Proposed United Nations reforms will be discussed 3 p.m. Saturday at the Harmony Library by Dr. Dimitris Stevis, professor of political science at CSU. The reforms are proposed by a panel appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. They may be the most important changes since the United Nations was created 60 years ago. All interested persons are welcome to the meeting sponsored by the Northern Colorado Chapter, United Nations Association – USA.

Ken Tharp

Community member

I am a CSU alumna, and a former opinion columnist for the Collegian. I'm writing to tell you about an urgent situation in Alaska. For the last two summers I worked as a biologist on a brown bear study. Our camp was between Katmai National Park and McNeil River Sanctuary – both famous bear-viewing areas (practically every picture of bears catching salmon in waterfalls are from these places.)

These areas have been closed to bear hunting for many years. Wide-open habitat and tolerant bears made Douglas the perfect place to study, but now the Alaska Board of Game wants to reopen brown bear hunting in this area. The BOG, with virtually no scientific input, is willing to slaughter this acclimated bear population for money. And the tolerance of the bears to humans will lead to a rapid depletion. I am certainly not anti-hunting. I know the importance of hunters to conservation. I just want to inform as many people as possible about this under-exposed issue. I have made a Web site about all of this: http://home.earthlink.net/~alaskabears/.

The deadline for written comments is Feb. 18, although it may be possible to get letters there in to March. Bears are not what most people think they are; they are slow and thoughtful more often than swift and brutal. The thought of losing such a unique population makes me indescribably sad. Please help me protect this wild place.

Anne Welch

CSU Alumna

Marine Lt. Gen. James Mattis recently stated his opinion about some Afghani men who mistreat women: "You know guy like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Some high-ranking officers and columnists have supported Mattis on the basis that he has supported the United States courageously on the battlefield for many years and that his remarks should not be used to criticize him.

Hundreds of thousands of veterans from Vietnam and Iraq are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder because they experience pangs of conscience for having killed enemy soldiers and civilians. The reasoning in support of Gen. Mattis should be conveyed to the VA hospitals and the American Legion and the VFW to help alleviate the anxiety of so many suffering vets. After all, isn't this the sort of "fun" that is generally approved by the military?

Joe Stern

Community member

I want to compliment whoever drew Thursday's cartoon about the privatization of Social Security. It was the first time I have seen anything published that showed that the author understood the difference between a social program and an investment program.

Steve Francis

Community member