News

Letters to the Editor

From the week of 6/21/2007

"Going Public," Michael Roberts, June 14

I laughed out loud while reading about Ms. Koncilja's "fears," particularly the highlighted quote that "public radio has a responsibility to all of its listeners." I have to wonder if the board spends time on fairness and balance so that all political points of view are heard on public-radio programs? Now, that would be worthwhile — but, of course, we know the answer to that question about public radio and its slanted, far-left progressive viewpoints, almost all the time on my taxpayer nickel.

To air politically right and/or conservative views would show that public radio does show responsibility to all of its listeners.
Charles Hanes
Louisville

Off Limits, June 14

The naked riders who were arrested/ written up for indecent exposure may (or may not) be shocked when they realize that it's considered to be a sex crime. They will be adjudicated into treatment to deal with their issues around why they think it's okay to ride their bikes in their birthday suits and will find themselves on the sex-offender registry. I'm not exaggerating; I heard about a young man who mooned a security camera and is now a registered sex offender as a direct result. In slight hope of escaping this fate, the accused must bring expensive lawyers with them and keep their clothes on at the courthouse. Nudity there may result in felony indecent-exposure charges and incarceration for contempt of court.

I like to be naked as much as the next guy, but there is a time and place. The law does not get the joke, to say the least, and deals with this harshly.
Pat Desrosiers
Denver

As a lawyer, I believe that the indecent-exposure charges are probably unconstitutional as an infringement on the right of free speech — just as flag-burning charges were similarly addressed in the '60s. They may also be able to get help from the American Civil Liberties Union. I happened to be in Madrid, Spain, on the Saturday when they had hundreds of naked riders going down the main drag of Madrid, and, being a fellow cyclist, thoroughly appreciated the protest.
Andrew Rosen
Boulder

"No Place Like Home," Adam Cayton-Holland, June 7

Perhaps those in Stop Lost and Found are just too isolated up there at the end of Bear Creek Canyon — lost in that snowcapped, tunnel-vision paradise, forgetting how to give back, to share, to empathize.

Mary Semcken spends six hours a day working to stop Lost and Found. Just think what she could accomplish if she spent six hours a day turning all that energy and paranoia toward giving — instead of protecting herself against the imagined threats of pollution, fire, rape and mayhem that she believes will descend if Lost and Found is allowed to inhabit the same beautiful, peaceful location as she. I hope those in the Stop Lost and Found organization continue to enjoy the "heaven" that is Bear Creek Canyon, because living next to the Semckens sounds like hell to me.
Yvonne Barcewski
Littleton

As I was reading Adam Cayton-Holland's "No Place Like Home," I found myself at first sympathetic to residential homeowners faced with having a troubling development nearby. But I quickly pulled my head from my urban-living ass and realized that these mountain-living folk moved out into them thar hills to escape all of us and what the rest of us call "humanity." Now, back East, where I grew up, this is all fine and dandy, as they can live out there and leave us to dwell in the problems of what comes with major cities — and in return, we do not need to hear from them. However, out here in Colorado, these same NIMBY cranks have decided to move out to fire country. And there is nothing more hypocritical than someone moving out to environmentally sensitive areas to get away from us, all the while asking us to come to their rescue (both physically and financially) every time nature decides to spark up a little.

So how about we make this deal with the Semckens and their pals up in the forest: We will leave you guys alone and ensure that Colorado's social problems do not come within a twenty-mile radius of your little castles among the pines. We will even let you continue to overdevelop what was once a beautiful natural setting (i.e., Colorado's Front Range). But in return, please pay for your own protection the next time a catastrophic fire runs in your neighborhood, and do not continue to expect us or any non-forest-dwelling taxpayer to fund your lifestyle. Maybe we can even use those savings to fund better social services to give these kids a better chance at life.
Brad Towne
Denver

I am a former employee of Lost and Found — a statement I make with pride, for I wholeheartedly support the mission of the Found and believe its success to be a blessing of the Lord. I, too, once believed that sex offenders, drug addicts and other such offenders should be locked up, far away, throw away the key! That was before my in-depth training and experience with this particular residential treatment facility. You must understand that the residents are never without supervision, even when sleeping, and that every resource is used to change the thinking, attitude and actions of these young people. Coping tools are provided where none before existed; love and safety envelop these lost children as never before.

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