CUPITMUSIC

CU Regents need to commit to priorities

Re: “University of Colorado: Following investigation, board censures Regent Wanda James,” July 3 news story

Having spent 19 of my 30-plus years advocating for access to higher education, I am deeply troubled by the University of Colorado Board of Regents’ decision to censor Regent Wanda James. This action reflects a wider assault on higher education.

The Pell Grant program faces potential elimination, universities are pressured to dismantle essential support for underserved students, and all the while, funding for critical academic programs is slashed. The board’s decision exemplifies a failure in leadership and a lack of focus on pressing institutional challenges.

James rightly highlighted a racist depiction in a public health campaign about cannabis use during pregnancy. While her censorship is concerning, the approval of that campaign raises significant questions about internal checks and balances. Instead of fostering transparency and inclusivity, fellow regents chose to silence one of their own.

To those who voted for this censorship: I urge you to address the real challenges facing our $7.1B institution and the external threats to our education system with the same energy you directed at James for expressing her truth. You are responsible for guiding Colorado’s flagship university system; now is the time to show integrity, courage, and a commitment to equity and justice. Rethink your actions, recommit to your elected priorities, and do better — for James, all students, and the future of higher education.

Morris Price Jr, Denver

Throwing support behind Trump, Musk and Gulf of Mexico

I am both a supporter of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. I do, however, disagree with changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

I lived for several years near the Gulf of Mexico and spent a lot of time on the beach. The Gulf of Mexico is rich in history as the name suggests. Changing the name will only result in a loss of history. I never felt, while lying in the warm sands of the Gulf of Mexico, that I was not lying on American soil.

Susanne MacDonald, Broomfield

We are a nation of immigrants, but we need guardrails

It is starting to get redundant and pointless to keep hearing that we are a nation of immigrants in order to justify the acceptance of illegal immigration, of which a certain percentage now seems to be a serious criminal element.

Yes, our country was settled by immigrants, often displacing native citizens in the process. So, let’s bring us up to date. We are now a stable nation of citizens with a Constitution and laws regulating immigration, for which there are many good reasons. Every country has laws regarding immigration; we are not unique in that respect.

We accept immigrants into the United States, and as a country of laws we have every right to determine who we will accept, under what circumstances, and how many. The dangers of unregulated immigration, as has happened with the last administration, created many hazards for our citizens and our country. We had no idea how many criminals, gang members, and covert agents entered our country. In many cases, we have paid a price for that situation, some with their lives and property.

As a nation, we should continue to show compassion, and immigration should proceed according to our laws and needs. We cannot fix all the problems of the world, but we can help.

William F. Hineser, Arvada

Yankees eyeing Rockies’ McMahon

Re: “If Rockies love McMahon, Marquez, they’ll trade them,” June 20 commentary

The Yankees would be fortunate to grab third baseman Ryan McMahon if the Rockies are willing to part with him. The topic du jour on Yankees sports radio is the need for a third baseman. They just moved Jazz Chisholm, Jr., one of their best offensive players this season, from his fill-in role at third base back to his natural defensive position at second.

McMahon would be a perfect fit, considering he was a Gold Glove finalist four straight years and a 2024 All-Star.

Adam Silbert, New York City

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Disappointment in lawmakers expressed after ‘The One Big, Beautiful Bill’ passage

Re: “GOP milestone: House gives final approval in tight vote to Trump’s big tax bill,” July 4 news story

While Republicans claim that their “The One Big Beautiful Bill” will strengthen Medicaid by eliminating the usual waste, fraud, and abuse, it is more telling that their changes to Medicaid will not go into effect until after the 2026 midterm elections. If there’s waste, fraud, and abuse, why wait two years to deal with it? The reason is that they won’t have to fear the political repercussions of the pain and suffering from all those benefits they promised. Voters need to see through this.

Dan Danbom, Denver

Re: “Trump tax bill: Hurd voted party line; so did the rest of state delegation,” July 4 news story

Rep. Gabe Evans’ commercial states that his vote is for Colorado families. Evans is giving them crumbs, however. He voted to give the rich loaves.

James Maki, Dacono

Re:  ” ‘Big beautiful bill’ is ugly for state residents’ health,” July 4 commentary,  and “Small colleges depend on their endowments; the tax should not be raised,” July 2 commentary.

America is over $37 trillion in debt, which is considerably greater than our $27 trillion GDP. The only way to resolve this financial crisis is for America to export more than it imports. This can only happen if America reindustrializes and is able to create novel technologies that will be marketable. This will also help solve some of the myriad crises facing the world (e.g., climate change vis-à-vis green energy).

However, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have utterly decimated science and higher education in America by defunding both. Where will the engineers who design and build our factories come from — especially when international students (who largely pursue STEM) are no longer welcome here? How will we fuel innovation when there is sparse funding for scientific research?

