Theater closing brings sadness and anger
Re: “End of an era: Second Landmark movie theater to shutter,” Aug. 8 news story
Someone at Landmark Cinemas had the bone-headed idea of announcing Chez Artiste’s closure with one week’s notice. Did someone think that this was a courageous move? A rip-the-Band-Aid-off, gutsy decision? I disagree.
This was a heartless, insensitive, and disrespectful decision. They could have given the wonderful Chez Artiste staff and patrons much more notice. Why give several months’ notice for the recent closure of Landmark’s Esquire Theater but almost no notice for Chez Artiste?
I’m sure Chez Artiste has been losing money. I know that Landmark has to operate its business efficiently. And I know that the “old ways” of watching movies on a big screen are quickly fading. I also know that the Chez Artiste staff has always made us feel welcome. They know and love movies, and they see me, know me, and greet me (and many other patrons) by name. They provided a wonderful community for movie lovers like us and others throughout the Denver area.
I guess I’ll go to the Landmark Greenwood Village theaters (even though they rarely play art house films) and to the beautiful Mayan Theater. But I won’t cram myself into the Mayan’s barely functional, tiny upstairs theaters that feel like a punishment for handing over my hard-earned money.
Making decisions based solely on financial considerations isn’t always the kindest or smartest way to run a business. Thanks to Landmark Cinemas for diminishing the cultural standing of our city. Just call me a pissed-off art house movie fan.
Art Glover, Denver
One less reason to endure teeth-grinding anxiety on Interstate 25: the closing of Chez Artiste movie theater, a Denver icon, after 52 years. The Landmark managers figure that we can switch our viewing to Landmark Greenwood Village. Really? “Despicable Me” is considered alternative movie fare? Chez Artiste, Denver film lovers will miss you!
C. Greenman, Lakewood
Focusing our attention on the American hostages
Re: “Forgotten in Gaza?” Aug. 11 commentary
About the forgotten and dead U.S. citizens, I am ashamed of our current administration and our media for the lack of action for our fellow Americans. At least someone has the courage to write about it and ask the questions: Why is no one talking about this and why does no one care? If it was any one of the elite’s children over there, this would be finished, and they would be home. No one in journalism has any impact anymore. It is sad that we have lost one of the most important counterbalances in our democracy. Shame on you!!
Jule Taylor, Thornton
I seriously doubt Hamas thought its Oct. 7 attack in Israel would “bring Israel and the United States to its knees.”
More likely, it was to remind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel that the people of Palestine have the will to fight back against the repression of the decades-old Palestinian apartheid.
David Russell, Vancouver, B.C.
Doug Friednash is, understandably, worried about the five American hostages in Gaza. However, I will point out that negotiations in these situations are not usually conducted in public. Before the recent hostage exchange was announced with Russia, many people believed that nothing was being done to free those individuals. Attributing unpleasant motives to the administration without evidence seems unproductive at best.
Rose Gibbons, Denver
Preparing for continuing, relentless heat
Re: “Spend the rest of this summer preparing your landscape for next year’s heat,” Aug. 11 commentary, and “100-degree sizzlers here to stay as summers get hotter,” Aug. 11 news story
Now that global warming deniers have been proven wrong, I’m curious how conservatives will respond. I don’t know Krista Kafer’s personal feelings about the science of climate change, but when she worked at the Heritage Foundation (per her Denver Post bio) she must have been intimately associated with people who created and promoted policies that ignored the problem and rebuffed any attempt at mitigation.
Kafer, do you and your ilk feel any obligation to “own it” and concede that conservatives took a stand, often without scientific expertise, against recognition of the fact that humans are modifying our climate? Will you admit that conservatives were wrong to do so and that scientists were correct? Do you think continuing to deny the existence of human-induced climate change, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, is the proper course of action?
