Turn our American flag upside down
Showing the American flag upside down is “to convey a sign of distress or great danger”.
We clearly mean no disregard for our past or present service men and women. We had and lost family members who fought and served in this great country and understood what the American flag represents. Against this background, there were comments for and against our decision.
We did not make this decision lightly or out of defiance. We are concerned about the direction this country is going. It seems like nothing is forbidden anymore. The greater the shock value, the more acceptable it becomes. Where have ethics, morals and discretion gone?
It seems that many of the residents of our state are liberals and hold the highest office in the country. Where is the balance of power that is necessary for a healthy government that is to serve the people (on both sides) and not their personal ideas?
This liberal agenda is being shoved down our throats and the media, big tech and those who supposedly represent the “people” sit together in this bed and any opposition encounters censorship and contempt (not worthy of their consideration or respect is).
This government is now flaunting its arrogance and shamelessly despising it. It sent billions of dollars abroad while licking its ice cream and sending pittance to Americans who struggle to pay their bills and for whom food on the table is a luxury.
They held the people of that country hostage all along, waiting for the election. They want to add a state and enlarge the Supreme Court so they can secure and promote their liberal and socialist agenda. Socialism advocates state ownership of resources and the distribution of goods – a system in which there is no private property. You choose which laws to enforce or ignore.
This is a land of law and freedom to work hard and reap what you sow. These individuals are deliberately and openly destroying what our veterans fight and die for. No accountability.
Family member since 1892.
Mary James
Carbondale
Climate Change Laws
I have spent a lot of time over the past decade trying to contain climate change. I have served on boards and many committees. I donated to campaigns. I’ve written dozens of letters and columns on environmental issues. I have attended many courses on sustainability at CMC. I read reports and articles about the environment all the time. I would use stronger language, but I’m really ticked off.
I recently spoke to sustainability people in other cities in Colorado. I looked at their climate plans. The problem with the climate plans, from ours to the Paris climate agreements signed by around 200 countries, is the same for everyone. Nobody meets them. Politicians learn in the first five minutes that they rarely get serious blame for what they don’t do, but are blamed for doing something that people don’t like.
They also know that they should do what the people with the most money ask of them. Doing what must be done to save us from climate change will reduce the wealth and incomes of many powerful people at all levels.
The standard climate plan is full of great sounding goals and lots of small incremental steps that could add up to something in a few decades. The only serious reduction in emissions comes from “greening” our electricity as renewable energies increase. It only happened because the cost of sun and wind fell like a rock.
So let’s have a clear conversation. Big changes that really reduce emissions need to be made through government law. Gasoline and other high-carbon products and goods must be taxed. Must be. That will change the entire market. No new buildings or major conversions with natural gas may be permitted. The buildings must not contribute to our emissions. The carbon tax applies to products that travel long distances. Like beef from New Zealand or strawberries from South America. Grow locally.
Local utility companies need to be nationalized. Yes, nationalized. Aspen and Glenwood have their own electrical departments. You can be much more aggressive with improvements. Each decision does not need to be approved by the shareholders. The same applies to the gas suppliers. We must now end all natural gas warming and replace it with electric heat pumps.
We need government programs that are based on hard data and that will make the huge changes we need to make. Plans need to be created, monitored and adjusted quickly. All of these existing so-called plans are several years old. That time is lost. You can’t make it up.
Patrick Hunter
Carbondale
Waste of time
Our new representative, Lauren Boebert, has tabled a bill that would remove Biden’s mask mandate for state and interstate travel on planes, trains or buses.
How can anyone fail to see that wearing masks has saved thousands and thousands of lives? If that mandate had been in place last year, who knows how many more lives would have been saved?
I am sure Rep. Boebert knows that her bill will not be passed and only poses for her supporters. She seems to have started her career mindlessly wasting Congress time.
Kay Delanoy
Eagle