en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1111787 Comments by lilboogle http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-jan-18-2011/#IDComment123298734 I think R. Eggers was a bit more eloquent than I was and just to be clear, when I sent my letter to the Ledger it said "I'd like to ask one sensible question that everyone in America probably shares my concern about. What is going on with the mental illness in this country? I'm not a fan of governmental spending but it's something I think should be a top priority." What I meant was that understanding and preventing mental illness should be a top priority. Knowledge and love have more power than a governmental machine trying to take care of everyone ever will. Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:37:29 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-jan-18-2011/#IDComment123298734 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-jan-18-2011/#IDComment123294190 My pastor just pointed out this morning that of all of the recent rash of school shootings, seventeen of the shooters had no father at home. The breakdown of the family unit and the absence of positive reinforcement and of course, the absence of the consideration of God leads to a series of bad choices, including drugs which cause much of the mental illness. Let's all take some personal responsibility and not put it all on big brother. Please doog. Everything is always about politics??? Come on. Don't be like the first guy who wrote that nonsense letter. Nobody even tries to act like they care anymore. I know we can intellectualize this. On a personal level.. I do not want to raise a crazy shooter. What improves my odds? Refusing to discuss politics with any passion, having no firearms in the house and blaming Reagan for every social injustice or going to church, encouraging my children and staying married to my husband and setting an example of love for God, husband and country to my children? Really, of the two, which one is more likely to create sane children who will make wise choices and feel well adjusted? Let's talk about the cause more than the symptom. After all, that way we can short circuit this mess. Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:21:38 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-jan-18-2011/#IDComment123294190 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/guest-opinion-drinking-tea-in-afghanistan/#IDComment103319600 Thank you Doug, it's nice to get feedback from someone with opposing political beliefs and know that there is almost always a place where we can find common ground. Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:14:22 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/guest-opinion-drinking-tea-in-afghanistan/#IDComment103319600 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment76170687 I response to the "Drill, baby drill" comment. There has been offshore drilling in the Gulf since the 1930's I believe. This is not something that Sarah Palin accomplished in Barack Obama's presidency. As a matter of fact, I think she would have taken this oil spill much more seriously than he has due to her familiarity with the devastation that this terrible tragedy will cause after growing up in Alaska and seeing the Exxon Valdez spill first hand. A better questions would be why BP got the free pass on inspections last year after huge donations to Barack Obama's political campaign and we are now discovering they were breaking every law created to protect our beautiful oceans and shores. So much for the "green" democrats. Wed, 19 May 2010 14:44:26 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment76170687 http://longmontledger.com/news/concealed-guns-okd-at-front-range-other-community-colleges/#IDComment75923056 Sorry for the misplaced comment Clay. I deleted it. I was trying to reply on another issue and posted it on the wrong topic. I think this is a very well balanced piece. I covers all views well. I found it interesting that Switzerland issues every household a gun and trains every adult in it's uses and they have the lowest gun related crimes in the world according to a recent article I read. I haven't verified the source though. Tue, 18 May 2010 04:36:29 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/news/concealed-guns-okd-at-front-range-other-community-colleges/#IDComment75923056 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75916772 Well, I'm glad we've finally made contact and you were somehow able to understand my position. It must have been my error in not making myself more clear. Tue, 18 May 2010 03:17:57 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75916772 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75907869 I'm sorry, I'm confused. I think we have completely left the discussion and moved on to something else. I felt the opinion article written was inappropriate for Mother's Day. I was championing women who have gone through abortions and are struggling to this day with the choice they made. Who are you defending? Women who had abortions and might have loved the article? How ridiculous can you be? Have I even touched on whether I think abortion should be legal? Have I even broached the subject of fetal development? Everything you are writing sounds like some kind of a sermon for someone about something and you use your thesaurus very nicely, but none of it applies to my letter. Maybe you should start a blog or something to get all of those feelings out there. Your personal experiences are not everyone's. Maybe you should broaden your horizons. The editor has now commented that perhaps the article wasn't appropriate for Mother's Day. That was my entire point. I know how everyone loves to debate abortion and I've done my fair share of it but I don't want to right now. I don't want to do anything but offer compassion to women who did not want to be reminded of their abortions on Mother's Day whether they regret it or not. That's it. I don't want to discuss slavery, child pornography or how humanely sardines are killed before they're canned. Have a nice day. Tue, 18 May 2010 02:19:51 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75907869 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75762121 Intentions and unintended consequences are exactly what my point was. I'm sorry to see that you have such a lack of compassion for people who are different than you and a lack of respect for those who disagree with you. Mon, 17 May 2010 04:23:04 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75762121 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75755112 I can only say that Clay treated my concerns regarding the article with utmost respect and he printed my letter, so I do not think there is a conspiracy with the newspaper. It's their job to publish opinions in the opinion section. Thanks for printing more than one opinion on this topic Clay. It's an important topic to me and if I'd considered that you might publish my letter, I probably wouldn't have been so heated but I guess it's who I am after all. I'm pretty tightly wound. LOL! Elizabeth Allen Mon, 17 May 2010 03:54:13 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75755112 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75734289 I know several women who have had abortions as well. Two were the leaders of the Pro-Life organization in my town growing up. You may draw your own conclusion on how they came to be active in that capacity. Two more are close friends who I do not feel at liberty to talk about. Please do not belittle another persons pain just because it's existence hurts a cause you believe in. Whether your close friends confide in you about their abortions is not relative to the appropriateness of the article or the negative impact it had. Whether a person agrees with abortion or disagrees, Mother's Day was not the day for airing it. Finally, whether you call it propaganda or statistics, the women suffering from the emotional and physical results of abortion do exist and it is something I think people should be sensitive to. I do not think a pro-life article would have been any more appropriate on Mother's Day. For those who are suffering from Post Abortion Stress Syndrome, there is help here in this community and there is even a special support group at Rocky Mountain Christian Church. Mon, 17 May 2010 01:32:32 +0000 http://longmontledger.com/longmont-opinion/letters-to-the-editor-may-14/#IDComment75734289