John Clyde: Anti-gay protests: CU should not host anti-LGBTQ+ events
The University of Colorado Boulder is hosting a far-right, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion pastor named Sean Feucht for a rally this month at Farrand Field.
Feucht has made recent headlines for his anti-gay protests at Disney, in support of the recently passed “Don’t Say Gay” law that restricts Florida teachers from educating students about nonheterosexuality and noncis gender identity.
At these rallies, Feucht and his cohort promise to “save” queer audience members from the horrors of “same sex attraction” and rail against abortion.
Just as concerning is Feucht’s violent rhetoric regarding his CU Boulder rally. At a rally in Estes Park last year, Feucht said that his team was planning an event at a university in Boulder to “go right into the heart of the enemy and punch him in the face.”
This isn’t Feucht’s only violent threat regarding his rallies. In 2021, Feucht posted a photo on Twitter of his security team, many of whom were wearing tactical military gear, with a caption suggesting that his team would kill counter-protesters:
“If you mess with them or our 1st amendment right to worship God — you’ll meet Jesus one way or another.”
As a CU student, I am disgusted that CU is giving this bigot a platform to spew hate and collect donations from, even after he threatened our community with violence. Feucht’s presence makes our LGBTQ+ community less safe.
John Clyde
Kansas City, Kansas
Mike Schreiner: Development: What PLAN-Boulder County stands for
I read with amusement the commentary by Ed Byrne in the recent edition of the Camera (“Boulder must continue to evolve,” May 5).
Mr. Byrne employs the “straw man” argument — first exaggerate or misrepresent a position by someone, in this case PLAN-Boulder County, and then attack the position as if it really was PLAN-Boulder’s.
I suggest you go to PLAN’s website to see for yourself what their positions on the issues really are.
Here’s a quote: “Our vision is of a largely open, undeveloped and scenic Boulder County that coexists in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem. This includes vibrant, compact, self-contained communities, each with its own distinct identity. We support agricultural land preserved as working farms and important habitats conserved for wildlife and native flora. Within the City of Boulder and neighboring towns, we envision community-driven development and transportation planning that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and promotes strong and welcoming neighborhoods. We foster diversity and inclusivity by supporting the preservation and creation of ample affordable housing and small businesses, and by promoting good governance.”
Seems quite a bit different than a slow/no growth, no density anywhere group.
What Mr. Byrne proposes — walkable neighborhoods that are primarily self-sufficient, allowing residents to work and play where they live — while laudable, is simply unrealistic for many. Just ask a parent navigating through doctor appointments, sporting events, school activities and, yes, even work.
I’m not saying that all of what Mr. Byrne proposes is not possible, I’m just saying let’s be realistic. Let’s drop the Orwellian doublespeak of ”density is the new open space.”
Let’s preserve what makes Boulder so attractive and work together to enhance that attraction in an inclusive, citizen-engaged process, and let’s drop the fallacious arguments.
Mike Schreiner
Boulder
Logan Abbott: College tuition: Consider getting a university education in another country
One of the defining issues of my generation is the astronomical cost of attending college. Absent rich parents, earning a diploma is nearly impossible without mortgaging one’s future, and skipping college is even worse.
Many young people harbor hopes that through activism, we can persuade politicians in Washington to implement dramatic reforms to solve this crisis.
In my view, that’s as likely to succeed as asking a housecat to respect the fact that your new pet mouse is a friend, not food.
A way out of American higher education costs calls for thinking outside the box — such as pursuing a degree abroad.
I just completed my first year studying at the University of Tromsø in Norway, and my tuition bill is a grand total of zero. I don’t have a scholarship, or a European passport, and the classes are all in English (although learning Norwegian will definitely win you friends).
The cost of living in Scandinavia isn’t trivial, and neither is the visa fee, flying there, etc., but when all’s said and done, a school year should offer a discount that is greater than 40% compared to University of Colorado Boulder in-state tuition.
Of course, earning your degree abroad isn’t a cakewalk. Living in another country isn’t the same as visiting as a tourist, or even an exchange student — you need to learn to navigate a convoluted bureaucracy, a foreign banking system, a new teaching style, and so on.
Even in a country like Norway, where English levels are excellent, you’ll be faced with the reality of living in a country where most people are more comfortable in another language.
That being said, I’ve found that immersing myself in the mindset and daily life of a different country has given me opportunities and perspectives that can’t be found for any amount of money stateside.
Logan Abbott
Boulder
Gale Kunkel: Thank-you note: Apple Store staff and Boulder police help stop fraud
Thanks to the quick responses and help from John and Kate earlier this month at the 29th Street Apple Store and to Stacy, Sara, Officer Dominguez and others at the Boulder Police Department, the fraudulent use of my stolen credit card information was quickly stopped.
Gale Kunkel
Boulder
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