A far-reaching impact

Gazette writer O’Dell Isaac’s personal story was so powerful and moving. It just brings home the far-reaching impact of the 9/11 attacks. Multiply his story by thousands, and you begin to realize how truly devastating this event was. Congratulations and thanks to him for sharing his perspective and his grief. Best wishes to him and his family.

Linda DuVal

Colorado Springs

E-bikes on the roads

Recently The Gazette had an editorial in regards to the problem of electric bikes, trail bikes and on. The gist of the editorial was a request to the city to have stricter ordinances regarding these vehicles. I concur.

Today, while traveling north on North Wahsatch Avenue between the intersections of Cache la Poudre and Uintah Street, I saw the problem in action. A young man–teenager I believe, was in the right-hand lane on I believe an electric trail scooter. His buddy was on the sidewalk. He performed a wheelie from around Cache la Poudre to Uintah. I was in the right-hand lane and was thankful that I did not have that rider in front of me. I looked at my speedometer and I was doing 30 mph. What would have happened if he hit a bad bump–a disaster.

I have two thoughts on this: 1) Where were the parents? Teenagers, for the most part, aren’t rational individuals and 2) Maybe we need a few Darwinian tragedies to wake up the collective conscience. I hope not.

Tim Stoecker

Colorado Springs

Reopening local coal plant

My reaction to the article Sept. 4 on Donald Trump’s push to reopen the Nixon Plant:

I formerly lived in a coal-mining district for several years and in a home with a coal-fired home-heating system. It is not healthy; coal dust and the smell of it is everywhere. We’ve worked hard to remove Ray Nixon; we should never go back.

Let Trump install a coal-fired HVAC-powered system resort-wide in Mar-a-Lago for a small taste of what it means to use coal as a power source. Then he can stand back and stand by for reactions from Mar-a-Lago residents, his most influential constituency.

One cannot transfer blame on wind patterns for local coal-based pollution(s) from China and Utah if one allows a local source to reliably and continuously generate the same pollution(s) in the heart of one’s city. This article shows how the current political leadership of this nation models shifting blame.

John Mallonee

Colorado Springs

Is it jealousy or bitterness?

I enjoyed reading Josh Hirsch’s article “Jewish Rights Under Siege” in the July 12, 2026 Sunday Perspective. I especially liked his comment on the idea that those who are opposed to Jewish civil rights are implying “that when Jews advocate for themselves, they are not doing civil rights work, like every other marginalized community – they are manipulating.”

Jews have been hated for various reasons since the beginning of time. I am referring to the book of Genesis in the Bible. Besides the Serpent lying to Eve in the Garden and setting man up for a bad time from the beginning, there is also Abraham. He made the mistake of not relying on God’s promise that he and barren Sarah would have a child. Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands, and Abraham had a child with Sarah’s maid, Hagar. The result was Ishmael, the father of the Arab nations. These nations want to push Israel into the sea, and want to wipe out the Jewish race. Is it jealousy, or bitterness? I think that the bottom line is that the Jewish Messiah who was to save the world, came from the line of David, and the “Evil One”, does not want that to happen. Anything Satan can do to wipe out the Jews and Jewish Messiah, I believe, is the root of all anti-semitism.

Thank you for listening. I really enjoy reading various editorials in the Gazette. Josh Hirsch, nailed the bias excellently.

S. Elsie Beneke

Colorado Springs