Nullification and sanctuaries
I’m surprised that Paul Danish, who writes Cannabis Corner, didn’t compare Colorado’s effective nullification of federal marijuana laws to immigration nullification or “red flag” nullification in a recent Danish Plan (Re: “It’s just like the sanctuary city movement, only with live ammunition,” Jan. 2, 2020).
Paul Gilmartin/via internet
Stagecraft
Given his seemingly innate gift for stagecraft (see the masterful “Kissing of the Don’s Ring/Assumption of the Crown” scene as Congressmen stepped forward to offer tribute after the passage of tax cut legislation), it is disappointing, perhaps, that Donald Trump did not pursue serious theatrical enterprise rather than political and lesser pop culture entertainment, although it would have required reading and due diligence and, of course, the money really wasn’t there. Might he have become a Great American literary giant rather than a grandstanding, boorish, loud-mouthed bully? Way? Or hell no way!?
Robert Porath/Boulder
Republican hypocrisy
The impeachment trial will continue to expose the blatant hypocrisies of the Republican Party, headed by Donald J. Trump. The recent statement from the White House that “articles of impeachment are a dangerous attack on the right of the people to freely choose their president,” is so rife with “nonsense” that it should not go unchallenged, and proves that Republicans can’t spell hypocrisy, and are inherently irony deficient.
Let’s take a look at the right of the American people to freely choose their president. Trump lost the popular vote. A candidate has won the popular vote and lost the election five times — three times before 1900 and twice since 2000. Hillary Clinton garnered the widest lead in popular votes, at almost 3 million. More than any candidate to lose the Electoral College vote. Only approximately 73,000 strategic votes, between Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin gave Trump the electoral win. Considering the fact that over 6 million people voted for candidates other than Trump, it’s safe to say that the American people certainly didn’t get to freely choose their president, again! Remember George Bush.
This administration put together a “voter fraud” commission, asserting massive voter fraud. Not only did they not find any, the Democratic members had to sue the Republicans to even get the documents related to that investigation. Trump disbanded the commission after not getting the results he wanted.
Speaking of voter fraud and hypocrisy, the Republican Party has gone to great lengths to make it harder for “the people” to vote, especially women, minorities, the poor and younger voters who tend to vote Democrat. According to the Brenner Center for Justice, since 2010, 25 states have enacted new voting restrictions, including strict photo ID requirements, early voting cutbacks and registration restrictions. This includes moving or removing polling places, and limiting voting booths to increase voters’ time in line to discourage voters from showing up, not to mention redistricting. All are red states.
So spare me the phony sanctimonious “dangerous attack on the right of Americans to freely choose their president.” Nonsense! Rich Republicans do excel at that.
Craig S. Chisesi/Rifle
MSG? Not for me!
Please keep an open mind about how MSG affects people. It’s not racism (Re: “Umami: The next level,” Nibbles, Jan. 23, 2020).
Years ago my friend and I would go weekly for lunch to a Chinese restaurant and marvel at how plain rice could be so yummy. We then slowly began to realize that at about 2 p.m. we were both feeling dry throats, craving sweets and having intense lethargy. Needless to say we chose other places for lunch and were fine.
Later on I formed the habit of going to lunch at David’s Buffet (not Asian) in Cincinnati because it was near my recurring chiropractic appointment. My wife and I would take a walk around our neighborhood each evening after supper. I began to notice that on Tuesday evenings only I would have to walk very slowly. My heart felt as if it were filling up but the blood was not being pumped out. Very scary, but after a visit to a cardiologist my heart checked out OK.
At that point I realized that my only-on-Tuesday problem was the buffet food liberally freshened with MSG. I stopped eating at the buffet and my heart problem went away permanently.
Adding MSG is a cheap, sneaky way to increase flavor that keeps a lot of us constantly checking ingredient lists to avoid heart irregularities. This is not an allergy. MSG is a central nervous system toxin which can generate a wide variety of symptoms.
See how you feel two hours after eating MSG.
Ron Huffmeier/Boulder
We the people
Wim Laven does a very detailed job of explaining his point of view about steps necessary to “a more perfect union” (Re: “A more perfect union,” Guest Column, Jan. 23, 2020). For me, the key is “We the People” doing our part to protect our democracy. That means voting and following up with our voices. Our calls, letters and visits to those who represent us have the most influence, more than paid lobbyists, according to a recent study by the Congressional Management Foundation. In my volunteer work with RESULTS, (results.org), I have learned to speak with my representative and senators and watched it make a difference. A good example is the recent 16% increase for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, after the administration had called for a 29% cut to this international initiative that has save millions of lives and prevented millions more infections. So why not speak up, empowered as one of “We the People” and help guide those who represent you to do the right thing, strengthening our democracy.
Willie Dickerson/via internet
Eat Plants
Happy New Year and Veganuary again. I wrote a letter to the editor this time last year about the impact my choice to go vegan had on the planet in terms of reduction in water usage and grain consumption, CO2 emissions and forest deforestation, and the number of animal lives saved because of my choice to eat plants.
Another year has passed. What happened in that time? We got the statistics from the USDA for 2018 animal consumption in the U.S. 8.38 billion land animals were killed to support the U.S. food supply in 2018. When you include aquatic animals that number jumps to over 55 billion. That’s just for the United States. To put these numbers into perspective the entire world human population is estimated at 7.7 billion people.
In addition in 2019 the Amazon rainforest sustained the worst destruction in a decade at over 2.4 million acres. Between 80% and 91% of the Amazon’s destruction is directly attributable to animal agriculture between slash and burn agriculture for cattle grazing land and soybeans grown as livestock feed.
It turns out we actually have a way to stop this unnecessary violence and destruction. You can choose to start eating plants and stop eating animals. I know it’s scary at first, sometimes inconvenient and may go against our cultural traditions but all across the world people are standing up and making the conscious decision to change what’s on their plates. They realize that every choice we make and every meal we eat can have a huge impact. You can make an impactful choice every day by choosing to put plants on your plate instead of animals. What are you waiting for? Try a free 22-day challenge at vegan22.com, and happy Veganuary!
Joshua Smith/Boulder
