Each week we highlight some of the most insightful, passionate and witty comments shared on Facebook in response to stories in The Durango Herald.
This week, readers weighed in on Durango’s Fourth of July drone show, Colorado in a post Roe v. Wade world, Durango’s high cost of living and the delay of the new Camino del Rio underpass at 12th Street.
We enjoy readers’ input and reactions to local stories: People can weigh in on our Facebook page, at the bottom of local news stories at www.durangoherald.com and by writing a letter to the editor.
Here are a few comments that stood out this week:
“I was disappointed. We were not close to a music source and it was too quiet. No booms or whistles and too short for the amount of money that the city spent on it.” – Tracy Harwood
“By show, you mean 90’s clipart from MS Word?” – Kristopher Warner
“Combat veterans, pets and wild animals everywhere prefer drone shows to fireworks.” – Lynn Wiersgalla Castricone
“What a beautiful show! It was great to be out at night, and see families walking downtown together, laughing and smiling. Our community needed this event. Thank you, Durango!” – Suzanne Tyrpak
“You are welcome to live your life according to your beliefs/morals/standards ... not everyone will align with you and that’s OK. In the same way that you wouldn’t want someone to dictate what you can or cannot do, your beliefs cannot dictate others choices.” – Lindsay Hayden
“No woman should be forced to give birth. Why do some people feel it’s their job to shame people and force their unscientific, religious views on others? Health care decisions should be left to an individual and their doctor. The government should stay out of our bedrooms and bodies, unless it’s there to offer support. Wouldn’t it be great, if these two groups could work together to help women and support them through the difficult, and often necessary choice of getting an abortion? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every state in our union viewed women as full citizens capable of making choices about their own bodies, health, and lives – without shaming them?” – Suzanne Tyrpak
“People seem not to want to understand the recent supreme court decision on abortion. The court did not prohibit abortion, it returned the action on how to handle abortion back to the state legislatures. The decision was based on Amendment X to the U.S. Constitution which reads, ‘The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by the States are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.’ This, for example, is why murder is a state crime, not a federal crime. No explicit right to abortion, or for that matter to privacy, exists in the Constitution. During her tenure, Ruth Bader Ginsburg recognized the shaky basis for Roe v. Wade and expected a challenge to it. When people talk about how some states are taking a restrictive position on abortion, they should remember it was the people of those states that enacted those restrictions and it is up to them to make changes. The people of Colorado voted for the representatives that enacted protection to the access to abortion here. This is how the system is supposed to work, not be a reason to tear it down. This is also why the Court ruled as it did on the right to keep and bear arms which is granted explicitly in the Constitution and why it is protected by the Supreme Court.” – Larry Zauberis
“There was a time when entry-level jobs were just that, entry level. Objective being to get your foot in the door, prove your worth and move into a better paying job with more responsibility. Kids wanted and were expected to get a job as soon as they were 16. A brief look at Indeed shows a number of job openings, some entry level and some not, but many would open the door to other opportunities later on. On-the-job training can go a long way but you have to prove your worth, show initiative and work hard and have a positive attitude. Durango is expensive no doubt, but with double-digit inflation, it’s expensive everywhere. Develop a competitive attitude at work and strive to be the best. If you do that, your chances of getting ahead are much better.” – Teresa Jones Crouch
“I don’t think that figure is far off for lower skilled or inexperienced labor. But that is also a national problem that is relatively new. 50 years ago you could raise a family on a single income with relatively low skill employment. It's hard to blame the newer generations of workers for these problems seeing as they were born into a financial system that is far less favorable than their predecessors.” – Neal Cantin
“The conditions that led to our current housing crisis are a result of decisions made by government and business leaders In Durango and La Plata County over the last 30 years. Workers were not part of the conversation. Don’t get me wrong, because we sure do need builders right now! But it’s important to understand that political and business leaders wrote and enforced land use regulations designed to help builders make money, not to facilitate a consistent effort to build housing for the working people who really make this place function. So workers, join the proposed coalition by all means. Leadership has let you down for decades, so pound the table. Make demands. Negotiate. And watch your backs.” – Peter Tregillus
“Too busy building a stupid bridge right next to a bridge. However an underpass 2 blocks from an underpass follows that ‘logic.’” – Rich Harland
“Why not enforce a 25 mph speed limit in the business district and in residential areas and cite people who speed consistently? It’s been shown to work.” – Christa Turnell
“Please stop wasting our money on crap like this City of Durango government. I know you don’t wish to hear this because citizens have been griping at you about it for over 30 years but we need to solve the parking issues downtown. By that I don’t mean shortening meter times and upping fines and meter charges and hiring more parking cops. I mean actual parking so tourists quit parking on the east side of town taking up all the residents parking!” – Josh Cool