Rachel’s story should remind us all of “our sense of responsibility to each other”

Re: “ ‘I don’t think she was a lost cause’,” April 14 news story

Rachel Skanron’s loved ones honored her by sharing the moving, heartbreaking story of her death by overdose with The Denver Post. She tried for years to get bona fide help in our state for her depression and addiction. Any such person deserves such a moving tribute. But will it move the dial?

In the very same edition of The Post, we also read about the closing of autism clinics due to a lack of funding; assaults against the dwindling numbers of RTD drivers who must suffer the results of our public spaces serving, effectively, as day shelters; plus, the shadow of the 25th anniversary of the mass school shooting at Columbine.

And, perhaps most significantly, and ironically, how a white, male billionaire has bought a mountain ski resort — a mountain! —and plans to develop it so that his rich friends can pay up to $100K per year to not be disturbed by “the crowds.”

Rachel was lost to her loved ones. What else is lost? Our sense of responsibility to each other. Our sense of duty. Our way. RTD drivers complain of the smell of methamphetamine. We the people (we make up the “crowds,” by the way) should wake up and smell the coffee. Good people in need in our state will continue to die needlessly until we fund public health care and social support services as they are intended by raising taxes on the rich in a common sense, fair way.

— David Iverson, Denver

Pop quiz: Is it about calories or nutrition?

Re: “Denver’s ban on soda from kid’s menus is most certainly not libertarianism,” April 14 commentary

Krista Kafer, in trying to convince us that the city has foisted a false choice on its residents, made a too-common error. All calories are not equal. One could say that children should have diet soda rather than milk, because it has less calories than milk. Hopefully, every parent and teacher knows that you don’t choose food based on the number of calories it contains but rather by the amount of nutrients that come with those calories. By that criteria, milk, juice, kombucha, water and even beer is healthier than pop. Pop has sugar and chemicals. l will always remember the oncologist who explained to me that cancer loves sugar. No one needs pop. Children should not ever be encouraged to drink it, even if it is readily available.

— A. Lynn Buschhoff, Denver

Netanyahu’s errors before Oct. 7

Re: “Netanyahu must go,” April 14 commentary

I wholeheartedly agree with New York Times columnist Bret Stephens that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should step down, and I’ve held that position for some time.

New Yorker editor David Remnick, a Pulitzer Prize winner and himself Jewish, has been sharply focused on the events in the region since that dreadful day, Oct. 7.

Through Remnick’s interviews with both Israelis and Palestinians and his reporting on Israeli polls, it is apparent that most Israelis want Netanyahu gone. The demonstrations in the streets against Netanyahu’s government prior to Oct. 7 were sizeable.

Leading up to Oct. 7., Netanyahu was engaged in CYA activity — the result of corruption investigations. He “took his eye off the ball,” the “ball” his own father described as the most important duty of a prime minister — the protection of the Jewish state.

As a footnote to Stephens’ remark that “Netanyahu might aspire to be Winston (Churchill), but is more of a Neville (Chamberlain)”, Churchill said to Chamberlain, “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war.”

When the smoke clears, perhaps something similar will be said of Benjamin Netanyahu.

— David Mathews, Highlands Ranch

Hope for Social Security recipients

Re: “What financial planners wish you knew about Social Security,” April 14 business story

I enjoyed reading the Money column in last Sunday’s paper. However, I was disappointed that the column failed to mention the effect that the Government Pension Offset (GPO) has on the spousal benefit. The GPO, created in 1977, is a penalty the government imposes on the spousal benefit if the recipient receives a government pension. Two-thirds of the pension amount is subtracted from the normal spousal benefit. For example, if the social security benefit for one of the spouses is $2,500, then the normal spousal benefit would be 50% of that or $1,250. If the spouse receiving the PERA benefit receives $2,100, two-thirds of that is $1,400. That amount is subtracted from the $1,250, so, in this example, the spouse gets nothing.

A bill, HR 82 — the Social Security Fairness Act — is making its way through Congress. It would repeal the GPO and has 316 cosponsors. Hopefully, this bill will become law and restore the full spousal benefit to our valued public employees.

— Rick O’Connell, Centennial

Democratic Party needs to return “to its roots”

Re: “More voters shift to Republican Party, closing gap with Democrats,” April 14 news story

One of the great things about our country is that it has historically been a politically centrist country. Sometimes we go to the right of the center (e.g., Reagan years), and sometimes, we go to the left of the center (e.g., Obama years). But in either case we seem to return to the center — a country on an even keel.

It’s time that the Democratic Party understands that and returns to its roots as the party of the working class. Hillary Clinton forgot that in 2016 and lost the historically solid Democratic midwest working-class states. The article reflects the pendulum switching back from the left. Dems need to heed the warning and change their priorities to focus on the issues (e.g., immigration, price gouging, inflation) that working-class people want fixed. Dems need more than abortion rights to win in 2024, or we will elect an egotistical dictator.

— Curt Anderson, Broomfield

Credit Supreme Court for abortion ruling

Re: “Man who snuffed out abortion rights is no moderate,” April 14 commen

tary

Regarding the article by Jamelle Bouie, the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the Roe v. Wade ruling and found it to be faulty, so they reversed it. Bouie, I know you need to pander to your audience, but, you really should improve your civics knowledge of our constitutional processes.

— Richard D. VanOrsdale, Broomfield

Travel Quiz will be missed

Re: April 14 editor’s note

Another long-enjoyed Sunday morning article, alas!

My husband and I have competed against each other on our geography knowledge for years! We are sure sorry to see it gone!

— Donna Noone, Thornton

A life spent fighting for rights as a woman

When I moved to Colorado in 1969 as a single woman, I had the right to vote and protection against discrimination in the workplace. I didn’t have to vote or work; those were choices that laws had guaranteed me. A store still refused me a credit card because I was a single woman. Women were and are still trying to get equal pay for equal work.

In 1972, I was thrilled when Title IX was passed; every woman and girl had the opportunity to play on sport teams. They didn’t have to participate in sports, but they could choose to play.

In 1984 when my third and last child was born, even though his sisters both had to be induced, the birth was scheduled at the convenience of the doctor! Thank goodness today the mother, family and doctors usually choose a schedule together.

Women have the right to decide on health care decisions dealing with themselves and their bodies, whether options on medication, treatments, surgeries, or even DNRs (do-not-resuscitate orders).

Women are capable of making sensible choices for themselves, their families and their own health. It is insulting and disrespectful that unknown people, sometimes in the word of religion, feel it is their right and/or responsibility to mandate what a woman decides about her own body.

Women are born with brains the same as men, but women have had to demand equal rights: the right to vote, to work, to own property, to be financially independent, and even to play!

Women will resist domination; we will persist in our fight to gain equal rights! Your mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, every woman deserve equality!

— Betsy Anderson, Denver