{"id":543,"date":"2025-06-17T11:01:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/?p=543"},"modified":"2025-06-19T12:21:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T12:21:56","slug":"non-jews-stand-in-solidarity-with-temple-emanuel-letters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/17\/non-jews-stand-in-solidarity-with-temple-emanuel-letters\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-Jews stand in solidarity with Temple Emanuel (Letters)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Non-Jews stand in solidarity with Temple Emanuel<\/h4>\n<p>Re: &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/06\/boulder-attack-jewish-community-temple-emanuel\/\">Jewish community needs to fight urge to retreat<\/a>,&#8221; June 8 commentary<\/p>\n<p>As a Methodist minister, I have been a friend of Temple Emanuel for more than 50 years, inspired by the commitment of this spiritual community to liberty and justice for all. Temple Emanuel provides a powerful voice for religious freedom and solidarity with other traditions, including Christians and Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>It is the leadership of Rabbi Joseph R. Black and his successors that are most needed in these times when religious liberty is being challenged by those at the highest levels of government and those who choose violence as a means to undermine our common life.<\/p>\n<p>Yes indeed, Rabbi Black, we must &#8220;fight the urge to retreat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Bill Kirton, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In response to the senior rabbis of Temple Emanuel&#8217;s call for Jewish communities to &#8220;reach in and reach out&#8221; and for interfaith leaders to speak out in support of the community, I am called as a non-Jew (who does not practice a religion) to also be a trusted and vocal ally.<\/p>\n<p>We must seek out and condemn antisemitism adamantly and vocally, and constantly. I am grieved by the attack in Boulder, especially for my beloved friends. Silence is compliance.<\/p>\n<p>We all must learn to fight hate and show love as only humans can. For reliable information and actions we can take to fight antisemitism, racism, and bias everywhere, I have found the Anti-Defamation League a powerful resource.<\/p>\n<p><em>Carol Guerrero-Murphy, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It is an important fact that the Jewish people are not responsible for, nor do they all agree with, all decisions of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and actions of the Israeli military any more than all Catholics are responsible for all decisions made in Rome, nor that all Muslims\u00a0should be held accountable to the policies of Iran or Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>And this fact is unrelated to another fact: Israel unequivocally has an inherent right to exist.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related right\">\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\" data-curated-ids=\"\" data-relation-type=\"automatic-primary-tag\">Related Articles<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/18\/boulder-attack-mohamed-soliman-hate-crime-jews-palestine\/\" title=\"Boulder attack suspect&#8217;s motivations debated in court as feds press hate-crime charge\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tBoulder attack suspect&#8217;s motivations debated in court as feds press hate-crime charge\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/12\/boulder-attack-family-deportation-texas-mohamed-soliman\/\" title=\"Federal judge transfers deportation case for Boulder attack suspect\u2019s family to Texas court\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tFederal judge transfers deportation case for Boulder attack suspect\u2019s family to Texas court\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/09\/gabe-evans-resolution-antisemitism-boulder-attack\/\" title=\"Resolution introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans condemning antisemitic attack in Boulder passes in U.S. House\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tResolution introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans condemning antisemitic attack in Boulder passes in U.S. House\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/06\/boulder-attack-jewish-community-temple-emanuel\/\" title=\"In wake of recent attacks, Jewish community needs to fight urge to retreat (Opinion)\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tIn wake of recent attacks, Jewish community needs to fight urge to retreat (Opinion)\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/05\/mohamed-sabry-soliman-charges-boulder-attack\/\" title=\"Suspect in Boulder antisemitic terror attack charged with 118 counts including attempted murder\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tSuspect in Boulder antisemitic terror attack charged with 118 counts including attempted murder\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Jewish people feel compassion for the innocent people of Gaza. Unfortunately, Hamas does not.<\/p>\n<p><em>Terri Tilliss,\u00a0Parker<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Why anonymously?<\/h4>\n<p>The Denver Post\u2019s Open Forum is for the general public, the place where individuals can state their personal views, perspectives, etc. I\u2019ve written twice in the last eight years, and both times, some MAGA men have gone to the trouble of finding my home address, using a stamp, and sending me a \u201cpersonal letter\u201d insulting me, calling me names, and brow-beating me with\u00a0their\u00a0views, all done \u2013 ANONYMOUSLY!