Cutting taxes and aiding the wealthy elites of this country will not solve America’s debt crisis as it falls further behind technologically. Only strong support for scientific research and higher education will.

Michael Pravica, Henderson, Nevada

To Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski: If we ever needed a hero, last week was the week. And Sen. Murkowski, this was your chance to show your mettle. This was the vote you could show how strong, committed, and ethical you are. This was the time to do the “McCain” vote. This was the time to be a hero. Not everybody is afforded this opportunity.

Ah, but no. You, like so many of your colleagues, chose the easy way out. You knew the “Big, Beautiful Bill” was ugly and wrong. Before your vote “yea”, you stated that fact. Your vote said to me that you are too weak to stand up for the Constitution and the American people. Instead, you got what you could for yourself and your special interests in Alaska. You know millions of people will be hurt and many will die from your decision, but you don’t care.

Don’t think for a minute your GOP comrades hold you in esteem. Trump used you and others and now you are nothing to him. “The Murkowski” vote will be added to history books with that of Benedict Arnold, the Rosenbergs, and Donald Trump. You failed the test. Your legacy will be one of disgrace and dishonor. You blew it for yourself and our country.

Carol Kiernan, Westminster

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SSA is now a shill for Trump. Trust nothing.

I woke Friday morning to an email from the Social Security Administration bragging about Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and how it was advantageous to me as a Social Security recipient. I verified this was actually from the SSA.

I have endured five and a half months of bad news on immigration, cuts to agencies, cuts to benefits and programs, but this sent me over the edge. I can no longer believe anything the government tells me about the state of our country; the economy, employment, poverty, or health, and I fear even more about the coming elections and how they could be tainted.
Using the sanctity of the SSA to promote political ideology is beyond my comprehension in a free society. But we are no longer free, and this nailed it for me.

Mark Brown, Denver

Are e-bikes the problem?

Re: “Must e-bikes go all the same places as old-fashioned bikes?” July 3 commentary

The issue of e-bikes is not restricted to national parks. One of the nicest features of living in the Denver metro area is the network of pedestrian/bike trails. The faster e-bikes are now making these dangerous. An e-bike is a motorcycle, but it is a silent motorcycle. Walkers and conventional bikers can’t hear them coming. When a twenty-something flies past me without warning on a trail the width of a wide sidewalk, it is scary. Cities need to enforce the signs about no motorized vehicles.

Ray Harlan, Denver

Slim Woodruff’s commentary about e-bikes going everywhere “old-fashioned bikes” go, while humorous, also makes some broad assertions about us e-bike riders. I’ve had a class 1 e-bike for ten years and I’ve never ridden it where it isn’t allowed. There will always be irresponsible e-bike riders, just as there are irresponsible regular bike riders. I’ve nearly been run off the trail by regular riders who think they’re in the Tour de France. My 90-year-old mother was almost knocked over with her walker on a hospital sidewalk by a regular cyclist who was going so fast he could barely stop. Then he yelled at her for being in his way. Jerks will be jerks regardless of their chosen means of transportation.

Kari Epstein, Denver

Keep fireworks out of neighborhoods

Where is the enforcement when it comes to illegal fireworks in Colorado? Pretty basically, fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal.

The selfish actions of a few people are allowed to disrupt the quiet and serenity of our neighborhoods. The overwhelming majority of residents in my Westminster/Arvada neighborhood did not have a fireworks display in the street. About five residents within a four-block radius rained one explosion after another down on us through post-midnight hours.

Does anyone give any selfless thought to the war veteran who may be suffering P.T.S.D., or the pets that cower in fear at every burst of noise? What about the risks being taken? Annually there are news stories about a structure that burned, or a hand injury or a grass fire. Every careless act puts the safety of citizens, first responders and property at risk. What about those that just want to enjoy a quiet evening at home relishing the extra day off for the week? What about the people who had to work on the holiday and want to wind down quietly?

There are public displays all over the metro area. I enjoy a good fireworks show as much as anyone … at the baseball game, the rodeo, the fair or the park, but not in the neighborhoods.

Rich Linnebur, Westminster

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Owning Pride: Overcoming oppression and being true selves

Re: “Keep government out of Pride, whether it’s Trump or Biden,” June 29 commentary

Had I grown up with a legion of Krista Kafers as my parents and neighbors and teachers and schoolmates and doctors and shopkeepers, I would likely think and feel as she does about gay “pride” — live and let live without judging or celebrating someone because of immutable characteristics like skin color or ethnic origin or sexual orientation or gender identity.

I grew up as a closeted gay person. From my earliest awareness of attraction to other boys, I was acutely aware that most of those people would judge and perhaps harm me for who I was.

