Not to burn
Over a year and half ago, when I saw the obscene books in the Silt Library, I did say burn the obscene, x-rated books. I have since changed my mind. Burn no books. Put the books behind glass and require someone to be 18 or older to checkout.
I did take out over 30 obscene, x-rated books from the Silt Library. The books were at a low level. The cost of the books was over $650. I would like to know who ordered the books. Was it one person or the library staff? The “Finder” series, “Prison School” and “Ten Count” were some of the books most parents would NOT want their children to see. One parent told me they do not go to the library anymore with their children.
John Lepkowski
Silt
Who’s right?
Since Oct. 7, there has been a very bloody war going on in Israel. I went to a meeting of the Carbondale board of trustees last week. The hope was that the board might reconsider and call for a ceasefire. People spoke for and against. In retrospect, there was no likelihood that the trustees would call for a ceasefire. Little can be accomplished in separate three-minute-long comments. That is why boards and councils use this format.
There has been much criticism over the parachuting of food and emergency supplies into Gaza. As a metaphor, it is like throwing bread crumbs. People, and especially children, are literally starving to death. Ironically, the U.S. is still providing more deadly munitions to Israel.
Local supporters of Israel believe that any criticism of Israel is unwarranted and is divisive within the Valley population. What is not recognized is that most other countries find the actions of Israel against the Palestinians as unconscionable.
On Dec. 12 last year, 153 other countries voted to adopt a ceasefire. This week the U.N. Security Council voted 14 to 0 to demand that a ceasefire take place during Ramadan. The U.S. abstained. Who is right in this affair? Is it Israel or is it 153 other countries? And we can also point to hundreds of thousands of people around the world marching and protesting.
Standing in the way of simple declarations that call for a ceasefire, and complaining about others’ behavior, is in itself divisive. Moreover, Israel may self-destruct over the wanton destruction of the Palestinian people.
Patrick Hunter
Carbondale
Library concern
I am deeply concerned that the board of county commissioners (BOCC) feel the need to restrict free access to books for the citizens of Garfield County. How could they take away the selection process from the people of this county by choosing people for the library board who may want to ban books? Do they not remember it was the Nazi party that burned books in Hitler’s Germany? Is that who they want to be?
I protest and ask them to reconsider their decision to personally appoint our board of trustees for the Garfield County Public Library District. Libraries are a bastion of democracy, by making it possible for anyone to request and read any book they want. People are intelligent enough to choose wisely and read what appeals to them. They don’t need the BOCC to select what they can read.
I respectfully ask that the BOCC look up the history of just who goes about banning books to see that they really do not see themselves in that pack of repressive and dangerous people.
Illène Pevec
Carbondale
They’re coming for your truck
And your SUV and your car. The WSJ [Wall Street Journal] reported last week that by 2032, the government will restrict new gasoline-powered vehicle sales to 29% of all new vehicle sales.
Lucid Group lost $145,824 per EV [electric vehicle] sale last year. Ford only lost $64,731 per EV sale; I suppose they plan on making it up in volume. Automobile manufacturers make their profits from selling gasoline-powered vehicles, which means in eight years the few new gasoline-powered vehicles available will necessarily come with higher prices and, I predict, higher demand, which will drive prices through the stratosphere.
In April 2023, the WSJ reported that if we replace all 250 million gasoline powered vehicles in the U.S. at a cost of some $12.5 trillion (my estimate), we would reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by a whopping 0.18%, meaning that 99.82% of all global GHG emissions will continue.
I challenge Governor Jared Polis to drive to Cortez, Colorado in a gasoline powered SUV, then return to Denver in his choice of EV’s … in the dead of winter, then report back! Electric vehicles are a non-starter in rural America. I propose that we eliminate the Department of Energy (annual savings: $129 billion) and that Congress severely rein in EV mandates from the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency].
The masterminds who are plotting to replace our baseline, always-there electricity with intermittent, not-always-there juice, while simultaneously adding 50% demand to the grid via EV charging, are the brightest among us. They all went to the right schools. We are told to trust them, yet I doubt most of them could tell you where a package of hamburger comes from. And know this, they are coming for your truck, and for our way of life. Somebody needs to stop them!
Russ Andrews
Carbondale
CD3 Republican Candidate
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