We need leaders who can help us find a path forward

I have found some responses to the horrific fire assaults on the Pearl Street Mall to be very disheartening, including those by Phil Weiser, the attorney general of Colorado and candidate for governor.

I received an e-mail article from him in which he talked about the attack on peaceful protesters who were seeking to draw attention to the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas since its October 2023 attack on Israel. Weiser described the Pearl St. assault as an antisemitic attack — with no reference to it as an emotional response by a disturbed Egyptian native concerned about what has been happening in bordering Gaza.

In neither Weiser’s article nor his interview on MSNBC was there any mention whatsoever of the plight of the Palestinian people.

There was not one word about the 56,000 civilian deaths, the bombing of hospitals, schools and refugee shelters, or the blockage of aid and food creating famine conditions.

This is in no way to condone what happened on the mall, but an attempt to understand it.

We need leaders who are able to see both sides in all their complexity and history.

Leaders who can help us break this devastating cycle of violence begetting violence.

And, most importantly, leaders who can help us find some path forward to reconciliation and healing.

— Ellen Stark, Boulder

‘Life is full of blessings we take for granted’

When we were kids growing up, we used to dream about becoming sixteen and getting our drivers license. Little did we realize that one day we would have to give up driving and be without a car. For some, this would be almost impossible. For others, it was the logical and right thing to do.

We took for granted that all would be the same. What we did not realize was that it would never be the same. People came and went from our lives without a thought about it. People we loved, friends we had drifted into and out of our lives. Down deep, our thoughts and feelings were either sadness or muffled as a way to protect us from the losses. Some of us would talk about this, others stuffed their feelings deep into themselves mostly for protection from the pain of loss. Even those who planned ahead were stunned when confronted by the sudden or prolonged experience of loss. It has been said, “We often don’t realize the value of something until it’s gone.” On the other hand, the experiences we have in life can be embraced as blessings. It has been said, “Life is full of blessings we take for granted.” It’s not the things we have, but our wonderful memories and the people we love that we will always have.

— Joseph La Camera, Boulder

Join the Daily Camera’s Community Editorial Board

The Camera has several positions open on the Community Editorial Board and is inviting local writers to apply. The CEB members are volunteers who write every other week on topics of local interest that are selected by the Camera Editorial Board.

Applicants may send a resume of writing and/or general educational and work experience, a cover letter about why they are interested in joining the CEB and writing samples. Writing samples can include letters to the editor or guest opinions that have been published in any paper, or a 300- to 400-word essay on a recent CEB topic or a local issue.

Applicants must live in Boulder and should not be members of groups that are politically active in Boulder or Boulder County. Applicants should include a telephone number, and finalists will be contacted to take part in brief interviews.

Send you application to openforum@dailycamera.com.