I read in school books, newspapers and my church bulletins that I was “sick” and “perverted.” In Sunday school I was literally told I would be “damned to hell forever.”  When, finally, in my early 20s, I told my parents I was gay, my father said, “You disgust me and are no son of mine”, and my mother shut the tiny door of any affection she ever gave me. I am not “proud” because I am gay. I am proud because somehow I found in the depths of my being, against all these realities of my young life, the courage to simply be and live openly as the gay person I am.

Actually I prefer the term “queer” because it gives me a sense of solidarity with all the others whose rainbow of attributes led to living under similar oppression. I appreciate Krista for not judging me and other queer people. I encourage her to consider that celebrating gay pride is about something we have accomplished and our healing from oppression.

Wayne Thrash, Denver

I take issue with the commentary. Specifically, Krista Kafer tells us her definition of “pride.” In her opinion, gay folks do not use the word correctly.

“It’s understandable that people who feel unaccepted because of their sexuality use the word ‘pride’ in this way. The trouble with identitarian usage, however, is that only some people are allowed to apply it that way. One can be proud to be a woman but not a man, proud to be Black or Hispanic but not white, proud to be gay but not straight,” Kafer writes.

Sounds fishy to me. I can state that I am proud of myself. No person should take issue with the usage of pride in that sentence, contrary to what Kafer says.

Kafer fails to recount the root cause and the beginning of Pride Day.  Being gay used to be something people tried to hide in many cases.  We need to look no further than the story of Matthew Shepard to see how it could be deadly to be outed as gay, not to mention the risk of job loss or other societal privilege. I think of Pride Day as a day to be proud of who you are with no qualifications.  Let my friends in the gay community have their day.

Byron Bergman, Denver

While I believe Krista Kafer had good intentions in writing her column on pride flags and use of the word “pride,” I think she misses a couple of points about folks who aren’t white or straight, those who she says “aren’t allowed” to use the word “pride” in a positive context.

First, complaining that straight white people aren’t allowed to use a particular word is like a child not wanting to share any of their toys with the other kids. You don’t have to win everything; let other people claim a word if they want.

Second, at the end of her column, Kafer states that she doesn’t take “pride” in being white and straight because she didn’t get to choose those identities. I can assure you that the vast, vast majority of gay and trans-related folks don’t feel they had a choice, either.

D. Laughren, Golden

Give Congress members a taste of their own medicine

Re: ” Trump bill: Senators launch weekend of work,” June 29 news story

After reading how cuts are going to affect real people, not imaginary ones, I think Congress members and the White House occupants should immediately lose their government health insurance and any housing allowance they get to live in the DC area. If they are getting cancer treatment, it should stop, and any experimental treatment or hormone meds should stop.

If it’s OK for them to take health care away, food supplements away, housing assistance, veterans’ care, educational assistance from the American public, there’s got to be some reality check.

Try paying your meds without insurance, Congress; try paying your own rent and your own transportation.

In addition, their pay should stop immediately and they should see how the rest of the real world lives for once. If it is OK for Congress to make deep cuts, how about it directly impacting them?

These actions are akin to what Hitler did in Germany: send away anyone of color or a different religion, starve people, and put people in camps. It sounds familiar. Is that the America we want? I think not.

Cheryl Brungardt, Wheat Ridge

If it quacks like a duck …

Re: “Trump’s ICE is deliberately targeting noncriminals,” June 29 editorial

I’m in absolute agreement with The Denver Post Editorial Board on this subject. What President Donald Trump is doing sure looks and feels like what’s been done in fascist states: targeting specific ethnic nationalities, ignoring the rule of law, and adopting the methods of historical dictators. What’s being done in our country, our democracy, is outrageous and is definitely not making our country great.

Jeannie Dunham, Denver

Too soon to applaud the Supreme Court

Re: “Court limits nationwide injunctions,” June 28 news story

A few years from now, a future president will declare a national gun violence emergency and issue an executive order declaring it illegal to own a gun, saying that today’s gun owners are not part of a “well-regulated Militia.” Of course, there will be cries of “that’s unconstitutional!” and lawsuits by people trying to get their guns back.

Thanks to Friday’s Supreme Court decision to kick the teeth out of the lower federal courts, the only people getting their guns back would be the individual plaintiffs. The president wouldn’t care, knowing that most Americans don’t have the time and resources to sue.

Besides, the president doesn’t have to appeal all the one-by-one rulings against the executive order.

I’m confident the Supreme Court will eventually overrule Trump’s blatantly unconstitutional executive order ending birthright citizenship. But what’s to stop him from issuing another order the next day? Don’t look for help from federal judges who are now stripped of the power of universal injunction.

