Soap Box

from The Durango Telegraph, Nov. 23, 2022

Kill Yr Idols

I was shocked, dismayed and very disappointed in y’all when I saw the thumbs down for the climate protestors who have been targeting artwork to draw attention to the dire state of the climate crisis. To quote Mary Witlacil, Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D Candidate of Political Science at Colorado State University: “The desperation of climate activism parallels the rate of loss (and likelihood of climate injustice) predicted by the IPCC and climate scientists, if governments fail to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Desperate times call for desperate activism, and the greater the loss the bolder the action … Desperate acts of civil disruption would be unnecessary if the status quo did not offer such a constrained vision of the future and a limited possibility for change.” I encourage you to read Mary’s very intelligent and compelling post entitled Acts of Pessimistic Hope for the Anthropocene at this link: https://bit.ly/3TVsJVy

As activists have repeatedly stated: “the intention is not to damage the paintings and sculptures, but only to highlight the lack of government action against the causes of worsening climate disasters.” Furthermore, according to The Guardian, they have not permanently damaged any works of art.

– Shelby Robinson, Mancos

Amazingly, after a stellar first two years, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert looks like she will polarize politics again for two more. And her track record todate? All 17 bills and seven resolutions she proposed never passed committee. She is on committee, though, in the Second Amendment Caucus and the Freedom Caucus.

Ironically, she is not supportive of a woman’s right or freedom to choose to have an abortion. Nor does she support freedom for any non-hetero marriage, or for kids to be educated on sex (maybe why she supports elimination of the U.S. Department of Education). Boebert does not support Colorado’s Red Flag law, which calls for taking away firearms from people deemed a risk to themselves or others.

So what does she support? QAnon theories, the Three Percenters far-right militia and the Proud Boys. She also supports the Jan.6 insurrection, the non-separation of church and state, Christian Nationalism, unrestricted gun access, natural resource extraction (gas, coal, uranium, timber) over environmental protection, isolationism as foreign policy, a border wall and restricted immigration.

But that’s not all. She also does not obey laws she objects to, like business taxes, cease-and-desist orders, financial disclosures (her husband’s, mostly) and campaign-finance laws.

So sadly, it appears that we’re in for another two years of divisive, rhetoric-laden, ineffective representation in the 3rd Congressional district.

But we’ll have our freedoms! Well, most of them.

– Tim Thomas, Durango

Phew, that was close

We supporters of democracy and women’s rights are breathing a big sigh of relief with the Nov. 8 election results. We rallied to shut down the anticipated “red wave.”

Significant credit goes to increased turnout of young voters. Hopefully, even more of them will vote in 2024. They are the ones who will have to live with the results of things that are happening now.

Trumpist, anti-democracy candidates lost in battleground and other states. Voters rejected candidates who wanted to position themselves to overturn election results where voters don’t go for the GOP.

Our wingnut Congressional Representative Lauren Boebert’s supposedly deep red safe seat is headed for a recount. She was only around 551 votes ahead of challenger Adam Frisch. Half of the 3rd Congressional District voters are ready to be done with her antics. But we’re stuck with her for another two years.

In some people, the meager win would trigger serious humility, but I won’t expect that from Boebert. I expect she’ll continue giving the middle finger to the other half of voters. We’ll return the favor.

Locally, La Plata County voters gave the state house victory to incumbent Barbara McLachan. The retired longtime Durango High School teacher beat out the Texas carpetbagger candidate. We don’t need or want Texas values here.

Happily, Colorado remains staunchly blue. Women can make their own decisions about their bodies’ reproductive functions, instead of the government dictating that choice as in too many red states. We proudly stand as a refuge for less fortunate women. And where given a choice, voters in several other states, including conservative Kentucky and Kansas, supported abortion rights back in the summer.

Democracy seems to be safe for now. But the work definitely isn’t done. The GOP will have marginal control of the House of Representatives (much thanks to gerrymandering in states with GOPcontrolled legislatures) and apparently will spend the next two years trying to take vengeance on Democrats instead of addressing the country’s needs.

Trumpist extremists aren’t going away. And Trump has announced his candidacy for 2024. Stay tuned.

– Carole McWilliams, Bayfield