Regarding Ward Harkavy's "Life of the Party," in the April 9 issue:
Okay, I get the impression that Ward Harkavy won't be voting for Bill Owens for governor. From the cover of your paper, showing him with fingers crossed (implying that he's a liar), to the negative spin on his religious beliefs, Harkavy leaves no doubt where he stands. The question I have to ask is, so what? What is so bad about being a Catholic or evangelical Protestant that makes a man unfit for high office? And why the use of the now pejorative "religious right" to paint him as somehow mischievious and stealth? Are religious persons of a right-of-center political orientation members of some evil cabal that I've missed?
Bill Owens is a decent and honest man, not some Ayatollah waiting to force us to go to his church or burn objectionable literature. If you have a legitimate bone to pick with him (say, for instance, he's screwing around on his wife, then lying to us about it) air it out!
Give the religious right thing a rest already.
John Casey
via the Internet
It is obvious that for his article about Bill Owens, writer Ward Harkavy, instead of looking for a sound story about a guy who wants to govern with some old-fashioned common sense, decided to go the smoke-and-mirrors route citing one speech given years ago! Get off the guy's back and try reporting about the good things he has done, like giving our family the ability to send our children to a charter school because the education system of the Democrats has failed Colorado parents.
Kenny Baca
Aurora
I found your article on Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Owens to be refreshing when it was not muddled in the abortion debate. I am a lifelong Democrat and plan to remain with the Democratic Party until my death, but I must confess I have to give credit to the Republicans the last few years, and particularly Bill Owens, for focusing on the issues that are affecting Coloradans.
I was able to meet Treasurer Owens a year ago when he was fighting Amendment 1, which dealt with the proposed gas tax for education. I ended up changing my view on that tax from "yes" to "no" because of a comment Owens made, that "government will never become more efficient if we don't require it to live within its means."
Bill and I do not agree on some issues, like abortion, but I can say that I respect his candor and his willingness to stand up for what is right. I'm glad there are still people like Bill Owens even if he's not in my party.
Dean Horan
Littleton
Governor aspirant Bull (sic) Owens takes his orders from a spectral world, a spirit space created by humans where its denizens provoke mankind into religious wars accompanied by mass atrocities--all in the name of "my sovereign spook is greater than your sovereign spook." Do we really need a spook in the Governor's Mansion?
Richard Grimes
Denver
Why do people who don't follow the Democrat dogma get labeled as "right-wing" extremists?
Upon a second read of "Life of the Party," I could find only one instance of Bill Owens speaking to the Christian activists. How many times does Romer jet off to Washington, D.C., and speak to extreme left-wing organizations, such as the AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, PETA, NEA and the trial lawyers who donate plenty of money and time to Bill Clinton and Roy Romer?
Why is it people who want to bring back common sense to the office of governor are attacked? I know Bill Owens and he is not a wolf in sheep's clothing. Bill is someone who listens to all sides of an issue and uses a mix of life experience, history and rationale rather than looking at an opinion poll and running out and declaring his position du jour. Roy Romer touts himself as our education, roads and family governor. Yet after twelve years our kids can't read at grade level, our roads have potholes, and Romeo has really done a bangup job on the Colorado family.
Larry Peterson
Denver
I enjoyed Ward Harkavy's article about Bill Owens. I have heard Owens on Jay Marvin and this guy Owens is good. He presents the issues in a way that makes sense. I think his ability to reach out to various ethnic groups like the Jewish community should be commended, and maybe the rest of the conservatives should follow his lead. I still have not made up my mind on the governor's race; hell, I don't know what I am doing next week, but I know I am not supporting Romer's clone Gail Schoettler, who is just another brain stem riding a mule across Colorado. Keep up the good work and keep us informed.
Dave Anderson
Denver
Ward Harkavy's "Life of the Party" was excellent. If Bill Owens wins, I shudder to think what a very conservative legislature and governor will inflict on this state.
Harkavy's statement that conservative Christians support Israel because Israel's existence will lead to the conversion of the Jews and the return of Jesus is too benign. Conservative Christians believe that Israel's existence will lead to an ingathering of the world's Jews into Israel. Shortly after, the Antichrist will make his presence known, and he will become supreme leader of all nations. Then a horrific war between the forces of good and the forces of evil will break out, and the forces of good will triumph. However, only 144,000 Jews--currently, there are 16 million Jews worldwide--will survive. The rest will have been slaughtered. Jesus will then return, and the remaining Jews will become Christian.
To recapitulate, conservative Christians believe that the State of Israel foretells the return of Jesus and the complete destruction of the Jews. Jews who cooperate with conservative Christians who support Israel should be aware of the reason for that conservative Christian support.
Peter Gross
Denver
Warning! Warning! Warning! The red flag is up!
Since no one interviewed a pro-life activist (to balance the Planned Parenthood bias) for Harkavy's article, I offer my input.
"A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. It takes a double-minded man to vote for a double-minded man, and then we wonder why our nation is unstable in all its ways!" That's what I said of Bob Dole, and the same is true of Bill Owens.
If both sides of the fence don't see Bill the same way--totally pro-life and against all abortion--then Bill is a compromiser and not a conservative. In other words, he's not totally pro-life and against all abortion. He's trying to be Mr. Congeniality, and not a strong leader--the type of leader it's going to take to win the battle against abortion. Bill is not a statesman; he's just another politician who "speaks with forked tongue." In other words, double-minded.
On the other hand, Terry Walker is a bold, strong pro-life leader who takes a physical stand against abortion repeatedly. Walker is "Mr. Right" and I'd vote for him.
Corine Miller
Lakewood
A Man's Home Is His Hassle
I read with disgust T.R. Witcher's April 9 story, "Public Nuisance No. 1," about Michael Pisarck being forced out of his home for one drug charge. You know what I'd like to see? Every unfortunate whose home Lieutenant David Bricker gleefully steals (sorry--"seizes") land on his doorstep and move in with him.
He stole their home; he owes them a new one.
Hey, Lieutenant Bricker--let he who is without sin cast the first stone. (Do you drink?--BUZZ. Thank you for playing.)
I'm sure this inane nuisance-ordinance idea began as a way to "clean up neighborhoods." But once again common sense (not to mention compassion) was left out of the equation.
Big Brotherism is running amok. I suggest we all pray it stops.
Melinda Brindley
Denver
This county is fast becoming more and more of a police state. What an adult does in the privacy of his own home should be inviolate unless heavy dealing or other harmful-to-the-public activities are seriously indicated.
Doesn't the police force have better things to do?
To steal the property of a man on the assumption that he was a dealer is a ridiculous miscarriage of justice. This is an obvious trend in which certain powers in Denver are very anxious to line the coffers.
Where are the police when a handsome car continually and without penalty runs a red light? I've never seen that happen until I moved to Denver, and I see it often! I also have never seen such vindictive, punitive, money-motivated cops except in Denver. Maybe they are penalized if they don't deliver. If that is so, more shame to the county for demoralizing its law-enforcement officers to the point where their values have become corrupted.
P.S. What is wrong with the bored snoops who turned Michael Pisarck in? Is this becoming another Nazi state?
Name withheld on request
Johnny Be Good
I really enjoyed Bill Gallo's column on Johnny Podres, "Johnny on the Spot," in the February 20 issue. In 1956 I played baseball against Podres in the Navy. We were drafted, which was quite unusual at that time. We both wound up in the Portsmouth Naval Hospital that year, he for a back problem and I with a knee problem. We watched Don Larsen pitch his perfect game in the World Series from the orthopedic ward.
It was kind of tough for Podres to watch after the great World Series he'd had the previous year.
Don Storch
via the Internet
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