Andrew Bartlett, Longmont

Kennedy’s bad decisions

Re: “These families don’t forget damage done by diseases,” June 29 news story

Thank you for the Sunday article recounting the history of vaccines. Indeed, vaccines have saved millions of lives and prevented millions of debilitating illnesses and physical impairments.  Robert Kennedy Jr.’s own family warned us that he was not a rational-thinking guy.  One of my best friends from 60 years ago (I was 15) had a permanent limp from polio.  History is clear: Vaccines are not a problem. How is it that “Teflon Trump” keeps getting away with absurdly bad management decisions?

Jim Rankin, Highlands Ranch

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A good day to remember our Declaration of Independence

July 4th is much more than BBQs and beer, parades and horns. It celebrates the birth of our nation, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, a statement of why our first patriots felt compelled to rebel against their king. Every American would do well to read it aloud at home and in their public spaces on this day — and to honor its contents. Some of the complaints sound familiar to our ears:

• [the King] “has obstructed the Administration of Justice;”

• he has “affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power;”

• he is “cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world” and “imposing Taxes without our Consent;”

• he is “depriving us in many cases of the benefits of Trial by Jury” and is “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences;”

• he is “altering fundamentally the Forms of our governments;”

• “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us.”

They declare,” A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

By this Declaration, Americans asserted their unwillingness to be serfs or vassals to an unaccountable ruler, but rather as free people who demand their leaders be answerable to them and to the laws they enact. Let us honor the true meaning of this national holiday.

Wendy Orley, Highlands Ranch

A history of unwanted immigrants

The current immigration policies are clouded in a blanket of hypocrisy. Many of our ancestors were once unwanted immigrants. And many were probably undocumented.

In the second half of the 19th century, the U.S. government broke numerous treaties with various indigenous people, all under the guise of manifest destiny. Two huge American figures at that time, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, opposed the Mexican-American War on moral grounds. Grant called it one of the worst examples of a strong country taking advantage of a weaker one. It was a shameful display of American greed and power.

Maybe we need more understanding and compassion when it comes to immigration and fewer ICE raids.

Chris Sandoval, Arvada

Public radio deserves federal support

It is shameful to see the administration’s fraudulent approach to dealing with public broadcasting. Public radio stations receive on average 14% of their operating expenses from federal funds. That’s it. The rest is given through individual support. I have regularly supported public radio as the vital, independent source for news and music that it is.

Contrary to the false statements by President Donald Trump and his followers, public media is neither radical nor does it have an agenda other than to inform through independent journalism and provide a wide range of community-specific news and features, especially in rural areas. I suspect that at the core of his attacks, Trump does not like public media because it is fact-based reporting, and he is unable to control the narrative, and it is well known he despises any news entity that reports on him truthfully.

This administration froze funding to Radio Free Europe after a 70-year history of truthful reporting, reaching people suffering under authoritarian governments. Repressing all outside news is a pathetic attempt at budget cutting, and a boon to monsters like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Viktor Orban, and so on.

Thomas M. Holzfaster, Lakewood

Rail is not set up for reliability

Re: “Board tentatively OKs pursuing Front Range passenger rail between Denver, Fort Collins,” June 25 news story

When will people learn? They make jokes about the unreliability of Amtrak, and then folks expect to borrow freight track from Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, Canadian National or any other non-governmental host railroad for a cost and schedule that perfectly fits their plans. After almost 30 years in the industry, both railroad manufacturing and transit agencies, my answer is: Good luck with that!

The host railroad that profits primarily from freight operations will never prioritize passenger runs. Longer consist, fewer engineers, looser regulations, tighter schedules, and emphasis, I repeat emphasis, on cost containment all mean one thing: plan on Amtrak-like reliability for passenger trains. Accidents, repairs, and maintenance will all result in the same thing: “We gotta use the bus today.”

Ride quality is another issue. Cargo containers can sway pretty wildly before triggering any shock watch. Unless RTD wants to trigger plenty of passengers, they’d better plan on paying billions to upgrade freight track – concrete sleepers, continuous rail, at grade crossings becoming bridges, PTC upgrades, etc, etc, and all at taxpayer expense, as none of these upgrades would be necessary to continue those freight operations.

Either pay to double-track that right-of-way, buy it outright, or forget about ever meeting cost or schedule… or the expectations of the commuting public.

Dave Knutson, Arvada

As we consider transport along the Front Range, let’s ensure we explore the benefits of Maglev high-speed trains (look up China’s CRRC 600 or Central Japan Railway Company – JR Central – L0 Series). Maglev also has the promise of being able to handle 10-degree inclines, making it a natural extension to our mountain resort communities, relieving traffic on I-70.

