Street crossing safety
Are we that distracted that we don't even bother to look for people crossing the street? Slow down. I just witnessed the poor little crossing guard at Research and Austin Bluffs try to cross the street only to have seven cars in a row turn left from Austin Bluffs onto westbound Research and not even slow down, much less stop as they should have!
This woman does this job daily for the safety of our kids, and she wasn't even able to cross the street without almost being hit seven times. Look before you turn. Look for cars running lights, for kids crossing the street, for our lovely crossing guard trying to get home in one piece!
Jill Combs
Colorado Springs
Propaganda fell flat
With the recent thumping the woke left took, I'm waiting until it sinks in completely that the propaganda mission fell flat. Thank God that about 70% of Americans, which includes many Democrats, didn't buy in.
I'm looking forward to an end to their miserable "guilt messaging" i.e. "the Jesus gets them" campaign. It shows the derelicts of our society and tries to tell everyone that since "Jesus gets them" what scum we all are for detesting their way of life.
On a recent trip to the big city of Colorado Springs, I saw a huge billboard with a lovely picture of Dolly Parton who is asking us to "look for the good in everyone" and finished by saying "kindness, pass it on."
OK, let's take Charles Manson. He was once good friends with Dennis Wilson, the misguided member of the Beach boys. Now that we found the good in Charlie, where does that get us? Are the butchered people less dead?
How about Adolf Hitler? I heard he had five cats and he only put four of them in an oven but was good enough to let one live. Does that mean that the 6 million Jews really didn't suffer all that much? (I made that up about the cats, though)
Then there's the champs of justice signaling, the NFL, who is still on the kick "It takes all of us to advance social justice"! Well, bad news. Myself and about 80 million great Americans don't want your recipe of social justice so "if it takes all of us'' your dream dies right there.
Paul Myers
Woodland Park
Silence is not an option
In 2019, Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives merged to create Common Spirit Health, now one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States. Common Spirit's stated mission is to "make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve" -- a vision described as 'inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by humanity.' This mission has made Common Spirit a trusted choice for many people of faith, who have advocated for their insurance providers to partner with the organization.
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In 2021, Common Spirit entered into a partnership with Ask Tia Women's Health Clinics to offer virtual and in-person care. The concept is innovative -- integrating primary care with gynecological care, recognizing that women's health should be interconnected rather than siloed.
However, if Common Spirit's stated mission of embodying "the healing presence of God" is truly at the forefront, the nation was shocked to learn last week that Tia is now actively offering abortion pill services in large metropolitan cities.
The story, broken by The Daily Signal (Dec. 13), has rightfully sparked controversy, as these services are being provided within a predominantly life-affirming health care system.
Today, 60% of abortions are performed using pills instead of surgery. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser recently acknowledged in court that these pills are most effective up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. Yet, they are often distributed well past 10 weeks, largely through telehealth services like Ask Tia, with little oversight. This leaves young women to act as their own abortionist, a heavy burden with serious mental and physical risks. Late-term use increases the likelihood of complications requiring emergency care, yet states like Colorado continue to expand access, putting more women in harm's way.
Carolyn Witte, chairwoman of Tia, has stated that they "definitely want to be in the business of abortion, and abortion is health care." The question now arises: is it in Common Spirit's best interest to align itself with the abortion business? The Catholic Church unequivocally upholds the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life -- a belief rooted in the understanding that every person is created in the image of God, making life sacred and deserving of protection.
Partnerships that promote abortion pills, which end life, stand in stark contradiction to the core missions of the two Catholic-founded organizations that created Common Spirit.
Neither Common Spirit nor Tia has commented since the Daily Signal story broke, however, it is imperative for those who value the sanctity of life to let Common Spirit know that such partnerships undermine the very foundation of their stated mission and Catholic values.
Silence is not an option when life itself is at stake.
Diane Ferraro
Monument
This is abhorrent
Our government, under the Biden-Harris administration, lacks moral clarity. These past four years have revealed just how seared our national conscience has become.
What does it say about an administration, a political party, and/or a nation that pardons ruthless evil murderers on death row, yet brutally kills the innocent unborn child in the womb.
It reflects the evil, like hot black tar, that has seeped into our nation's conscience. Words seem woefully inadequate. It is abhorrent.
Wendy Smith
Colorado Springs