 |
| |
The Pikes Peak NEWS is self-supporting, relying on advertisers and donations only...we count on your support! |
| . |
|
Serving Pikes Peak Community College students |
|
| |
I recently had a friend pass away because she led a very careless lifestyle. She was partying in the mountains and decided to go home while she and her boyfriend were drunk. He survived the crash, but her body was so weak from doing methamphetamines, purging after meals and drinking all the time, she didn't make it. Had she been a healthy human being, she would have survived.
I saw this coming a long time ago. We had a brutal confrontation about her lifestyle, and she decided she no longer wanted to associate with me. She used to be such a wonderful person. After being on meth for some time, she started stealing her dying grandmother's medication and selling it to feed her addiction. I tried to talk to her grandma about it, but she was in denial about her granddaughter doing such a thing. I also tried to get some of our other friends to talk to her, but they too did not want to have anything to do with it. One of the friends I tried to get to help me is in jail for the same disgusting habit. It seemed as if I was alone, so I let it go after I had called about a million times trying to get her to understand where I was coming from. I wish with all my heart that I had not given up on her.
Methamphetamines are so dangerously addictive that you could try it once and be hooked for life. After being on it for a while your body will develop a need for it. If you go without it for a short length of time, you will be so sick that you will do anything to get it. If someone you care about is stuck with this repulsive sickness, there are ways to help. Don't give up on someone you love. You will regret it forever. (top)
I am angry about the violation of local leash laws. In my neighborhood two separate homeowners never leash their dogs-large dogs. They are constantly running through other people's yards or out in the street. The first dog in question likes to roam. When the owner finally realizes that Rover has left the building, he yells at it until it returns. I suppose it requires less exertion to scream at the top of your lungs and make a spectacle of yourself than it is to have to walk your pet. The other neighbor, whose house is directly opposite the first neighbor, has two large dogs, also never leashed.
I have witnessed on numerous occasions his animals attack other dogs that were on leashes. This owner also prefers to yell. He breaks up the dog fight, but I get the added upset of watching him kick the dogs into submission. This morning I saw what resembled a coyote/wolf mixed breed. I was not sure if it wasn't a coyote as it was rummaging near trash bins. When I got a bit closer, I realized it was wearing a collar. We do have leash laws for a reason, and it appears that it is not taken seriously by these alleged "pet lovers." Perhaps these are the same pets that end up in the shelters when the responsibility becomes too much work, and not enough of a status symbol. In Colorado Springs, there is an abundance of large breeds, including the ones considered most likely to bite.
I believe these pet owners need to be fined and the fine should be steep. In comparison, a leash would not seem quite so expensive or intrusive. Then again, perhaps their idea of fun is watching a child mauled to death or spending time in court. (top)
Being a college student who has traveled abroad and visited many universities, I have been able to observe many different college atmospheres, and I have found Pikes Peak Community College, Rampart Range campus, a very satisfactory place to learn. But the school cafeteria is another story. The Rampart Café is quite small with a limited variety of food and drinks, and the few options on the shelves and in the coolers are very expensive and often not within a poor student’s budget. I have noticed people’s eyes bulge right out of their sockets when noting that a simple salad falls near five dollars. Is this the Marriot Hotel or something?
What the heck?
Busy students who carry full loads in addition to jobs and family responsibilities find precious little time for nourishing themselves. This time limit creates many dilemmas for students as they strive to save money while eating healthy. Students lacking the necessary time to prepare a healthy entrée for themselves, and after having visited the grocery store and found little interest in the TV dinners, will inevitably find themselves entering the Rampart café to there be faced with the options of a hot dog, pizza, or the “special of the week,” which has been slowly turned into the Special of the Month. Perhaps a student who is able to leave the café without having fallen prey to the temptations there might turn to the vending machines, where he or she is then confronted with chocolate, donuts, or simply a bag of chips. It has been studied and proven that people need proper nourishment to learn, and therefore Pikes Peak Community College should provide a better, less expensive way for busy students to nourish themselves. (top)
I am writing to correct a common misconception. The churches of Colorado Springs are not on the same team as many citizens of this town and this country believe. They do not follow the same agenda. Instead, they do their own thing, while thinking that anyone who is not a part of their church is going to hell.
I know from experience that this city is certainly diverse in terms the type of churches a person could choose from. There seems to be a church for every little detail Christians could fight over. And with all these different buildings and congregations, differences become a main topic of discussion.
In the fellowship halls, the sanctuaries, and the Sunday School classrooms, the members are talking about other churches and the problems they have. Christians are judging Christians, and the arguments are tearing the believers away from each other. Instead of having the ability to make friends of other opinions, people have misconceived ideas about each other that are based solely on their place of worship.
These arguments also prevent members from seeing their own problems. The Bible condemns the practice of judging someone, when the person judging has a problem that is just as wrong. But the churches of this city don't want to fix their problems. They have found their place, and they are content not to improve.
Diversity of worship in this city is a good thing. People should be able to choose how they want to express their individual beliefs. However, they should not be considered as one big congregation that has a common goal. (top)
I have a problem with how the American government has little or no background information on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the new President of Iran. It seems to me that with all of our military intelligence, you would think we would keep close tabs on those who have hurt us in the past and who are in charge of a country that has the ability to hurt us in the future.
As soon as Mr. Ahmadinejad's picture was put into circulation as the new President of Iran, half a dozen of the 52 prisoners who were held captive for 444 days back in 1979-1981, in an American Embassy in Tehran, called in to report that he was one of the terrorists leading the interrogations. This is when our government decided to begin their investigation to see whether or not this new president was actually involved in the hijacking of our American Embassy. It seems to me that we should already know every detail on all the candidates of any major election in any foreign country who poses a threat to the rest of the world.
We are in Iraq telling the Iraqi people that they must live in a Democratic society, and we don't even know if their next door neighbor is being led by the same type of evil leadership we have worked so hard to destroy under Hussein?
We don't know if the man in all the pictures leading the blindfolded hostages to some despicable horror is, with absolute certainty, Mr. Ahmadinejad. What we do know is that he was studying under the same school of global terrorism at that exact time. We also know that he requested that he be allowed in the planning of the hostage takeover of the Embassy.
The Iranian government says he was denied permission and that he was not involved; but he did request permission! Just because they say he didn't participate, are we supposed to take their word on such a highly volatile subject? How are we able to just write someone off as a non-threat whether he was involved or not, simply on the word of others?
The American government dropped the ball on this one for a couple of reasons.
- One, they should know who is going to be leading a country that has so much opportunity for destruction.
- Two, they should have thought about those hostages who were held captive for 444 days.
This whole ordeal has brought back some very painful memories for a lot of people. Our government could at least find the necessary answers to at least let them know whether or not this man is the face behind so many nightmares.
(top)
|
|
|
|
