6-OPINION
6 Parker Chronicle
January 3, 2014
opinions / yours and ours
Nocturnal sales pitches and worthless coins I was warned. When I mentioned to a friend several years ago that I was planning to move my television to the master bedroom, my friend said, “You might regret it.” I think she was right. I now watch about 10 times as much programming as I did when the set was in the living room. The programming isn’t any better than it used to be — in fact, it’s worse. Add to that some horrific visions in my room of rest, like the one I had recently when I couldn’t sleep, and simply wanted something or someone to comfort me back into the arms of Morpheus. I turned on the television at about 3 a.m., and a man who looked exactly like entertainer Jack Cassidy — just a little too good looking — started yelling at me about quarters. He was standing right next to hundreds of shiny, uncirculated quarters, row after row of them. For a limited time only I could own all of them, and ones that were yet to be minted — for two easy payments. He had his pitch down perfectly, never stumbled over his words, or let on that he was a shill — which he was.
He was exceedingly annoying, but I couldn’t stop watching, or wondering how many others were watching too and reaching for their credit cards. Here’s a flashback for you. For the final eight years of a dear friend’s life, I fixed her Sunday breakfast. I always brought her flowers. I checked in on her during the week. A couple of times I changed her bedding because of blood, provided updates to her relatives in North Carolina, and expected nothing in return — but I was receiving many, many things in return. She was an artist. I am an artist. She was my final mentor, and I was able to see what it
might be like to have dedicated yourself to a lifetime of art, but now it was no longer possible to make art, not for her. Her husband, a brilliant poet, died long before she did. They lived in a small house on Kearney Street off of Colfax, where Ruth and Littleton made their art and poetry. They created during the day, and enjoyed cocktails in the evening. I never met her husband, but I sensed that he loved Ruth profoundly, and wanted to ensure that she would be taken care of in her last years alone. She told me that he began to invest in coins that were advertised in magazines, that would appreciate unimaginably, and provide financial security beyond belief for anyone who possessed them. My constant readers know that I am a skeptic. I sometimes have doubts that Thursdays will follow Wednesdays. When Ruth died, I was informed that I was to inherit her oil painting supplies. They hadn’t been touched in years, and were worthless to me. Imagine strangled toothpaste tubes. I also was awarded a houseplant. It was
monstrous, and I always said so, but I think she thought I meant that it was monstrously beautiful. Finally, I was given all of Littleton’s coins, bags and bags of them, in neat little packets. I took the bags of coins to a coin shop on Broadway in Denver, and an employee asked me where I had gotten them. He interrupted my story and said, “May I finish for you?” He wanted to know if I had received them from someone whose spouse had died, but beforehand made a substantial investment in coins that would appreciate unimaginably, and provide financial security beyond belief for anyone who possessed them. “Uh, exactly.” He smiled and said, “I’ll give you $170.” I didn’t heed my friend’s warning about a bedroom television — but I’d like to warn you about nocturnal sales pitches for the shiny quarters of your dreams. Or nightmares. Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.
Sincere flattery will get you absolutely everywhere OK, so maybe it’s not flattery that will get you everywhere but rather kindness or, at a minimum, kind words. Don’t get me wrong, flattery when sincerely given is not a bad place to start. The problem comes when we use flattery as a weapon or manipulative tactic instead of having it come from the truth of the heart. Now, there are few things I enjoy more than hearing people speaking lovingly and kindly to one another. And I can assure you that as I have an opportunity to witness such sweet acts and hear such warm words, even though I am not a direct part of the conversation, it warms my heart. It inspires me to seek out opportunities to do the very same thing. And do it as quickly as possible. You know the old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I often wonder why more people don’t subscribe to the philosophy or actually put it into practice, doing it so
often that it becomes a good habit and all that emerges from their lips are words of love, hope and encouragement. I bet you can think of a time that you had where you wish the words would have been sweeter, and the outcome much better. Now, I know some families seem to believe that speaking harshly or even caustically to one another is their `norm’ and just couldn’t even imagine trying to speak words that build each other up instead of
tearing each other down. Unfortunately there are other old sayings that people practice that prohibit them from seeing the many benefits of speaking kindly and lovingly toward one another. Sayings like, “familiarity breeds contempt,” or “sometimes it just seems easier to say harsh things or hurt those closest to us.” Maybe it’s time to break that cycle! Maybe our resolution for 2014 could be to speak words of optimism, love, hope and encouragement. What would that sound like in your house, in your family, with your friends, and even with your co-workers? Maybe it will feel a little uncomfortable and even unnatural at first. But the more we do it, the more the people around us will seem to change as well. I am not sure about you, but when I feel like the flattery is sincere or that someone is building me up through the use of kind and loving words, I feel better and every-
thing in my life feels and seems better. My relationships are stronger, work is a better place to be, and my family seems to thrive. “I am so proud of you.” “Nice job today.” “You look beautiful.” “I am so glad you are in my life.” “Thanks for all you do for me or for us.” These are just examples, but I can promise you that when we take the focus off of the bad and we make a genuine effort to verbalize the good to everyone we encounter, it will make an enormous and positive difference in our relationships. Are you speaking words of love, hope and encouragement? Are you operating first and foremost from a position of kindness? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com. Michael Norton is a resident of Highlands Ranch, the former President of the Zig Ziglar Corporation and the CEO/Founder of www. candogo.com.
