Don’t overlook Hamas’ role in the destruction of Gaza
Re: “The genocide has lasted for 2 years, Americans must speak for Palestinians,” Oct. 5 commentary
This is in response to the editorial essay written by Rep. Iman Jodeh. In the essay, there is one sentence devoted to the Oct. 7, 2023, atrocity that occurred in Israel at the hands of Hamas and the Palestinians. The rest of the essay is devoted to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a result of that event.
Unfortunately, Rep. Jodeh does not care to remind people of the decades of incursions, murders, and outright documented desire to destroy Israel by the Palestinians. May I remind Iman Jodeh of the murders of innocent Olympians in Munich, ongoing missile attacks on civilian targets in Israel, and the documented desire to kill Jews and destroy Israel in textbooks and other documentation.
Hamas was an elected Palestinian organization and Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization across the world. Here is a formula for Palestine to follow to end the events in Gaza and move to a more secure state. First, recognize Israel as a sovereign nation. Second, disassociate from Hamas and other terrorist groups, including Iran, lay down all arms, and come to the table with a plan to live in harmony with Israel.
Until then, the Palestinians continue to dig their own grave as a result of the decades-old philosophy of viewing Israel as an enemy and the desire to exterminate every Jew and the state of Israel.
Greg Wells, Fort Collins
I read the Sunday Denver Post article by Rep. Jodeh regarding the genocide in Gaza. I am appalled by the statistics she quotes; however, I noticed one very interesting fact. Nowhere in the article does she mention Hamas‘ role in the genocide. Is it possible that Hamas might be genocidal as well? Is it possible that Hamas is using children as shields? Is it possible Hamas is the one doing the murdering as an excuse to blame Israel?
Michael Zelman, Aurora
I simply wish to thank Iman Jodeh for the clarity and challenge of her essay on Gaza in Sunday’s Post, and to urge readers to (re)read her words and take them to heart as well as mind.
John F. Kane, Denver
Editor’s note: Kane is Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies, Regis University
Evergreen will never be the same, and neither will school
Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Teachers were teaching, students half-asleep, unaware that today would be the last normal day of school for the rest of our lives.
At lunch, high schoolers were eating, middle schoolers were playing outside. A gunshot.
My sister, trapped in a dark room, texting our family her goodbyes, not knowing if she’d survive.
The middle school, a stampede.
Puddles of tears flood the halls.
Nobody knew if our loved ones at Evergreen High School were safe.
This dark moment in Evergreen will last forever.
The silence afterward was painful. Nobody was OK. Why does this keep happening in our schools.
Olivia Thomas, Evergreen
Editor’s note: Thomas is an 8th grade student at Evergreen Middle School.
Demand that the people’s house protect democracy
Re: “Nazi Germany expert assesses Trump’s actions,” Sept. 5 commentary
Sunday’s piece on fascism/authoritarianism and President Trump did a very good job at analyzing where American democracy is on the democracy-authoritarianism continuum. It was particularly good in the use of a historian to describe the actions we have seen from Washington in the time since January 20. However, it left one asking for the “rest of the story” as one radio entertainer used to say. Simply put, it left the reader with too many “not yets” and “to this point.” Here is the rest of this story.
Everything said or done has meaning only in the context in which it is accomplished: context, context, context. Hitler used hatred of Jews as a fulcrum around which to gain full and absolute control of his countrymen. Trump and his apparatchiks use hatred of all and any idea he chooses to call “woke,” our many-sided culture, as his stalking horse. His administration even uses the term “unitary president” as the label for his quest for absolute and complete control and unlimited discretion. Every day he arrogates unto himself more power that belongs to the people, not the person we chose to faithfully execute the law.
Only full-throated peaceful protests from the people will awaken the House of Representatives (the people’s house) to save our democracy. If we wait until we individually feel the pinch, it will be too late.
Wally Brauer, Denver
Congress needs to step up and keep the peace
Peace starts in the Congress of the United States of America.
There are over 17 million living veterans in the United States. We have served this country, sometimes with pride and sometimes with shame. We sought to keep others, both foreign and domestic, safe and free from tyranny. Presidential use of the military was meant to be endorsed by the Congress of the United States.
Our president does not respect that view. We are now civilians, and political powers seek to alter the meaning of the Constitution and the military obligation to its calling. The U.S. military is not to be engaged in domestic affairs. It is the outside threat that you respond to, and not your own brothers and sisters.
I suggest that veterans across America write an active-duty soldier, sailor, or air force enlistee. Tell them how you feel about becoming a target instead of an affirmed defender of this country. Those who served as winners in the military are almost extinct. That means that veterans from today have fought in vain to defend the Constitution, which is now being soiled by corruption and dishonor.
We have sacrificed to an ideal and now that ideal is being spat on and ground into the earth. Let us not let the present leadership turn our hearts against each other. Will the U.S. military raise their weapons against civilians, or will they lower their weapons and let Congress use dialog instead? The behavior of the current Commander-in-Chief is an abuse of his power. The shock from the officers at the summit in Virginia a few days ago supports these comments.
Bob Grimes, Windsor
Editor’s note: Grimes is a veteran of the Vietnam War.
It’s not the schools that are failing the kids
Re: “DPS test scores confirm persistent inequalities,” Sept. 20 commentary
As a high school teacher of 27 years, I am continually blindsided by opinion pieces that want to assert that our schools are failing us. Why are you, Federico Peña and Rob Stein, carrying the mantle of the MAGA movement? When you promote the idea that schools are failing us, that’s exactly what you are doing. You are playing right into their hands.
Where in their opinion piece are facts about schools being underfunded for 40 years in Colorado? Where do they talk about the socioeconomic status of the students they are comparing? Do you think that students from wealthier families have more opportunities? Do you think that students from poorer families struggle more? How well can you do in school if you are hungry or if you’re worried about your family’s future and ability to pay for rent, food, and basic needs?
Life is not fair and people want to act like schools are the great equalizer. Well, they aren’t. Teachers cannot solve poverty! No matter how much we try to treat students equitably, what happens in their lives outside of our classroom is out of our control.
So stop gaslighting and confront the true crux of the problem: a propaganda machine created by Republicans to gain control of public education. Years of forcing charter schools into existence by constantly chanting “ schools are failing us.” They are doing what they do so well – constant repetition of a lie makes it true.
So no, our schools aren’t failing our kids; our leaders are failing our kids.
Melissa Bradford, Denver
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