Concepts for Pikes Peak summit

Re: VOTE: Which is your favorite concept for the new Summit House atop Pikes Peak? I am appreciative of the new Summit House initiative but like many who remarked in the comments section of the article, none of the options presented appear to be a good “fit” for the top of a mountain.

Rather, they seem better suited to a large urban center or for the housing of modern art. I believe most locals would prefer an example that includes aspects of traditional outdoor craftsmanship instead of a modernistic N.Y. or L.A. style monument on the top of Pikes Peak. I’d ask the Summit House developers to provide a new fifth option that more closely represents the lifestyle, and natural beauty of the region.

Longinos Gonzalez Jr.

Colorado Springs

The problem we have here

When discussing the immigration problem in Europe the subject of assimilation is usually brought up as the main concern. The concern is that those who immigrate do not partake or at a minimum respect the traditions and customs of the host country. They want the traditions and customs to change, because they are “offended” by those traditions. This type behavior is exemplified by the neighborhoods in and around Paris where they have their own laws and law enforcement rarely enters the area.

Contrast that with the United States. The problem we have here is the government wants to remove some of the traditions and customs of our country because they “offend” some people. This can be exemplified by the fact that the president, when celebrating the 50th anniversary of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” could not even bring himself to acknowledge that the celebration of Chistmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. Even Charlie Brown said that! I am not asking him to believe in Jesus Christ, I am simply asking him to acknowledge what Christmas is. We have been celebrating Christmas since the pilgrims landed and he can’t even bring himself to explain our customs and traditions for fear of offending someone. Our problem in the U.S. should not be the fear of assimilation of immigrants, but instead the “political correctness” of our government.

Pat Connell

Colorado Springs

All that glitters not gold

The American public needs to think very carefully about the potential military mess a Trump presidency would present. A Trump presidency carries some serious blow back of violence.

Trump hotels and resorts are worldwide. You need to seriously ask yourself are we willing to spread already stretched military resources to protect all of the Trump properties once a single resort is attacked. And, you need to ask yourself are the sheer number of resorts a tinderbox of a deep and unrelenting set of eye-for-an-eye responses from IS after each Trump decision to hit back.

Trump is a demagogue whose vitriol can be very alluring. But, all that glitters from his mouth is not gold.

Michael A. Tkacik

Colorado Springs

Where is the equality here?

Reading Harry Hamilton’s article on the lack of any timely FBI findings in the case of Hillary Clinton raises concern, in my mind, that public notoriety may bring certain “hands off” for those individuals in a perceived power vacuum. Years ago I was the Air Force non-commissioned officer in charge of NORAD’s Information and Industrial Security programs. Both programs were in place for the protection of classified defense information (Confidential, Secret and Top Secret) utilized by both cleared military and civilian contractors working within the NORAD facility here in Colorado Springs. Penalties as Hamilton noted for the mishandling of classified was a stiff prison sentence and a $10,000 fine for each violation. Until I retired I was the security manager for a local defense contractor and was subject to audits conducted by the Defense Investigative Service. These audits were conducted to insure that defense contractors handled and protected classified defense information safely and in accordance with U.S. government mandated requirements. If personnel were found to have violated government mandated directives/regulations they could lose their security clearance, be fined and/or federal prison not to mention fines or loss of government contracts with the company where the employee was employed. There have been a number of cases whereby individuals have been convicted of mishandling classified defense information. In one of these cases a former CIA agent, John Kiriakov, was charged with one count of disclosing National Defense Information and two counts of violating the National Espionage Act. Also, he was charged with one count of making false statements and lying to the CIA Public Review Board. Kiriakov was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Kiriakov was released from federal prison in August 2015 after serving nearly two years. I don’t understand – where is the equality here?

Finally, I contend that Mrs. Clinton, who has admittedly mishandled a large number of classified emails on a non-protected server in her home, should be subject to the same penalties as all military and civilian employees that hold a security clearance.

Hank DeNomme

Woodland Park

Money to come from a special fund

I don’t understand why a smart lawyer can’t file a class action suit against the federal government for all the people that have worked, and are still working to pay into Social Security, and can’t get just a small increase in their monthly benefits but the government can find enough money to give Syrian refugees a monthly check for $1,850.00 plus another $850 or so for relocating expenses.

I’m sure that money is to come from a special fund, what special fund? The Social Security Fund?

George Douglas

Colorado Springs