\u00a0 (I am able to state that these are MAGA believers because they always use the exact same arguments and insults, almost verbatim, and it\u2019s the same stuff that FOX et al. spews all the time.)<\/p>\n<p>My letters in the Open Forum clearly have my full name and city of residence, and my letters have not insulted anyone or called them names. The letters have just stated my perspective, which I am entitled to have. But, when these individuals do not\u00a0agree\u00a0with my views, they respond to me individually and anonymously. Why anonymously?<\/p>\n<p>Their\u00a0typed\u00a0letters to me have no return address and, of course, no name on the letter. Own your views if you are so certain you are right, and use the Open Forum instead of bullying anonymously.\u00a0 Sending letters to a personal address is not an appropriate use of the Open Forum.<\/p>\n<p><em>Wendy Hall,\u00a0Buena Vista<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Let&#8217;s stop night racers on I-25<\/h4>\n<p>Every night this summer, countless lives will be endangered (and sleep disturbed) along Interstate 25 in Denver because of loud motorcycles and cars using the public highway as their personal racetrack, endangering not only their own lives but those of innocent motorists and their passengers.<\/p>\n<p>In Colorado, reckless endangerment is a crime, defined as reckless conduct creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to another person, punishable by jail and\/or a fine. There is a simple solution. Night racers must be photographed by the police from overpasses and then prosecuted for multiple counts of reckless endangerment, i.e., one count for every driver and every passenger they pass on the road. The time and place of the racing and the racers&#8217; identities must then be posted on multiple local news websites for victims to contact police to ensure that there are multiple complainants pressing charges.<\/p>\n<p>A racer can endanger hundreds of innocent people in one night. Multiple offenses for each race will mean long jail sentences and $100,000+ in fines, which should finally get the attention of these thoughtless fools.<\/p>\n<p><em>Lee Terry, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Not about religion<\/h4>\n<p>Re: &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2025\/06\/07\/idrahaje-camp-closure\/\">Colorado comes for religion again, this time targeting a summer camp<\/a>,&#8221; June 8 commentary<\/p>\n<p>The new protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals are small steps to provide safety against discrimination and prejudice. There are plenty of people of faith who support transgender people of all ages. Please acknowledge that this article represents your personal intolerance, and don&#8217;t hide it behind &#8220;religion.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>Margaret J. O&#8217;Keefe, Johnstown<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Data centers could utilize alternative power source<\/h4>\n<p>Re: &#8220;Data center boom,&#8221; June 8 news story<\/p>\n<p>I enjoyed the very comprehensive article on the pros and cons, benefits and challenges of the growing data center market in Colorado. One issue not addressed is the advent of the new nuclear power technology \/ Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and that all of the major tech giants are working to develop their own flavor of SMRs, with the theory that each mega-data center could incorporate an SMR within or adjacent to the data center and be self-sustaining. Of course, most of the SMR technology has yet to be proven feasible and could be three to five years out until it actually generates power.<\/p>\n<p>Keep up the great work!<\/p>\n<p><em>Jerry Witt, Commerce City<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>EVs and the true misplaced outrage<\/h4>\n<p>Re: &#8220;Outrage over Trump&#8217;s electric vehicle policies is misplaced,&#8221; June 8 commentary<\/p>\n<p>Ashley Nunes states that the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) increases the number of cars in a household, but even if this is the case, it does not necessarily follow that it also increases the number of miles driven or the pollution and\/or CO2 produced. Many people drive their EVs much more (especially for commuting) than their internal combustion vehicles (which they may have kept), producing much less pollution and CO2, and thus helping to possibly slow or alleviate climate change.<\/p>\n<p>But producing and driving EVs hasn\u2019t helped much yet, has it? Of course not, since Big Oil, the auto companies, and our leaders, many of whom are in the pockets of these powers-that-be, have put every impediment (besides hundreds of millions of misinformation dollars) in the way of alternative energy research and development, seeking to keep the coal and oil fires burning. It has been proven (even by oil company scientists) that fossil fuel-produced CO2 (and other greenhouse gases) create and exacerbate higher ambient air temperatures in our atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>So it\u2019s Ashley Nunes\u2019 outrage against alternative energy &#8212; and especially electric vehicles (EVs) \u2014 that&#8217;s misplaced.<\/p>\n<p><em>Richard Kiefer, Littleton<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>RFK Jr.