The burden of wolf control lands on our ranchers
I am a bleeding-heart liberal environmentalist who has hugged more than one tree in the 60-odd years that I have been a resident of Colorado. I have pretty much supported every environmental cause short of taking up arms, which I have owned aplenty, during my active hunting years. Like many transplanted residents of Colorado, I come from a farming or ranching background. I am guessing there are more of us than there are actual farmers and ranchers in Colorado. It is time we raised our voices for our rural neighbors.
While I support a more limited wolf introduction program, there does not seem to be enough protection for the livestock and human population of Grand and Jackson counties, which will suffer the most from livestock losses. The loss of one young purebred cow can result in six or eight less calves during her productive years. That is many thousands of dollars.
Back to my roots: When I was about 10 years old, I witnessed a pack of feral (for a day) dogs kill one of my dad’s hogs. My dad shot three or four of those dogs before the rest ran away. In 1943 that was a devastating loss to our poor family. Our county did not have leash laws and it was not uncommon to see a pack of town dogs roaming through our farming community. From that day forward, we shot every dog that crossed our property line.
We should not put the burden of wolf control on the ranching community of Grand and Jackson counties. Their welfare should come before wolves for every citizen of Colorado.
Roy Legg, Highlands Ranch
Seek federal solution to immigration strain
Since immigration is a national problem, why are immigrants not taken to the Federal Center in Lakewood? I think there are empty buildings and plenty of emergency supplies there. My heart goes out to the people arriving in Denver, but it is unfair of the federal government to expect Colorado to deal with this crisis on its own. Nor should border states have to deal with it on their own. We need a committed and intelligent Congress willing to tackle REAL problems.
Carolee Koehn, Lakewood
Olympian deserved time in jail
Re: “Olympic gold-medal swimmer gets six months in home detention,”
Klete Keller spent about 50 minutes in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, leading chants against Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer. He joined other insurrectionists singing the Star Spangled Banner at the podium after he invaded the U.S. Capitol.
Keller intimidated Capitol police with his 6-foot-6-inch, 250-pound presence and demonstrated his total disdain for America by wearing his Team USA jacket during the melee and later tossing it into a trash can. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years probation, six months of home detention (Colorado Springs), and 360 hours of community service.
A three-time Olympian with two gold medals, a silver medal, and two bronze medals, Keller besmirched not only the medals but also the country he represented. He should have received incarceration as many others of less notoriety received. His medals and record should be trashed from the history books just as he trashed his USA jacket. He shamed Colorado and the USA and everything for which the Olympics stand.
Philip Arreola, Denver
Trump’s moral vacuum claims another supporter
Re: “Trump derangement syndrome alive and well,” Dec. 20 letter to the editor
While the letter writer is laughing hysterically and his “own good opinion of Mr. Trump grows,” the former president is quoting Hitler and praising autocrats around the globe. It is unfathomable one would have a “good opinion” of a man who is guilty of fraud, liable for sexual assault, indicted for numerous felonies and impeached twice; who mocked a disabled reporter and made disparaging remarks about Gold Star families; who called fallen soldiers “losers” and “suckers.” One wonders about the morals of people who admire Mr. Trump.
Valorie Manzi, Lakewood
