We do not have the right to give up on America

Now that Americans have elected a felon to the office of president, we should remember a few facts.

First, The White House website has officially eliminated all Spanish-language information from the pages, as well as all information about reproductive rights for women. All of these Americans are now apparently officially non-persons who do not exist for the U.S. government as represented by its new leader.

Second, all funding for green energy from the U.S. government, as well as support for electric vehicles, has been withdrawn. So companies who want to make more profit from fossil fuels will indeed make much more money. And Coloradans who want to drive EVs, and who want to promote green energy, are just out of luck — sorry not sorry! “Screw Colorado” is the official White House message to us all. We’re a Blue state and as such are now targeted for as much destruction as the First Felon can generate — because cruelty is the point.

But, as Pete Buttigieg said, we do not have the right to give up! All future generations of Americans are looking to us to act well in support of whatever democracy we can recover from the new dictator. Imagine if the Revolutionary War leaders had declined to fight because it was just too hard and they had better things to do, like earning more money — where would we be now? THINK. What do you want your great-grandchildren to be taught in schools about this time? How will you live with yourself in a year? How will you respect yourself if you give up? Don’t give up: work for democracy, vote, donate, do phone banks, postcard, knock on doors, talk to your family. We are all we have now, and we have a job to do.

— Ellen Wagner, Boulder

Wolves belong in Colorado

Mr. Martin stated the honest, the honorable, and the obvious reasons for Colorado’s vital wolf re-introduction program — its successes and its setbacks to date.

Wolves are a native species and are essential to our state’s healthy ecosystem.

Wolves belong in Colorado!

— Jerilyn Bensard, Denver

Defining our new political vocabulary under Trump

About noon January 20, I watched the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as our 47th president. I also learned a new vocabulary for our world of American politics. Foremost was the introduction of weaponization to stand for being found guilty of 34 counts of fraudulent cooking the books to avoid paying New York taxes for the past 15 years. The most infamous of those penalties was the payment of hush money to a porn star.

But never mind all that legal folderol, we are being told the Department of Justice has a policy/guiding principle of not charging an elected president with a crime. Yet it seems that is exactly what has happened. Said president was found guilty of 34 penalties/indictments and was allowed to run for office regardless.

Now comprehend this: Because DOJ policy forbids charging a president with an indictment/a crime, and, since the people elected said felon to the presidency, NY State law and its 34 felonies decided by a jury, must be set aside. In this case, administrative policy overrides state law so the convicted felon can serve as duly elected president of these United States.

In accepting his election, #47 charged DOJ with weaponization of the law. Such a charge is a reversal of the facts. The law was broken 34 times and an actual court with judge and jury found #47 guilty of it. Who would dare put such an impediment in the way of a candidate for president? Surely not the duly constituted court of New York state.

Shucks! Almost one-half of the voting population likes #47. We, the other half have been scammed.

— Bill Ellis, Longmont