\u2019s vaccine panel purge is dangerous overreach<\/h4>\n<p>Re: &#8220;RFK Jr. ousts entire vaccine advisory committee,&#8221; June 10 news story<\/p>\n<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s decision to fire all 17 members of the CDC\u2019s vaccine advisory panel is reckless. It should alarm every Coloradan, regardless of political affiliation.<\/p>\n<p>The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has guided U.S. vaccine policy for decades. Its experts ensure immunization decisions are rooted in science, not politics. RFK Jr.\u2019s mass dismissal of these advisors, under the claim that they represent \u201cconflicts of interest,\u201d is not reform. It\u2019s a purge designed to install ideologically aligned figures and dismantle hard-earned public trust.<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t about accountability; it\u2019s about consolidating power. Kennedy has a long history of promoting fringe anti-vaccine rhetoric. Now, with COVID-19 still a risk and measles outbreaks on the rise, we need trusted science more than ever. Instead, we\u2019re watching an official use his federal post to settle scores and undermine lifesaving public health policy.<br \/>\nColorado has always valued responsible governance and scientific integrity. Congress must act. At a minimum, oversight hearings should begin immediately. But if Secretary Kennedy continues to gut evidence-based infrastructure and jeopardize national health, impeachment should be considered.<\/p>\n<p>This is not about party &#8212; it\u2019s about protecting our children and defending the rule of law.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ian Hancock, Colorado Springs<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Lawmakers must stop the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill<\/h4>\n<p>If\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/119th-congress\/house-bill\/1\/text\">H.R. 1<\/a>, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), becomes law, it will devastate Colorado\u2019s Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the more than 850,000 Coloradans who receive integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care at more than 250 CHC clinics statewide. I urge the U.S. Senate to stop this bill from moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Buried deep within the OBBBA\u2019s 1,000-plus pages are significant cuts and changes to the Medicaid program.<\/p>\n<p>If passed by the U.S. Senate, over 300,000 Coloradans are predicted to become uninsured over the next 10 years through\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/medicaid\/issue-brief\/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-and-enrollment-loss-across-the-states\/\">loss of Medicaid<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Marketplace coverage.\u00a0Many will become uninsured because of the new confusing paperwork, processes, and added costs, not because they are ineligible.<\/p>\n<p>Nationwide,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commonwealthfund.org\/blog\/2025\/community-health-center-patients-medicaid-coverage-work-requirements#:~:text=Over%20the%20five%20years%20following,of%20May%202025)%2C%20could%20lose\"> nearly 5.6 million Community Health Center patients<\/a>\u00a0stand to lose Medicaid coverage under the work requirements mandated in OBBBA.\u00a0Adding insult to injury, CHCs are projected to have revenue losses of close to $32 billion nationwide because of OBBBA.<\/p>\n<p>In Colorado, about 50% of CHC patients rely on Medicaid, making it the largest payer and revenue source for CHCs. When any one patient loses Medicaid and becomes uninsured, the CHC will still provide services, losing revenue from Medicaid for that patient\u2019s care.<\/p>\n<p>With two-thirds of CHCs reporting negative financial operating margins in 2024, this bill is financially destructive for CHCs and will result in further reductions in care, staff layoffs, and\u00a0closed clinic doors.<\/p>\n<p>Coloradans should\u00a0call their elected officials, from the House and Senate, to share where you stand on Medicaid, and demand rejection of the OBBBA.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ross Brooks, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: Brooks is president and CEO of Colorado Community Health Network.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.denverpost.com\/dp\/preference\">Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more. <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/submit-letter\/\">online<\/a> or check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2013\/07\/09\/submission-guidelines-and-contact-information\/\">guidelines<\/a> for how to submit by email or mail.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Non-Jews stand in solidarity with Temple Emanuel Re: &#8220;Jewish community needs to fight urge to retreat,&#8221; June 8 commentary As a Methodist minister, I have been a friend of Temple Emanuel for more than 50 years, inspired by the commitment of this spiritual community to liberty and justice for all. Temple Emanuel provides a powerful [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=543"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":544,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions\/544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.canoeinstructor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}