LETTERS: In spite of adversity; great place to start (2024)

In spite of adversity

Regarding a recent article in the Gazette relating to a new D-11 policy relating to no more cellphone usage during class periods: The question that comes to mind immediately, why was it permitted in the beginning? To me, that is a no-brainer as my granddaughter might say. School officials have known for a long time, cellphones are a major distraction in the classroom.

Additionally, cellphones are often used to facilitate drug sales, and other nefarious activities on school grounds and oftentimes during class. However, many school district leaders are afraid of harsh parental resistance. So they do nothing.

I am proud to be a resident of D-11 and to see positive things happening in my school district. My hat is off to Parth Melpakam, his board and Superintendent Michael Gaal for their willingness to lead for the sake of our children in spite of adversity. Thank you!

Willie Breazell

Colorado Springs

A great place to start

Over the last few years, I’ve watched school board elections become front page news. It’s imperative that our leaders turn that interest into actions, which will improve academic achievement. One easy step for our state lawmakers to take would be a ban on cellphones. A recent study in the U.K., conducted by Policy Exchange, showed the 162 secondary schools that had a ban on phones during the school day achieved results that were one to two grade levels higher than schools with more permissive policies.

At KIPP NYC College Prep high school, which enforced a ban on cellphones, AP test scores increased, and students were 50% more likely to participate in extracurricular events and activities.

When looking at how to make up the 4% deficit Colorado high schoolers have seen in their Math SAT results since COVID, this would be a great place to start. Wonderfully, District 11 has been an early adopter to such a policy locally, and the rest of the state should follow.

John Irmen

Manitou Springs

Representatives are a disgrace

Mike Rosen has been involved in Colorado for many years on the air way and in written form.

His July 17 article was correct. His support of an article written by Luige Del Puerto was great.

His disdain of the two Muslim women in the US Congress was right on. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. and Rep. Rashida Taiab, D- Mich. How they got to be representatives in the USA, which they appear to hate is as questionable as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being elected in New York. All three are a disgrace to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Larry A. Sportsman

Colorado Springs

Stop the inflammatory language

Should the media repeat language from a candidate or their party characterizing an opposing candidate that is so inflammatory it could lead to violence? While we might never know why the shooter attempted to assassinate Donald Trump or what he watched or read about Donald Trump, this is still a legitimate question.

When the media engages in fearmongering by consistently telling the public that a presidential candidate believes his opponent is a “threat to democracy” and an “existential threat” — a threat to our very existence — and if elected he will become a “dictator,” one has to wonder if such language might lead a mentally susceptible person to commit violence against the opponent to prevent those outcomes. Several news stories from national outlets that the Gazette has published have contained such inflammatory words, usually in a quote about Trump by President Joe Biden, his campaign, or another Democrat or in a paraphrase.

Trump’s name-calling and derogatory language is clearly inappropriate. But calling your opponent “Sleepy Joe” and describing him as “the worst president ever,” while uncivil, is substantively very different and much less likely to incite violence than claiming a candidate is a “threat to democracy,” an “existential threat” and will impose “fascism” on our country.

We will no doubt continue to see highly biased news stories that negatively portray Trump, such as the front-page story in the July 17 Gazette in which the AP opined that statements made by Trump and his supporters about immigration are “unfounded” and “not backed by evidence” — editorializing which the media virtually never engages in regarding Biden’s statements, even those provably false.

But for the good of the country the media needs to stop disseminating over-the-top, inflammatory language about Trump and instead adopt the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln who, during another divisive time in our nation, asked Americans to return to “the better angels of our nature.”

Doug Barth

Colorado Springs

The new Colorado Springs

Recently, a trash removal truck hit my parked 2024 Subaru. There was no dispute. Now try getting it repaired. I called six auto body shops, the earliest I can get it repaired is late August, early September.

This is an obvious indication that this city is filled with bad drivers. In my past 20 years of being a resident, I have seen speeding out of control, running stop signs, red lights, and moving from lane to lane without giving signals and very little police enforcement. I do not blame the police as they are undermanned; it has been a profession people are not seeking.

The city has grown and with it people come from states that bring their bad driving habits with them.

This is the new Colorado Springs.

Larry Guerin

Colorado Springs