Misunderstanding and distrust

We write in response to the Gazette editorial, “Trump ruling is judicial comedy,” about the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in Anderson v. Griswold. Our organization, the Colorado Judicial Institute, is an independent, politically neutral nonprofit dedicated in part to preserving the ability of Colorado’s judiciary — a coequal, independent branch of government — to decide cases fairly and impartially, based on facts and law and not extraneous influences.

It is one thing to disagree with a judicial decision. It is quite another to attack the decision’s authors and their motivations. As we have alarmingly seen, physical and even fatal harm to judicial officers based on disagreement with their decisions is not an idle threat and has no place in our democracy. Numerous threats of harm to the Anderson decision’s authors are already being reported.

Unfortunately, the Gazette editorial goes beyond disagreement with the Anderson decision’s merits. It characterizes the decision as “buffoonery” and suggests improper motivations as a “political manifesto,” “political screed,” and “judicial activism.”

This type of irresponsible commentary feeds misunderstanding and distrust in our institutions and contributes to the polarization of our society. In these fraught times, it does our community a profound disservice.

Our Colorado justices did their job in deciding Anderson on facts and law. If wrongly decided, its reversal should occur based on legal precedent and reason, not rhetoric. Impugning the judicial process and the individuals charged with making difficult decisions on complex issues is not only unproductive — it is dangerous.

Donald Samuels, Board chair; Jeffrey Rupp, Executive director, Colorado Judicial Institute

Denver

Dire need of homeless sheltersI mailed Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston a letter last September offering my help with Denver’s growing homeless or unhoused population. No Mayor Mike response yet. Since then I met a homeless friend in a wheelchair with the most inhumane frostbitten foot.

Last week, my wife and I stopped in freezing temperatures so I could help a woman lift her stuffed grocery cart off an incline. I took her cell phone number and invited her to our warm home for a Christmas Day meal. As news reports Denver is in dire need of homeless shelters, isn’t it past time to “declare war” against homelessness? What about cots in the gyms and auditoriums of unused churches and schools, especially during this two-week school holiday break?

I hope Denver’s Mayor Mike will extend his home to our dear homeless friend(s) on Christmas Day. Please, “Be like this 71-year-old Mike.”

Mike Sawyer

Denver

Polis and his minions

The politics on the front range have been interesting the last few years to say the least. Watching the Democrats dismantle everything good in Colorado. To be fair I can’t find anything good they have done. The latest diabolical is how the great failure of elected officials to correct the property tax problems they have created. They gave the taxpayers of Colorado the middle finger, instead of fixing the problem. They hoodwinked the taxpayers into cancelling The Galagher Act which in fact was a great check and balance to keep the property taxes from running away like they have done. The HH proposition failed miserably by the Colorado voters to dismantle Tabor.

Governor Jared Polis has now kicked the can down the road and appointed a tax commission. There are 19 people appointed to fix the problem the Governor and his minions have caused. I would like to equate this to the Disney movie The Minions. However, that’s not fair to the Disney characters because Gru and his minions do good things and save the world. Polis and his minions have caused horrible damage to the state of Colorado and the taxpayers.

Polis and his minions have overspent the Colorado budget for 2024. They will be looking to steal more money to feed their bloated state government budget.

Conservatives say if it isn’t broken don’t fix it. Democrat Liberal’s say if isn’t broken let’s break it.

After their plan fails, they want to fix it at taxpayers’ great pain and great expense.

Trig Travis

Aurora

Reproductive freedom

People don’t really care about issues they won’t open their wallet for. Because anti-abortion Republicans are willing to throw poor women into economic purgatory, with no offer of economic support for mother or child, their hypocrisy is obvious.

Recently, The New York Times significantly downplayed the severity of Donald Trump’s positions on abortion. The headline, “Why Trump Seems Less Vulnerable on Abortion Than Other Republicans,” fails to capture Trump’s real intent. Trump’s vague statements are a smokescreen to terminate reproductive freedom.

Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court and his boastful acknowledgment of overturning Roe v. Wade reveal a deliberate assault on reproductive rights.

When he advocates punishment for women who have abortions, and takes an ambiguous stand on a 6-week national abortion ban, the threat is clear.

Furthermore, Trump’s support for a national abortion ban during his time in office, one that could have resulted in doctors facing imprisonment, emphasizes the severe consequences of his policies. When it comes to reproductive freedom, actions speak louder than vague words. We must take Trump at his word and recognize the profound threat he poses this November.

Edward Arnold

Boulder

Judge’s office – gavel pictured on desk in front of library of books (copy)Getty Images