Other alternatives worth considering: Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) and Automated Transit Network (ATN) where small transport pods, propelled by maglev, would move four to six people with no (or very limited) intermediate stops — the total station to station transport time may be even better than maglev trains and the cost to construct/maintain is a fraction of a tradition rail system with large stations.

Depending upon projected volumes (passengers/cargo), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft may have even better cost and benefits (lower land purchases, infrastructure, maintenance).

Rather than building more than a century-old rail technology and implementing obsolete technology, let’s consider Maglev, ATN/PRT and eVTOL.

Michael MacLauchlan, Denver

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Don’t cry wolf without the facts

Re: “Tie should go to the ranchers,” June 20 letter to the editor

A recent letter suggests that if a wolf might be involved in a livestock death, the “tie should go to the rancher.” But with fewer than 30 wolves in Colorado-and tens of thousands of coyotes and over 17,000 black bears — that’s not a tie. That’s a statistical mismatch.

Colorado’s livestock compensation program already heavily favors ranchers. It pays 100% market value for confirmed wolf kills and even reimburses for “indirect losses,” like missing livestock, with just a 50.1% likelihood. That’s the most generous predator compensation program in the country.

What’s missing in this conversation is accountability. In a recent public hearing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff confirmed that 15 livestock losses formed the basis of a large compensation claim, but didn’t clarify how many occurred before the producer implemented basic deterrents, like burying an open carcass pit. Public records show that once deterrents were in place, losses dropped dramatically.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s science, and it’s what Proposition 114 called for when voters approved wolf reintroduction in 2020.

Instead of lowering the bar further, we should strengthen the system: require nonlethal conflict prevention as a condition of compensation, and ensure public funds support those committed to coexistence, not those who invite conflict and demand a check.

Let’s be fair to ranchers, but also to Colorado’s native wildlife and the voters who supported their return.

Shane Brown, Colorado Springs

Pedestrian walkway at state Capitol serves no demand

Re: “First images show pedestrian walkway,” May 23 news story

The governor’s “Bridge to Nowhere” is an expensive and ill-conceived project that does more harm than good. At a time when Colorado faces pressing infrastructure and housing needs, spending tens of millions on a bridge through Denver’s Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park is fiscally irresponsible and negatively impacts the integrity of our historic public space.

The park is a landmark with deep roots in Denver’s history. Scarring that space with a bridge few people will use undermines its legacy and limits the space as a gathering location for public advocacy and demonstrations. Worse yet, the project offers little mobility value: It’s disconnected from transit lines, poorly integrated with pedestrian and bike infrastructure, and serves no meaningful transportation demand.

We need smarter investments. Denver has mobility and transportation needs. If there’s a budget available to spend on critical infrastructure, then spend it on critical infrastructure. A bridge to nowhere is a dead end for Denver.

Erik Clarke, Denver

EVs will serve us well

Seven months ago, I got a new electric vehicle (EV), MSRP less than $30,000. Edmunds says its range is 140 miles on a full charge, but I always exceed 240 miles.

My cost for maintenance during this time? Zero. I live within walking distance of a park that has free charging. So, my fuel cost so far?  Zero. Even if I were paying for home electricity to recharge, 40 miles of driving would cost well under $2. Try getting that kind of mileage with gasoline. No matter what the politicians do, the EVs are here and spreading. Most of us will still be alive when they are the majority of our cars.

Bill Naylor, Denver

Iran bombing did not show Trump’s courage

Re: “Trump’s courageous and correct decision,” June 29 commentary

It seems Bret Stephens has purposely forgotten history when claiming that, “For decades, a succession of American presidents pledged that they were willing to use force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” Did he forget about President Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that restricted Iran’s nuclear program? The one that President Donald Trump tore up? And now he says Trump was courageous? Laughable. If Trump had not withdrawn from the JCPOA, the bombing would not have been necessary.

Valorie Manzi, Lakewood

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The apprehension and two-week detention of Caroline Dias Goncalves was a waste of federal resources and a violation of human decency.

Goncalves, a nursing student from the University of Utah, has not been charged with any crime, and because the activities of Trump’s immigration force are shrouded in secrecy, it is unclear whether she has any sort of immigration action pending either.

We do, however, have video of her initial contact with law enforcement because police officers in Colorado are required to wear and use body cameras.

The teen was pulled over on Interstate 70 as she drove through Grand Junction on her way to Denver. The Mesa County Sheriff’s deputy asked her to come sit in his car with him while he looked up her registration and insurance information, both of which were outdated. But before he let her go back to her car, he asked about her accent and where she was from. We hear absolutely zero accent on the video. “Born and raised or no?” he asked after she replied Utah. She explains she was born in Brazil.

The deputy let her off with a warning but then texted all of her information to federal agents on an encrypted Signal chat. Officials picked her up a short time later and brought her to Aurora, where she was held without due process for two weeks until a judge let her out on bail.