Perhaps writing a helpful newspaper column about replanting one’s yard with grasses adapted to 100-degree summer days, now that these are the norm in Colorado, is enough? As one who has believed and supported scientists and has consistently backed climate solutions at the community, state, and national levels, I’m angry with those who blocked us at every turn. What level of accountability, apology or remorse do they feel is owed?
Ian Baker, Fort Collins
RFK Jr. brings more conspiracy, not optimism
Re: “Cheering on the ‘third’ candidate for president,” Aug. 11 letters to the editor
Recently, two letters expressed the writer’s support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president. One stated that Kennedy gave them “a renewed sense of optimism” and suggested that people vote for someone “who inspires them and makes them excited about what is to come.” If they truly desire a hopeful future, the wise choice would be to vote for the Harris/Walz ticket. We all know that Kennedy cannot win and “what is to come” with a Trump/Vance/Project 2025 win is a dark and fearful future for our nation. Vote for Kennedy to soothe your own conscience if you desire, but votes not supporting the Democrats put America in danger of a second disastrous Trump administration. To quote the second letter writer, “Here’s hoping America will vote on hope not fear!”
JM Jesse, Glenwood Springs
In response to the citizens writing to endorse Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I would encourage them to research his stance on important issues. Confidently, he addresses many of the problems that concern us — for instance, mass shootings. Kennedy claims psychiatric drugs cause mass shootings, while countries like Switzerland have as many guns as we do and do not experience the mass shootings that we do. Really? Prozac came out in 1988, and yet there were mass shootings before that. Guns? Our country leads the world in firearms ownership by far and four times that of Switzerland. Experts have found that there is no connection between psychiatric drugs and mass shooters. There is not enough space here to address the multitude of false data to which RFK Jr adheres. I urge readers to fact-check Kennedy using peer-reviewed sources, not just podcasts or social media. Finally, remember that RFK Jr. rebuked Ralph Nader for running a third-party spoiler against Al Gore in 2000. The votes that Nader took away from Gore helped George Bush win the election and got us into an endless quagmire in the Middle East. Think about it.
Robert Nyboer, Longmont
RFK Jr can’t even get his own family to endorse his campaign. His anti-vaccine position would put our whole country in danger. COVID killed far too many people because of false claims by him and many Republicans. Vaccination rates are dropping among young children, and diseases that we thought were eradicated, like measles, are coming back.
Donald Trump and JD Vance are being labeled as weird and Project 2025 should scare every American. We don’t need another spreader of conspiracy theories on the ballot in Colorado. The Republicans have that covered and RFK Jr would only make it worse.
Be grateful that Joe Biden put our country first and stepped aside. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the best things to happen to the Democratic Party since Barack Obama and represent the best chance of beating back the dystopian view that Republicans share about the future of our country. Conversely, the Democrats offer a future of hope and prosperity, which is desperately needed for the next generation of people in this country.
David Shaw, Highlands Ranch
Conservative support for Harris/Walz
“Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.” — Ronald Reagan.
I have been a member of the Grand Old Party and have voted Republican from 1984 through 2016. My Party has been hijacked by a party of narcissists stealing the mantle of Lincoln, Reagan, and the great Senator from Maine, Margaret Chase Smith. I have joined with former U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney and Joe Walsh, and at least 60,000 other Republicans with whom I participated in an organizational online meeting Tuesday night to prevent the ascension of a dictatorial regime which could well make all parties irrelevant, and will be voting Harris-Walz. Country over Party! If you are a disillusioned Republican, know that you are not alone and have a great number of colleagues who are going to take the brave step to vote for a Democrat.
It’s hard to cross the line, and I am only doing so to save the integrity of the GOP and a robust 2-party system that existed through the 20th Century.
Although I may profoundly differ on the Harris-Walz platform in a number of ways, the only issue important to me today is the preservation of our great Republic, the rule of law, and the Constitution. Former President Donald Trump has thumbed his nose at all of these pillars of the American social contract.
Fellow elephants, for the sake of the future of the GOP, join me! In doing so, we will live to fight another day.
Matthew S. Finberg, Broomfield
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