Commending the council

Dear Editors:

The United Veterans Council commends the Durango City Council for its vote against the anti-war resolution proposed by Councilor Castro. In the future, we respectfully assert that such matters do not belong on the council’s agenda, nor are they appropriate for the council’s consideration during meetings. They are, quite simply, “out of order!”

The veterans of this country paid dearly to protect our rights to free speech. Veterans despise war but honor democracy and duty. We have no quarrel with those who wish to lawfully express their views on this or other issues in proper public forums. It is an abuse of power and betrayal of a public trust when elected officials leverage their office to advance a personal agenda beyond the scope of their elected position.A0

Councilor Castro is entitled to express her views taking the same lawful approach available to all citizens. As a private citizen, she may demonstrate on main street, write letters to the editors, appear on radio talk shows, contact her elected officials in Washington, form a special interest group, etc. She was not granted a special privilege to represent the citizenry on national policy and international diplomacy. We elect a president and congressional delegation for those purposes.

It is no surprise in this age of terrorism that military families are cautioned not to give out public information concerning their loved one’s identity, unit or location. Some of those citizens were present at the council meeting last week. They were unable to publicly voice their objection to the proposed resolution. They’ve seen their sons, daughters and spouses answer their country’s call and listened in disbelief while an elected official of their community espoused anarchy.

If children see elected leaders abuse power, including dishonoring “The Pledge of Allegiance” that children are required to recite, what can we expect from them in the future? If officials – in good conscience – are unable to uphold their oaths or allegiance to the country, and if they don’t endorse the basic principles of our democracy, they are unworthy of holding public office and should resign.

Sadly, we’re burying veterans every week in Durango. It’s a pity that in their final days they have to witness political grandstanding disguised as patriotism. When our nation’s flag is presented to the veterans’ survivors at graveside, it is done so with the words, “from a grateful nation.” In this community, let us always honor and preserve that solemn sentiment. Let’s keep Durango a grateful community.

– Very truly yours,

Ed Andersson,

on behalf of the United Veterans Council, via e-mail

Disgusted with green beer

Dearest Telegraph,

I must express my disgust at giving “green beer” a thumbs up. Give me a break. As someone who is Irish, I must say there is nothing Irish about green beer. You want to celebrate an Irish holiday? Order a Guinness and a shot of Jamesons. A green Budweiser is a frat boy’s excuse to celebrate something he is not, on what is nothing more than an “amateur night.”

– Thanks,

Bryant Liggett

Editor’s note: The amateur drinking staff at the Telegraph apologizes for offending what obviously are the professional drinking sensibilities of Mr. Liggett.

To all the people of the world:

“In Honor of the Children”

Open your eyes that you may see/ Open your ears that you may hear/ Open your heart that you may heal

Open your hands that you may give/ And learn to receive, to truly live/ To honor the life within one and all/ When we join hands, we’ll never fail

Heal our hearts, heal our minds/Heal the Earth and We may find/ Children playing everywhere/ Clean land food water and clean air

Walk the Children, hold their hands/ They voice the need to heal the lands/ The time has come, the time is now/ Please let’s join hands and take a vow to...

Care for our bodies, care for the Earth/ Care for all life, for all has worth/ May love compassion hope and truth/ Be restored to the eyes of all our youth

The time has come, the time is now/ To make a change, to take a vow/ To walk our talk, to plant a seed/To heal the Earth there is a great need to...

Change our ways, to set new goals/ To stretch our wings, to lift our souls/ To speak our truth, speak from the heart/ Reach out our hands, and do our parts to...

Plant a garden, gather seeds/Plant a thought, plant a tree/ Fly with Eagles, run with Wolves/ Play with children, and Teach only Love

Sisters and Brothers, let’s Please join hands/ Walk with the Children, and Honor the Lands/ The time has Come, the Time is Now/ Please let’s join hands and take a vow to...

Open our eyes, that we may see/ Open our ears, that we may hear/ Open our hearts, that we may feel/ Open our minds, that we may heal

The Earth may heal/ That we may heal/ That all may heal

– Darsi Olson, Durango