“And the moment they realized I spoke English, I saw a change,” Goncalves said in a statement issued. “Suddenly, I was treated better than others who didn’t speak English. That broke my heart. Because no one deserves to be treated like that. Not in a country that I’ve called home since I was 7 years old and is all I’ve ever known.”

In President Donald Trump’s America an undetectable accent and brown skin is enough to get an out-of-state teenager detained in one city, extradited across state without any hearing or due process, held for two weeks in a detention center full of criminals awaiting deportation, fed mushy food, and then let go without any public explanation or transparency.

We don’t know Gonclaves’ exact immigration status. According to The Denver Post and the Salt Lake City Tribune, she came as a child with her family on a tourist visa. That would mean she entered the United States sometime around 2013. Given that approximate date, she would not qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, but her parents had filed for asylum, which almost always carries dependent children, too.

One thing is clear: Trump has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to focus their time and efforts not on criminals who should be deported, but on people like Gonclaves, who are contributing members of our society that make America stronger. He’s come up with arbitrary quotas that we are certain drive this overly aggressive targeting of good people.

The Washington Post reported concerning data this week – since Trump’s inauguration, the percentage of detained individuals who are convicted or accused criminals has dropped. That means the Trump administration is amping up its efforts to deport people like Gonclaves, who are going to school or working hard.

Since Trump took the White House, an incredible 23% of those detained are noncriminals. In comparison between 2019 and January 2025, the average was 7%. That is made more concerning because the percentage increase occurred even as the total number of detainments increased. More good people than ever are getting snatched by ICE, often with no due process for several weeks – long enough for someone to lose a job, fail a class or miss an important life event like a family member’s wedding or the birth of a child.

The Washington Post’s columnist Philip Bump extrapolated that the detention of noncriminals had jumped 900% under Trump. These detentions and pending deportations are not making anyone safer. Indeed, we are less safe when Americans of color or who have accents are afraid of everyday interactions with police.

The deputy in Mesa County had no business asking Gonclaves about her nationality and likely violated a state law by forwarding the information to federal officials.

Colorado law enforcement should stay the course and not assist this administration’s cruel and ineffective pursuit of noncriminals for deportation.

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Calling for Trump protests ‘dangerous’ and met with pessimism

Re: “A common cause: What would it actually take to force Trump to resign?” June 22 commentary

Using the example of a protest in Puerto Rico (with a population less than 1% of the U.S. total), where more than 1 million people protested for days and nights, banging “pots and pans” over what they felt were “disgusting messages,” is a poor example to use when calling for millions of Americans to protest over illegal migrant rights in our country.

That aside, as a moderate independent voter, I find it disturbing that a major newspaper editor would call a sitting president “a danger to our economy, a threat to our freedoms, an ally to our enemies and a constant source of lies and misinformation.” That language, combined with the intent to incite millions of Americans to take to the streets by calling for a protest over a controversial political position (that millions of conservatives support), is dangerous given the extremely polarized politics we have today.

One may want, and even call for, a “peaceful” protest, but realistically we cannot expect millions of Donald Trump supporters, who voted him into office, to idly stand by and not counter-protest. Riots, destruction, injuries, and deaths would seem inevitable.  And, at the end of the day, does anyone really believe that a protest, such as Megan Schrader calls for, would actually convince Trump to resign?

Jim Malec, Roxborough Park

I read the article Sunday about what it might take to peacefully depose President Donald Trump. Finding a “core value” right now in the United States would be very difficult. Using Puerto Rico’s demonstrations doesn’t seen to rise to the level we need. It is a small island with nothing like the population of the mainland United States.

A small island could easily find core values and share them among one another. They are small. We are large.

Do you think book burning would do it? No, we’ve already had that. How about bodily autonomy? Nope, we had it and didn’t like it. First and Fifth Amendment rights are gone, folks. Voting rights are being erroded. How about a full-blown concentration camp? Been there, done that at Amache in Colorado during WWII. Perhaps gas chambers? What stopped the Nazis from destroying Europe? The violent intervention of the U.S. armed forces. What kept the Confederate states from forming their own country? The violent Civil War fought to keep our nation whole.

I don’t think we have any core values any longer. I’m definitely not advocating for another civil war, but I’m not sure banging drums and pans outside Mar-a-lago is going to solve our problem. Our democracy is great, but can we keep it?

Betty Green, Colorado Springs

“No King’s Day” was a representation of liberals as self-absorbed, ideological and self-deluded. Liberals who suck at the teat of a pathetic liberal mouthpiece like The Denver Post are nothing more than useful idiots to the left ideology. They’ve been indoctrinated by left-leaning schools, woke companies and liberal news outlets. Donald Trump a king? Give me a break. Trump is the only thing keeping this country from descending into a socialistic, pathetic shadow of itself.

