Making a bad law even worse

On both sides of the political aisle there is a cry out to ban the sale of guns to anyone on the no-fly list. As such, we need to have a conversation regarding that list: how you get on and how, if at all, you can get off. I think the public perception is that after a thorough vetting, and possibly a chance to be heard, an individual is placed on the list. Nothing is further from the truth.

In fact, only Homeland Security knows how a name gets on the list, and they are not telling (naturally, citing national security interests). What I do know is that a name goes on the list and if your first and last name and middle initial match, you are on the list.

At age 4, my daughter underwent her first, but not her last, strip search. Even allowing three hours before boarding, we have missed flights because of encounters at the TSA lines. It turns out that 10-20 years before my daughter was born, someone with the same name did something wrong but my daughter suffers for it. Sen. Ted Kennedy was on the list. You may disagree with his politics, but clearly, he was not a terrorist.

And no one knows how to prove that you should not be on the list. There is no process, and Homeland Security does not care to listen that you are not the real bad guy.

In this country, you should be afforded due process before being punished with restrictions on flying or owning a gun.

As I said, we need to have a conversation before making a bad law even worse.

Mike Davis

Peyton

First responder’s supreme sacrifice

As I watched the service for officer Garrett Swasey, I think it worth mentioning that he put himself in harm’s way and made the supreme sacrifice without asking about: race, religion, abortion rights, gender, etc.

We should all be grateful for the many men and women in law enforcement who are willing to do the same on a daily basis!

Bob Schaller

Colorado Springs

Persistent voice may be heard

I am a resident of a retirement community of independent apartments and assisted living and skilled nursing rooms in a quiet central neighborhood.

For months, I have been concerned about a ramshackle RV parked on the street where I and other elderly residents walk for exercise. Many of us have observed suspicious activity: people coming and going, cars driving up to the RV to exchange items and a pit bull that appeared to be a guard dog. The administrators at my facility were concerned, too; they called the police on multiple occasions, but the RV remained.

This past Friday, BJ, a miniature Schnauzer who has been my loyal dog companion for 11 years and who was a Gazette Pet of the Week a few months ago, was viciously attacked and killed by that pit bull while being walked on a leash.

The police responded, and it turns out that the owner of the RV and the people living there had outstanding warrants for arrest. I am heartbroken, as are many residents who counted on seeing BJ each day to brighten their day, but I’m also angry that it took my sweet dog’s death to get these people arrested.

If you see something similar in your neighborhood, my advice is to call the police every day to report the problem. I realize that the police have many tasks to deal with in our community, but the persistent voice may make a difference for your neighborhood.

Frankie Roland

Colorado Springs

Won’t find them on golf course

Clearly, our nation is under assault. We now know what our ally Israel has had to endure for a very long time! On Nov. 13, Paris, the “City of Lights,” was attacked by terrorists who committed unspeakable carnage. President Barack Obama spoke of this heinous act as a setback.

He alleged these thugs would be hunted down and brought to justice. News flash: You won’t find them on the golf course, President Obama!

For the past seven years, our president has had an egregious and abysmal tenure. I suggest he is the fox watching the hen house. He disrespects our capitalist form of government and violates our constitutional principles. He does not respect the office or the people who put him there, not once but twice. He took an oath to defend our country and protect our constitution. He has done neither. If this doesn’t qualify an impeachment, what does?

We reap what we sow, and history will not be very kind to him. Hillary Clinton would probably say, “what difference does it make?” Edmund Burke, a British statesman, once said: “The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” Truer words were never spoken!!!

Sara Miller

Woodland Park

The way government works

A recent article in The Gazette told us that Colorado Springs is facing a possible lawsuit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over inadequate stormwater control. The article quotes Mayor John Suthers as citing five problems, the first being inadequate funding. This struck me as peculiar as I couldn’t imagine an EPA regulation that would dictate what adequate funding would be.

Funding in itself has no direct impact on the environment.

The next four findings are: infrastructure problems, insufficient inspections, “not holding developers’ feet to the fire,” a lack of internal controls and too many waivers. These are all leadership problems and are easily fixed.

Terminate or demote those who have a leadership role in the stormwater deficiency areas and hire competent people.

The “inadequate funding” finding in the audit needs to be questioned. Does anybody else find it strange that the federal government would sue and ask for money from a city because the city has “inadequate funding” for a program? That’s like telling a starving person you’re cutting off his food supply because he is underweight.

Maybe I just don’t understand the way the government works.

Bob Mulvaney

Colorado Springs