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October 23-29, 2008 editorial@boulderweekly.com
• See Jim Hightower
• See Danish Plan
Danish is not qualified
(Re: “Why I’m voting for McCain and against Obama,” Danish Plan, Oct. 9.) Barack Obama has to call for withdrawal in Iraq in order to win the Democratic primary, just as John McCain has to claim life starts at the moment of conception in order to win the Republican primary. So why does Obama “want to lose” whereas McCain is a “profile in courage”? The vehemence with which Paul Danish repeats Republican slander is puzzling and makes me question Danish’s intelligence.
And why does Danish think the issue is whether America wins or loses? The issue is American security and how to achieve it. His use of simplistic black-and-white thinking is what got us into Iraq, not to mention Vietnam. Danish’s and McCain’s confusion of the difference between complex, international issues and a football game shows that they are not qualified to be columnist and president, respectively.
John Caron/via Internet
Men against 48
An oppressive silence has enveloped Amendment 48, a terrible, highly misleading proposal that strips women of their reproductive choices. As a group of men, we are very disturbed at another attempt to control the reproductive choices of our sisters, mothers, daughters, wives and girlfriends.
In an astounding leap of logic and science, this proposal states that a human embryo magically gains full legal rights as a person “at the moment of fertilization.” Although never mentioning abortion or Roe v. Wade, it is a calculated attempt to undermine current popular opinion and existing legal rights to abortion and contraceptives.
This gives a fertilized egg more rights than a woman. This shouldn’t even be a debate — we have no right to decide for a woman if she should bring a child into the world.
Additionally, this proposal could easily be used to forbid health-care providers from giving the morning-after pill to any woman, including rape and incest victims. Women could be forced to carry to term, even if it killed her. And it could well prohibit stem-cell research.
Why are we debating the rights of fertilized eggs? Why are we giving government additional power over the most intimate decisions of women’s lives?
If passed, this would force Colorado to spend millions of scarce dollars to unsuccessfully defend a clearly unconstitutional proposal, since it would be immediately challenged in court. This is an extreme measure that even the pro-life Catholic Church doesn’t support.
Don’t let this Handmaid’s Tale come true — vote no on 48.
Paul Crosson, Mark Fearer, Ari Gerzon and Kenneth Nova/Boulder
The world favors Obama
As an American living abroad, I have the opportunity to view the upcoming presidential election through a new lens. I see Nov. 4 as an opportunity to redeem our nation. We are the most diverse country on Earth, united by the principles of liberty and justice for all. But we are not living up to our potential or our responsibility as the world’s strongest nation. We can show the world that we have learned from our mistakes, that we’re better than the past eight years would suggest. We can demonstrate that we are a country of openness and opportunity, that we are ready to lead the world in solving the difficult global challenges of the 21st century. But we can only do this if we elect Barack Obama.
A recent BBC global poll of 22 countries produced astounding results. Every single nation polled would prefer Obama as the next president of the United States. Across 22,500 people polled, Obama was favored over McCain by a 4-1 margin. The most common view held was that U.S. relations with the rest of the world would improve under Mr. Obama. The countries most optimistic that an Obama presidency would improve relations included Canada, Italy, France, Germany and the U.K.
In Barack Obama the world sees a leader who would inspire all of us to be better global citizens. He represents the strength of diversity and demonstrates what hard work, dedication and hope can achieve. Just as Obama will bring Americans together to create good jobs, make health care affordable, and strengthen our education system, he will bring the world together to solve the global challenges of terrorism, climate change and poverty. If we elect Barack Obama, we will demonstrate to the world that we are once again ready to lead.
Buffy Lenth/Boulder
Dream big
Like many Americans, I’ve been outraged with how our government has turned goodwill and hope around the world into animosity towards the United States. My outrage over the past eight years had turned to anger and lost hope.
I was mad at Karl Rove and Bush for using fundamentalist Christians to “get out the vote” against gays and abortion, even though the administration never had any intention of outlawing these rights — they just needed more votes to win. I was mad Americans were being talked down to with a message of fear, not a message of strength. For almost eight years I have been angry.
Recently, that changed. I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Bobby F. Kennedy Jr., hear him speak, and that day something clicked. He reminded me that our nation was founded on an idea and a dream. He reminded me that Americans have the ability to get off foreign oil for good if we put our mind to it. He reminded me that just a few short years ago, right after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, papers around the globe read, “We are all Americans.” I want that feeling back, not just for me but for my toddler son and all children in America.
My dream is that all Americans can put their differences aside and realize this election is more important than who is for or against abortion, what your tax bracket is, or what party you may have identified with in the past. This election is getting a leader in the White House who has a plan to develop a national power grid so we can tap into the natural, and renewable, resources our nation has, starting with the sun and the wind right here in Colorado. This election is about telling the world we respect them and we want them to respect us for our intelligence, not fear us from our bullying.
For those of you who are undecided, as many of us get out to canvas neighborhoods across Colorado over the next month, I ask you to put aside your anger, differences and doubts and believe, as many generations of Americans have, that we can do better — we must do better. We only need to dream big.
Christina Tangora Schlachter/Boulder
McCain lost my vote
For months I have been undecided in the presidential race. I was a fervent Hillary Clinton supporter, although I did support Bush in the 2000 election. So I tend to be a “voting maverick,” if you will.
When Gov. Palin was picked as VP, I was excited. The prospect of a woman as VP, next in line for the White House, was thrilling. I am a soccer mom, a fiscal conservative, and I personally do not support abortion — although I am not sure government should make that decision for a woman, because I am for smaller government.
Recently, John McCain lost my vote. The hate speech I heard from Sarah Palin was so horrific and frightening. It was reminiscent of the hate speech that drove my father and his Jewish family from Germany in 1937. Labeling a fellow patriotic American, who gave up the chance at making millions on Wall Street to work with the economically disenfranchised on the south side of Chicago as a “terrorist” (or a terrorist by association), is beneath McCain, and beneath the dignity of our great nation. McCain and Palin are no longer putting “country first”; they are putting their campaign first and placing Obama’s life in jeopardy.
I believe in family values and a culture of life. Spewing hate is not a family value. Associating Obama with terrorists and smiling when the audience chants “kill him, terrorist” represents neither for me. I am appalled.
We all remember the assassinations of Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. Is inciting a crowd to the point where people chant “kill him!” and “terrorist!” the way to unite this country in a bipartisan fashion so we can face the enormous challenges before our country, both domestically and abroad? Or is it a ploy to incite some sicko to pull the trigger?
Elizabeth Wolfe/Rollinsville
Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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