Thank you, Jack, from Aurora, and Kay, from Denver. The military parade celebrating our armed forces was awesome, and the “No Kings” protests were pathetic.

Scott Gardner, Aurora

Just a correction: the author wrote, “a man who took office with the support of a majority of American voters…”

In fact, Trump did not win with a majority of the votes. Less than 50% of the voters marked his name on the ballot. More people voted for someone else than voted for Trump, by about 500,000 votes.

Fred Waiss, Prairie du Chien, Wis.

When both sides agree to be angry with the messenger

Re: “Readers question coverage of “No Kings” protests and Trump’s parade celebrating Army,” June 22 letters to the editor

After reading the Open Forum letters criticizing The Post for its coverage of the military parade and the “No Kings” protests, I think you should be proud of your reporting. Ticking off both sides of this issue means you’re doing something right.

Steve Titus, Boulder

Skilled reporter retains excellence, even as Rockies falter

Re: “Owner, now sober, says Rox need fresh eyes,” June 22 sports story

Patrick Saunders just anchored himself as the best sports journalist in the Rocky Mountain region with his news-breaking article and interviews with Charlie and Dick Monfort. Not only did Saunders obtain an interview with the Monforts — which no one else has done during this abysmal Rockies’ season — but he presented the information with journalistic integrity, objectivity, and honesty.

It is rather unfortunate that Saunders has been relegated to doing most of the beat coverage of the Rockies during this stretch of bad baseball, but his reporting and weekly analysis is always spot-on while never pulling punches, as it were. With no quarter to rant on with the opinion columnists, Saunders has been the one voice covering the team that is most reliable, unbiased, yet critically minded about the Rockies’ shortcomings. There is no other local or regional journalist who provides Rockies fans with insight, information, and analysis like Patrick Saunders.

While other local publications often run Associated Press coverage of Rockies games, Saunders provides fans with hometown flavor — despite often being unable to cover road games in person.

What Patrick Saunders has done with his latest piece is award-winning journalism. It represents the best of what he does amidst the troubled times of the team he covers. Kudos to Patrick Saunders. Hopefully, the dreadful baseball he covers does not prompt him to switch to another sport. Rockies fans and the Rocky Mountain Region need him on the baseball beat.

Dan Sage, Centennial

If, indeed, it is difficult to play in Denver because of the altitude, then we should win every home game. The visiting teams do not train here, nor are they used to the mile-high issues.

Shirley Schley, Denver

Colorado Republican congressional delegation all in on harming vulnerable citizens

Re: “Tax bill: Report: 6 rural hospitals in state could close,” June 22 news story

In her article, writer Meg Wingerter addressed the appalling possibility of Colorado losing six rural hospitals should the Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” be approved as is by the Senate. She did an excellent job explaining how this would impact thousands of Coloradans. She did not mention that all of Colorado’s Republican congressional representatives voted “Yes” on this bill — demonstrating their willingness to rip health care from the most vulnerable and their utter disregard about the impact of doing this — oh, and add billions of dollars to the U.S. deficit along the way.

But in her article, Wingerter referred to the “left-leaning” Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and their analysis of the bill’s impact. I cannot help but wonder why that descriptor was needed. Was this to suggest that they couldn’t be trusted, that their analysis was somehow “tainted?” And does that mean that The Denver Post will continue to use the description “left-leaning” and its corollary, “right-wing” in all articles? If so, why isn’t this damaging bill described as “right-wing”?

Christine Soto, Denver

When will majority of GOP admit 2020 election results?

Re: “Lindell now owes Dominion executive $2.3 million for his lies, but his con continues,” June 22 commentary

Rarely have I agreed with Krista Kafer, but it is for that reason that I am responding to her “Election lies” column in last Sunday’s Perspective section of The Denver Post.

Even today over half the Republican Party still believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen by Joe Biden. In Oklahoma they are trying to add that theory to the curriculum they are teaching their students.

Christopher Krebs, whose job, among others, was to make sure the 2020 election results were fair, actually lost his job for daring to speak up, saying the 2020 election was one of the most accurate elections in the history of our country.

Even as Donald Trump has started his second term in office, he continually says he won the 2020 election.

Mike Lindell, the “My Pillow Guy,” recently lost a defamation suit against Eric Coomer, the former security director for Dominion Voting Systems. Rather than be contrite, he doubled down on his lie.

When are the majority of Republicans going to finally acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and move on? Only then can this country start to heal.

The “No Kings” protests were a start. Let’s hope it is only the beginning and we truly start to believe the emperor has no clothes because he truly doesn’t.

