Recent letters sent to the The Gazette by our readers:

Free speech on campus

Kenneth Emerson’s Dec. 3 letter wondered if the American Civil Liberties Union was aware of Colorado College’s suspension of a student for quoting “South Park.” While the family of the student has not contacted the state ACLU, our organization is concerned about dozens of nationwide events restricting free speech on campus. These have two distinct sources.

First, attempts to prevent offensive speech operate far beyond the restrictions on hate speech and threatening speech – speech that is not protected by the First Amendment. Colleges want to go far beyond this by restricting many forms of popular culture. Sometimes, these restrictions are initiated by college administrative staff, as is the case with the Colorado College incident. But other times, students initiate witch hunts against faculty they deem insufficiently sensitive in discussing various issues. Faculty have been needlessly placed on probation, or fired, and students are often the ones to blame.

A second related issue is that of “safe spaces.” The well-intentioned efforts to create spaces where LGBT students or those from racial or faith minorities can feel safe, often degenerate into campaigns that wreak havoc on the First Amendment. They also do not prepare students for the real world. There are no safe spaces once a student leaves the academic world, and this effort may leave them ill-prepared for the type of invective they will encounter on a daily basis.

Loring Wirbel – Pikes Peak Chapter, ACLU

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Clearing up some confusion

Regarding Ryan Maye Handy’s article (“Some forest roads will be shuttered,” Dec. 1), we at the Colorado Motorized Trail Riders Association would like to clear up some confusion and alleviate some alarm among outdoor recreationists.

First, no one from the OHV community was contacted for comment prior to publication. We, and other like-minded groups, are well known in the community.

Why the author chose to interview only radical anti-motorized spokesmen is puzzling.

While the article states 147 trails and roads will be closed in the Pike/San Isabel national forests by this time next year, our review of the documents tell us only 16 miles of trail spurs and dead-end roads may be closed.

The vast remainder of USFS roads and trails will undergo a thorough public review by the Forest Service over the next six years.

That process will include all stakeholders, including motorcycle, ATV and other OHV advocacy groups.

The Forest Service certainly recognizes the economic benefits of off-highway tourism and recreation – a $1 billion annual industry in Colorado.

Jim Bensberg – Colorado Springs

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We should all be ashamed

I was sitting at Southgate Road, Cheyenne Road and South Nevada Avenue. Standing in the intersection was a homeless family. A mother pushing a baby stroller with one hand while holding onto a 3-year-old. They were carrying all of their possessions. The mother had a deer-in-the-headlights stare, and the father looked completely beat down. The child was fidgeting around and wanted something to eat.

The light changes, and the family disappears into the surroundings. We don’t see them anymore. We don’t see the homeless vet who makes light of his situation by saying he used to live on the third bench down on the right at Dorchester Park. Or the 50-year-old woman who is panhandling at Wal-Mart on 8th. You might be embarrassed if you look into her eyes. What about the embarrassment and ridicule she faces every day?

The president gets up on the world stage and announces that the greatest threat to the world today is climate change. And he is ready to pledge billions toward this cause.

And the president is ready to invest billions for this cause. While the governor of Colorado has solved the immigration problem. Over the next three years he intends to give to illegal immigrants, 78,000 drivers licenses. Which would mean 78,000 Social Security numbers, stolen or issued by the federal government.

We should be ashamed that we would allow our government to supply billions of dollars for aid to illegal immigrants, to refugees that won’t assimilate into our Western culture. If you don’t believe this statement just check out Dearborn, Mich. The area has one of the largest population of Muslims. And there are no-go sections in some exclusive neighborhoods.

Winland Sisk – Colorado Springs

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Need to look at facts on refugees

The United States of America was founded by immigrants. We must not forget this as we continue to be the country of freedoms. This argument about whether to allow Syrian refugees is one that needs to come to an end. We have all the information we need to know that we are not putting ourselves in any more danger than we are currently being surrounded by our fellow Americans. While we dispute about the dangers these refugees present, our citizens are gunning us down. We cannot let fear guide us, instead we need to look at the facts.

There is a vetting process in place for the refugees that would be coming to the United States. This vetting process is thorough. It includes vetting by both the United Nations and several U.S. federal agencies. For those concerned about your taxes supporting these individuals, statistics show that 70 percent of refugees no longer need government assistance within six months of entering the country.

Last, addressing your argument to the governor is pointless, as the governor does not have the ability to ban refugees from entering their state. It’s important to research the facts because in the absence of facts comes unfounded fear. This fear can only lead to hate and unfair treatment of a group of people over the actions of few. We all must remember that every ethnicity and race has a few that possess evil and violent actions. This behavior is not limited to one or two groups.

Bethany Wagar – Monument

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Preserve American values

Every American should read Walter Williams’ column in the Dec. 2 Gazette. The subject is how Muslims are taking over Europe. Two points that interested me especially were:

– Swedes are arming themselves in unprecedented numbers, and sales of home alarms are booming.

– Third paragraph from end presents the notion that most immigrants come here to become Americans. Many come here but never intend to become Americans. They, instead, set up no-go zones where American law does not apply. France and Sweden have lost control of parts of their cities.

Wake up, America! It is happening here! Preserve America for people who want to be American and live by our laws.

Eleanor Bergquist – Colorado Springs