letters to the editor Healthcare a fundamental human right
Re: U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman’s December column: Mr. Coffman, I share the concerns expressed by your constituents regarding the ACA. I agree that in the wealthiest country in the world, it is reprehensible that hard-working citizens (like my sister and 2 million others) have to make a choice between financial ruin and life itself. That being said, I find your conclusions to be disingenuous and poorly reasoned. Healthcare costs have been going through the roof for decades, way before the advent of the ACA. And the rate of increase has actually leveled since the ACA. So to allude that the ACA is somehow responsible for high costs flies in the face of the evidence. But frankly, all of this misses the point. It’s important to ask the fundamental question, why is our healthcare so expensive and less effective than elsewhere in the world? At its root, it’s because of the perverse incentives that emerge as a result of taking the “patient-centered, market-based approach,” using your words. These incentives emerge as a result of making the assumption that healthcare is the same as any other commodity when it comes to supply and demand. But healthcare is what economists call “price inelastic,” which means that price doesn’t drive demand. This is fundamentally because healthcare lacks the most basic characteristic of an efficient economic model: choice. When you’re faced with death or disability, choice goes out the window. We also agree that Obamacare is not the answer, but I contend that it’s because the ACA doesn’t directly address the fundamental problem of incentives. What the ACA will do is expose the willful opacity so expertly institutionalized by a set of industries that profits mightily from such opacity. As a society we have (rightly) concluded that we’re not going
to leave people to die in the street. In essence this means that healthcare is a fundamental human right as opposed to a privilege. As a society we also agree that we have the right to national security, and we all know that rights come with obligations. We live up to our national obligations by each and every one of us (who is able) pitching in for the universal good. We have a name for this: taxes. For all these reasons and more, it is inevitable that any sustainable delivery system must preserve healthcare as a fundamental human right in a manner that rewards costeffective outcomes. I only hope that we collectively come to this conclusion before we throw the baby out with the bathwater. Tony Dobaj Highlands Ranch
Obama finally takes a stand
Our president has, at last, finally stood up for what he really supports. We’re all curious what it could be. Maybe it’s decreasing unemployment, as he is always talking about jobs. No, that’s not it, as he has done nothing to alleviate the 41 percent unemployment of black youth. Perhaps it’s health care, as he is always saying how good Obamacare is. No, that can’t be it because millions of people have lost their health insurance and the Obama regime refuses to let them keep their old policies permanently. Aha, it must be education, right. Obama’s big on education. Wrong again. The Huffington Post reports that Obama has turned loose Attorney General Eric Holder to shut down the Louisiana school voucher program that helped many disadvantaged black students get a good education. The Louisiana Black Alliance For Education Options is fighting to help these children in distress.
So if Obama isn’t really interested in decreasing unemployment, good health insurance, or education, what is his passion? Incredibly, it’s Iran. Obama has stoutly supported Iran by threatening to veto a bipartisan Senate bill that would use sanctions to curtail Iran’s building of a nuclear bomb. When you want to veto your own party, you are really passionate about your stand. No matter that all our allies in the Mideast are against this, so much so that Saudi Arabia is
parker chronicle 9137 Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
gerard Healey CHris rOtar ryaN BOldrey CHris MiCHleWiCZ ViC Vela eriN addeNBrOOKe rON MitCHell audrey BrOOKs sCOtt aNdreWs saNdra arellaNO
President and Publisher Editor Assistant Editor Community Editor Legislative Reporter Advertising Director Sales Executive Business Manager Production Manager Circulation Director
We welcome event listings and other submissions. News and Business Press releases Please visit parkerchronicle.net, click on the Submit Your News tab and choose a category from the drop down menu. Calendar calendar@coloradocommunitymedia.com Military Notes militarynotes@coloradocommunitymedia.com school accomplishments, honor roll and dean’s list schoolnotes@coloradocommunitymedia.com sports sports@coloradocommunitymedia.com Obituaries obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com to subscribe call 303-566-4100
looking at buying nukes from Pakistan and partnering with Israel. Any thinking person has to wonder why Obama wants to coddle Iran, yet ignores black unemployment, good current health coverage, and education for under privileged children. Maybe that’s the problem. Those that voted for Obama weren’t thinking. Charles Newton Highlands Ranch
A publication of
Phone: 303-566-4100 | Fax: 303-566-4098 On the Web: parkerchronicle.net Columnists and guest commentaries The Chronicle features a limited number of regular columnists, found on these pages and elsewhere in the paper, depending on the typical subject the columnist covers. Their opinions are not necessarily those of the Chronicle. Want your own chance to bring an issue to our readers’ attention, to highlight something great in our community, or just to make people laugh? Why not write a letter of 300 words or fewer. Include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.
email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com
we’re in this together Our team of professional reporters, photographers and editors are out in the community to bring you the news each week, but we can’t do it alone. Send your news tips, your own photographs, event information, letters, commentaries... If it happens, it’s news to us. Please share by contacting us at news@ourcoloradonews.com, and we will take it from there. After all, the Chronicle is your paper.