David Shaw, Highlands Ranch

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Keep our public lands public

Re: “Public land, on and off the chopping block, needs our continued support,” June 25 commentary

I appreciate the commentary by T.A. Barron. Loss of our public lands, even in small increments, is stealing from our birthright. Furthermore, in addition to recreation, they support local economies, ranching, logging and natural resource extraction. Most of these lands will end up as either multi-million dollar homes used for a few weeks per year or as large properties the public is excluded from. Readers need to contact their congressional representatives and senators to demonstrate their opinions on this issue now. Democrats will certainly vote against this bill when it returns to the House, so constituents of Representatives Crank, Hurd, Evans and Boebert have the greatest opportunity to be effective.

York Miller, Denver

The megabill currently in the Senate includes a mandate to sell 2 million to 3 million acres of public lands, mostly in the West, that are currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Here is why no bill should ever include such things.

First, public lands are a matter of economic well-being. A 2024 report states that recreation on BLM lands contributes $8.8 billion to the economy in Colorado alone. Recreation in U.S. National Forests contributes $12.5 billion in GDP nationwide.

Secondly, public lands are a matter of overall human well-being. Protected natural areas benefit our civilization in more ways than we realize. For example, forests and wetlands filter water, reducing water treatment costs. These places provide habitat for creatures that pollinate our crops. Also, spending time in nature has proven physical and mental health benefits. This sell-off of public lands has human health implications.

If this goes through, it won’t just affect mountain town dwellers like me who want options for places to hike my dogs. Even if you live in a big city and would never dream of going camping, this will affect you and our country. To quote a renowned folk singer, “this land was made for you and me!”

Laurel Smerch, Mancos

Deportations during labor shortage is not logical

In The Denver Post Tuesday morning, June 24th, were two separate but  interrelated articles: “Factories having trouble filling nearly 400,000 open positions” and “Justices allow Trump to restart deportation of migrants away from their home countries.” Policies driven by logic and some compassion instead of unbending ideology and fear would benefit everyone in our country.

Robert Morales, Centennial

Help save the Trevor Project

Re: “Hotline service tailored to LGBTQ+ youths to end,” June 18 news story

As a family physician, I am concerned about the well-being of our LGBTQ+ neighbors. An executive order is terminating the Trevor Project, a suicide helpline for LGBTQ+ youth, on July 17.

The Colorado Health Institute indicates that 8.9% of Colorado adults, almost 400,000 individuals, identify as LGBTQ+. Twenty percent of Colorado youth under the age of 30 identify as LGBTQ+. This large minority of our population experiences major social stressors and disparities in access to mental health care.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10 to 14-year-olds, and the third leading cause among 15 to 24-year-olds. LGBTQ+ individuals are four times more likely to attempt suicide. The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million young LGBTQ+ Americans seriously consider suicide each year, with one attempt every 45 seconds. These are sobering statistics!

The Trevor Project supported 1.3 million individuals in the past 3 years. It is unconscionable that LGBTQ+ individuals might be unable to access a critical and simple support: a lifeline to a sympathetic, understanding ear in a time of crisis. We cannot afford to lose the promise of these youth, who will be the leaders, teachers and scientists of tomorrow. We must promote their safety.

Please sign the Trevor Project’s petition to reverse the planned cuts or ask your legislators to support the Trevor Project. If you are or someone you know is considering self-harm, call or text the Suicide Lifeline at 988. Time is of the essence!

Maria Yvonne Chansky, Denver

hed here — suggested Don’t Cry Wolf Without the Facts

Re: “Tie should go to the ranchers,” June 20 letter to the editor

A recent letter suggests that if a wolf might be involved in a livestock death, the “tie should go to the rancher.” But with fewer than 30 wolves in Colorado-and tens of thousands of coyotes and over 17,000 black bears-that’s not a tie. That’s a statistical mismatch.

Colorado’s livestock compensation program already heavily favors ranchers. It pays 100% market value for confirmed wolf kills and even reimburses for “indirect losses,” like missing livestock, with just a 50.1% likelihood. That’s the most generous predator compensation program in the country.

What’s missing in this conversation is accountability. In a recent public hearing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff confirmed that 15 livestock losses formed the basis of a large compensation claim, but didn’t clarify how many occurred before the producer implemented basic deterrents, like burying an open carcass pit. Public records show that once deterrents were in place, losses dropped dramatically.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s science, and it’s what Proposition 114 called for when voters approved wolf reintroduction in 2020.

Instead of lowering the bar further, we should strengthen the system: require nonlethal conflict prevention as a condition of compensation, and ensure public funds support those committed to coexistence not those who invite conflict and demand a check.

Let’s be fair to ranchers, but also to Colorado’s native wildlife and the voters who supported their return.

Shane Brown, Colorado Springs

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