Soap Box

In 1776, we Americans were poor dirt farmers, roving merchants and indentured servants who often lived from hand to mouth. We were struggling peasants immersed in the day-to-day struggle for survival. But we were taken with a dream of creating a new society free from the shackles of the overlord. We dared to unite in defiance of two formidable obstacles.

One was the British Empire’s supreme monarch, King George III. Like all emperors, tsars and sultans, he exercised cruel, entitled power unrestrained by any law. “We the People” of the colonies yearned for a legal system under which all people would be accountable.

The other obstacle was the utter compliance a royal father figure could exact from some subjects, turning friend against free-thinking friend. “Loyalists” believed in the divine right of kings and worshipped the rich celebrities of their day.

But the rest of us were unimpressed by wealth and power; we believed in the strength of our worker unity. We were willing to risk our lives against a mighty sovereign, based on our trust for and appreciation of our fellow workers. It was they who shared our hard labor in the fields, our passion for freedom and our love for our hungry families – not some entitled elite who had never worked a day.

Still, revolution was a big gamble: would our fellows sell us out or hold true? Could a nation of workers trust each other? Could we self-govern? Through an imperfect evolution of thought and practice, a new worker’s government was born. Our revolution inspired workers around the world to throw off their chains and claim their future.

The reptilian eyes of oligarchs are focused on our democracy. We can see them devising ever more sophisticated methods to regain control, fine-tuning the messages that make us cynical, divided, tuned out and apathetic. In this new and different world, our task remains the same as our forefathers’ task: to protect every American’s rights by standing strong together. We may have different cultures, but no American bends a knee for a king.

We have the power to secure the rights of every American to a decent life to equal participation and freedom from persecution. That’s our strength: an America of, by and for the people.

– Kirby MacLaurin, Durango

Boebert blasts again

It is amusing, yet sad, to get Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s take on how she perceives her world. A few quotes to illustrate my point. “I connect with the people I serve, rather than sitting at home in a basement like most Leftists,” she said recently. This comment was regarding an investigation of Boebert in which she allegedly used $22,000 from her campaign coffers she claimed was for mileage reimbursements to pay $20,000 in tax liens on her restaurant in Rifle. The liens by the State of Colorado were for failure to pay Colorado unemployment premiums.

Boebert also reimbursed herself nearly $21,200 from her campaign in November 2020, according to campaign finance records, equal to roughly 38,000 miles driven, or about 13,000 miles longer than the circumference of the Earth. The campaign later amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to list more than $17,000 in a mileage reimbursement. Oops, extra 20,000 miles there!

Here’s another Boebert quote: “The saddest thing about the fentanyl crisis is that it is preventable.” Indeed, as are mass shootings if assault-style weapons are banned; as is climate change if we move away from fossil fuels; as is a shrinking middle class if we empower democracy over profits.

Boebert’s reaction? Legislation such as “The 30x30 Termination Act” – a regressive response to progressive legislation aimed protecting 30% of U.S. lands and ocean territories by 2030. Boebert’s plan would instead capitalize on natural landscapes and resources. But Boebert’s thoughts on natural resources are even more regressive, as she opposes the CORE Act and the Colorado Wilderness Act. So instead, she introduced the “Fix Our Forests Act,” which appropriates $126 million annually for the U.S. Department of the Interior to mandate a yearly logging quota of 6 billion board feet of timber – with no provision that it must be beetle-killed timber or that any part of the quota comes from Colorado forests.

But perhaps my favorite quote from Boebert is: “Add mutilating children to the National Institute of Horrors’ (National Institutes of Health) long list of funding evil research, which already includes gain-of-function research in Wuhan, scalping aborted babies and fusing their skin to lab rats, organ harvesting aborted babies’ genitalia, and insects eating dogs’ faces off.”

Not sure if her GED led her to that conclusion or some other in-depth research into some fictional world. We need a new representative with integrity, intelligence and an ability to think instead of simply react. – Tim Thomas, Durango

Freedom for all

When we think about our independence and freedom in the United States, I wonder how many people think of the freedom of farmed animals. There are currently 1.6 billion animals in our nation’s 25,000 factory farms who often never see the light of day.

Cows, chickens, pigs and more are subjected to unnecessary breeding, overfeeding, abuse and slaughter every day. The majority of these animals are raised in environments unfit for any beings.

But releasing animals from cages, crates and the psychological torment of Big Ag is truly a step toward independence for all. When we stop treating animals as commodities, overall suffering in the world reduces, the Earth can heal, pandemic and antibiotic-resistance risks

are reduced and human health will improve.

Luckily, there are options. Browse any grocery store or food co-op, and you’ll uncover a variety of delicious and nutritious plant-based burgers and more. They are showing up at cookouts across the country and are proving that this Fourth of July, there can be freedom for all. – Diego Horvath, Durango

Big ups to patrollers

Special thanks to the Purgatory Ski Patrol team, who saved my leg after an unexpected flight from a trail down into an aspen field. When it was assessed that my knee was not going to work, the call to ski patrol was answered quickly by Camille. We decided to immobilize my knee before attempting to move me into a toboggan, and then I was belayed up the hill by an all-women crew. Next I was taken for a quick trip to ski patrol office, noting that Urgent Care again had no providers and was closed (so much for service there).

Another patroller spotted the blood now showing and exposed a serious gash in my leg that would require closure by a plastic surgeon. My orthopedic surgeon noted that while my kneecap was smashed into pieces like corn flakes, all pieces were totally contained and sitting right where they belonged. Thanks to the immobilization, quick ambulance ride and skilled surgeons, my knee will be ready to ski next season.

But we need to recognize the amazingly skilled, hardworking – and not well compensated – patrollers that devote their days to our safety, both before we get on a trail and after we miss the trail and end up hurt.

Thank you Purgatory Ski Patrol. – Lynne Murison, Durango

Expand the Supreme Court

This is a scary moment. The Supreme Court just dismantled abortion rights across America. As a result, 26 states could outlaw abortion, including 13 states that have passed “trigger” laws to take effect immediately after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.

This news should set off alarm bells for all Americans. Our fundamental freedoms are coming under attack by a hyper-partisan supermajority on the court. And this could just be the beginning. But there’s a way to fight back, which is why I’m urging Congress to pass the Judiciary Act of 2021.

The Judiciary Act would rebalance the Supreme Court by adding four new seats, giving us 13 justices in total. It’s just what we need to move away from extremely partisan rulings and restore the legitimacy of the Court – and it’s been done before. In fact, Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court seven times already in our nation’s history. A recent poll showed that the majority of Americans support expanding the court again now.

It’s past time for Congress to get on board with this crucial bill.

MagpieDon’tGiveaSh**: An eagle seems to give a disapproving look to two oblivious magpies in

while roosting in a an old snag./Photo by Alex Krebs

– Matt Cornell, Durango