Mailbox for Sept. 4

Garner: Greeley Police Department employs some of the finest professionals

I appreciate The Tribune's recognition of the fact that the Greeley Police Department has set high expectations of our people. We have.

But I take exception to your reference to the department's "year of embarrassment" and a headline reading "Police try cleaning up their act." While that may not have been your intention, the reader is left with the impression that this is an organization of bad people who may or may not be able to clean themselves up.

The fact is that Greeley Police Department employs some of the finest professionals that I have encountered in nearly 40 years spent in law enforcement. Our citizens can be proud of these good people, as I am. Like newspapers, schools, or Fortune 500 companies, we periodically identify employees who mess up badly. The key for any organization is what it does when those employees are encountered. At GPD we deal with the problem, not cover it up.

One of the best tools we have for doing that is peer pressure from fellow employees who insist that the job be done right and by following the rules. While I am aware of organizations in which peer pressure works against doing the right thing, that is not the case at the Greeley Police Department.

Greeley citizens can be assured that they have an excellent police department protecting them. The members of that department value ethics, integrity and personal courage above all. I regularly hear from Greeley people who want to commend their officers for their good work. But we can get even better, and we will.

Jerry Garner, chief of police, Greeley Police Department

American flag was honored at DNC

I attended the acceptance speech during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 28 and want to make clear that not only were there a

minimum of six U.S. flags directly behind Sen. Obama (please see photos from Fox News and World News), the DNC worked tirelessly to distribute more than 85,000 U.S. flags to the delegates and audience.

Our U.S. flag was honored at the DNC, both in speech and display. Senators Obama and Biden respect and admire the U.S. flag and our country, and to question that is unpatriotic.

Karen Traxler, Greeley

Were 13 American flags enough?

Recently in The Tribune's Two Cents, two callers expressed their outrage over what they say was an absence or insufficient number of American flags on the podium with Sen. Obama on Aug. 28.

Perhaps their eyesight needs a physician's care, perhaps they didn't watch much of Sen. Obama's speech, perhaps their memories, like mine, aren't what they used to be, or perhaps they heard or read a rumor on the Internet. In any case they are wrong.

The Denver Post reported last week that the stage where Obama stood to speak had 12, that is, a dozen American flags gently waving in the breeze. You can go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ0gxF869NE and see them. They stand against the rear of the stage in between the "windows" shown on the backdrop.

I saw a dozen on stage and a large, beautiful flag clearly in evidence directly behind Sen. Obama's right shoulder during many TV shots of him giving his speech.

And when that flag and any of the other 11 flags on the stage were not in the camera shot, the American flag pin he often wears on his lapel was visible. The pin showed any time his face and shoulders were shown. Are 13 flags enough?

Andra Schmidt, Greeley

Bring Rangel back to Greeley Central

As a mother who has had all three of her children go to Heath Middle School: At this point my two youngest are attending Greeley Central, because they wouldn't go anywhere else, against my better judgment. My children all are better because of Mark Rangel.

It is an outrage to have the school district and The Tribune bash Rangel -- but no mention of the woman who was named as the "other district 6 employee." Come on, it takes two! Honestly, what Rangel does on his personal time is his own. Rangel was never off duty to have his own life, and who are we to judge?

As a family, we were excited when the rumors started about Rangel becoming the principal of Central. No matter what he does in personal life, he is a great educator, friend, teacher and principal to our children.

So now another year has started, my son's senior year. Greeley Central doesn't have a "real" principal, we have an interim principal. My tax dollars go to a substitute principal. I am disgusted with the whole situation. When is District 6 going to worry about the more important issues at hand?

Please ask Rangel to come back! Our Wildcat children deserve better!

Donna Myers, Greeley