own houses of worship and deny their sacraments to whomever they choose. After a thousand years of war between many of the Christian religions and wars between the many Islamic religions, many have come to this land seeking freedom from religion as imposed by tyrants who would decide which religion must be adhered to. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, …”

As a teacher in public schools who survived parochial schools as a youth, I know that many of those private schools teach their private concerns and do not promote support of some of the public’s rights. I am grateful the courts in Colorado have ruled against vouchers in this state and worry that an understanding of public rights will not be taught in states like North Carolina where the largest recipient of public tax dollars through vouchers is The Greensboro Islamic Academy.

When one of the many religions forbids alcohol, an adherent who works for a private club downtown must serve it’s paid members whatever alcohol they choose or lose the paycheck of that private club. If they work for a public restaurant they must serve patrons over the age of 21 what they choose and when they are in their religious home they can refuse to serve alcohol according to their beliefs. The same is true with cakes, marriage licenses, guns, and pork. If my favorite BBQ hires a server who refuses to serve pork because of religious reasons, … don’t impose your beliefs on me, I will have the pulled pork please.

Gary King

Colorado Springs

God-given rights slipping away

As our president becomes buddies with Fidel Castro and Vladimir Putin, citizens need to be reminded of the words of Vladimir Lenin, “First we will take Eastern Europe, then the masses of Asia, then we will encircle the United States which will be the last bastion of capitalism. We will not have to attack. It will fall like overripe fruit into our hands.”

Later, Nikita Khrushchev paraphrased his attitude toward the West as “You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept Communism outright; but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you will finally wake up and find that you already have Communism.”

Our country’s founders knew that the essence of freedom is the limitation of government. Our system has produced more individual prosperity and freedom than the world has ever known. Our God-given rights are slipping away. Will our offspring inherit any of the blessings that we still enjoy?

An Irish orator, John Philpot Curran stated, “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.” Or as one founder, Thomas Jefferson, stated “the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

Do you realize what the officials that you elected are doing in Washington? Do they honor and uphold our constitutional republic as they promised? My favorite book, the Bible, states “By their fruits ye will know them.”

Some of the best liars have the most charming smiles and enticing promises as they lead us into tyranny.

Margaret Henkens

Colorado Springs