Quantum leap needed
Historically and culturally, the U.S. is a nation sustained by economic exploitation, violence and white supremacy, all conducted under a veil of piety and personal freedom. In essence, the Democratic 2020 platform challenges America to make a quantum leap away from this core of its self-acclaimed, God-given “Manifest Destiny.” The holocaust inflicted on native communities, the servitude of black slaves, the embrace of a catch-as-catch-can violence and subjugation of human and natural resources, and acceptance of a grossly disparate division of privilege, wealth and power can no longer be swept under the rug of political convenience. The response of Donald Trump’s MAGA campaign to those pointing to the ever-continuing inequities of justice, wealth and health care is, “It is what it is, and look how well we as a nation are faring.” By “we” he means the wealthy elite who believe fervently that white cultural and racial superiority is the backbone of America’s “greatness.” His stance on closing the borders to immigration and bringing home jobs lost to cheaper labor overseas stirs the xenophobia of white, working-class America. That this and tariffs on foreign goods will ultimately lead to higher consumer prices is swept away by the promise of restored jobs. The inconvenience to corporations profiting from global trade is offset by lowered taxes. Proposals for a more just and equitable ethos for American life are politically cast as leading to crime and chaos in the streets and a slippery slope into socialism and loss of the revered freedom of capitalist exploitation. Any suggestion of enacting communal values is an anathema to the world of high finance.
Robert Porath/Boulder
Return wolves to Colorado
With a vote coming up this fall to reintroduce wolves to Colorado, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that our own land grant college, Colorado State University, has made available a bunch of information on what it might mean to live with wolves in the state once more. Anyone wanting to dive deeper into wolf issues should search “Colorado State CHCC” in their browser. Spend some time traversing the well-researched and documented FAQs and fact sheets available in the People and Predator Series from the scientists at CSU. I’ll bet you come away feeling more prepared to make an informed vote this fall.
I hope you give time to research and think about the importance of wolves to our ecosystems. Wolves will not threaten Colorado’s livestock industry, nor Colorado’s big game hunting industry. Instead, wolves will help bring back a balance to our ecosystem’s health and integrity.
As Coloradans, we should be responsible for how much we impact our environment and those living in it. That we owe it to future generations to maintain the health of Colorado by keeping wildlife, like wolves, alive.
Mina Kabiri/Boulder
