Letters

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), May 15, 2008

DEFINING PERSONHOOD

Women shouldn't destroy life growing within them

I have been following, albeit loosely, the debate in the letters section about Kristi Burton's Personhood Amendment proposal. Darlene Smith seems to ignore the basic tenets of Conservative Values ("Conservatives inconsistent in views of government," Letters, May 11). To me, conservative values center first and foremost on the rights of the individual. As a near-rabid anti smoker, I hate going into an establishment where there are smokers. But it is my right not to patronize that establishment, and it should be the right of the establishment owner to allow legal activity. Unfortunately for smokers, smoking in restaurants is now illegal. I think this was an infringement upon their rights.

Returning to Smith's contention of incongruity among conservatives with regard to the rights of the individual, I see no contradiction. She contends that a woman should have the "basic right to decide what to do with her own body." On the surface, I agree with this. If the woman has cancer and decides not to go through therapy, that is her decision. However, when she has a living baby growing inside her, she must consider that she has a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable of humans, the individual growing inside of her.

From the moment of conception, the unborn child begins to grow. This is proof that it is living and viable. God gave us this miracle and it is not for us to merely discard it as an inconvenience. Therefore, I find Smith's argument to be fallacious in its concept. I applaud Burton for her courageous stance on this highly contentious issue.

Dan Lanotte

Falcon

ISRAEL AT 60

Number of refugees from nation open to debate

While The Gazette report, "Israel at 60," was relatively balanced, one error must be corrected. The story said, "Millions [OF ARABS]who lived in the land of Israel for generations were driven out by the Israeli army." Fewer than 800.000 Arabs (Muslim and Christian) left the area that became Israel; 157,000 remained in Israel and became Israeli citizens.

It is debatable as to whether Arabs left the area in 1948 because their leaders told them to or because the Israelis expelled them. Those who did leave the area were not allowed to take up residence or become citizens in any of the other Arab countries, but were instead housed in "temporary" camps, supported by the United Nations.

At the same time, 850,000 Jews were expelled from Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Libya and other Arab countries. When they were expelled, their property and belongings were confiscated. Jews had lived in those countries for hundreds of years, some for more than 2,000 years. The Jews who were expelled went to Israel where they were accepted and actively absorbed as Israeli citizens.

I, too, wish for peace. However, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel, and even disputed former President Jimmy Carter's statement that they would allow Israel to exist. The man who broke into a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem and killed eight young students is treated as a hero by the Palestinian leaders and media. With whom can Israel even discuss peace?

Perry B. Bach

Fountain

STILL SERVING

NORAD's mission continues against new enemies

The Gazette's Sunday article on NORAD's 50th Anniversary presented a lot of information about a command that's been a big part of Colorado Springs history.

From the perspective of a member of NORAD, I'd like to underline why this half-century milestone really matters.

North American Aerospace Defense Command was created by two great democratic nations at a time when their very existence was threatened by the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact it had created by coercion. It succeeded brilliantly as a key part of the free world's defense against unimaginable nuclear destruction. Both the fall of the Berlin Wall and the shocks of 9/11 shattered the old paradigms. The bi-national alliance that is NORAD was tested and tempered by those events, not shattered.

Since then, Canada and the United States have jointly and effectively evolved NORAD as the watchful, capable sentinel that it is today: on guard always for North America, monitoring air, space and sea wherever a threat to either nation might present itself, ready to warn or act as charged by both nations. The resources that have gone into NORAD over the years have kept American and Canadian leaders and forces able to understand and act on potential threats in mere minutes -- a remarkable feat that is far harder than it looks. The citizens of our two nations expect no less.

At 50 years, NORAD is proud and committed to remain an ever-more capable defender of our continent, our people and our freedoms.

Brig. Gen. Christopher D. Miller

Director of Plans, Policy & Strategy NORAD & USNORTHCOM Peterson Air Force Base

GROW UP

Columnist no different than media she berates

Syndicated columnist Robyn Blumner just doesn't get it ("Media shapes campaigns by focusing on trivia," Other Voices, May 13).

While complaining that national media focus on irrelevancies, she does that exact same thing by waxing on irrelevancies in more than half of her column. Her key point, that the public needs to know more about the farm bill, was buried in the second column and filled only five of her 12 paragraphs.