Letters: This veteran thanks Coloradans for all their support Tuesday

A veteran thanks you for your support

I herein take the liberty of speaking for the veteran community and wish to express a hearty helping of gratitude to all Americans for all the good wishes, various discounts, and tasty treats proffered on this Veterans Day. I overrated and loved it all!

The United States never feels fear when it goes to war. The Army and Marines don’t get lonely and stressed. The USAF and the Navy don’t miss their families and important family events. The individual veteran bears all of that and as human beings, we find it gratifying to have that acknowledged.

But when people tell me, “Thanks for your service,” I like to say, “Thanks for your support,” because it’s the support of the folks back home that makes it possible for the military to do its sometimes distasteful job.

Further, for individual Americans to live their best lives is the best thanks that can be offered to a veteran because helping to create that opportunity is why we did what we did.

So, to all Americans: Thanks for your support!

Brett L. Mers (USAF Major, retired), Colorado Springs

Teen offers hope for our future

Re: “A 14-year-old government whiz representing Colorado in civics bee buena vista high school,” Nov. 12 news story

In these divisive and hateful times, it was a ray of sunshine to read about young Joseph Drexler. This young man recognizes the importance of our government. It gives us all hope that our democracy will survive as this young man and others like him work to see that all young people learn how to build a community where people listen to each other. Thanks for this article.

Rochelle Padzensky, Denver

Coach should have left some time on the clock

Re: “Chiefs 16, Broncos 14: Blocked,” Nov. 11 sports story

Don’t nobody go pointing fingers at the linemen or kicker on this Broncos loss, especially coach Sean Payton, because he has three pointing back at him.

Since when does it make sense to take a knee on the third down, run the clock down to one second, then roll the dice and try a sudden death field goal against any NFL team, but especially the reigning Super Bowl Champs? Any coach less interested in making a statement than winning the game would have left 10 seconds on the clock, planned for a disaster, and kicked the field goal on third down. Then let his defense keep doing what they did all day: Stop the Chiefs. The results might have been the same, but there would have been a 50-50 chance the Broncos recovered the blocked kick and lived another down to attempt the winning field goal.

John Schlue, Aurora

Don’t point fingers at all white women

Re: “There’s no mystery; white women handed Trump the election,” Nov. 9 commentary

Just as we are constantly told that Latino or Black voters are not a monolith, neither are white women. I am a 71-year-old white woman. (I turned 71 on 11/6 — worst birthday ever!). I regularly attend church and am actively involved in my church’s antiracism, refugee and social outreach ministries. I have a “Christians Against Trump” bumper sticker on my car. Neither I nor any white woman I know voted for Donald Trump, so please don’t lay the blame on all white women.

KR Dion, Westminster

Another wrongheaded gun measure

Re: “Gun tax would pay for services,” Oct. 26 news story

Proposition KK has passed, and now the state of Colorado will experience less gun violence.  At least that is what House Majority Leader Monica Duran (D) and Sen. Tom Sullivan (D) think. This new excise tax is nothing less than an attack on us lawful gun owners and it will do very little to stop gun violence. Isn’t it time to quit blaming us lawful gun owners and gun shops for the uptick in crime in this state? We are law-abiding citizens, too, and have the right to protect ourselves.

Dennis Kurtz, Littleton

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