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Father’s fury at murderer who rolled his son into the bush ‘like some animal’

August 16, 2022 by www.stuff.co.nz Leave a Comment

A man who gunned down a perceived rival on a winding, bush-clad Coromandel highway has been jailed for 14 years – and treated to a harsh sendoff from court.

“Rot, you fat f…,” yelled the family of Bayden Williams to Adrian Phillips as he was ushered from a courtroom in Hamilton on Tuesday.

Following an almost six-week trial in the High Court at Hamilton earlier this year, Adrian Reginald George Phillips, 24, was found guilty of murdering Bayden Williams, 20.

Williams was found dead on the side of the Kopu-Hikuai Rd on the Coromandel Peninsula on the evening of Wednesday, August 5, 2020.

The jury found Phillips had deliberately rammed Williams’ vehicle off a twisting stretch of road. When Williams attempted to climb up a bank back to the roadside, about 7pm that night, Phillips fatally injured him by shooting him three times – in the thigh, shoulder and, finally, his head – with a shotgun.

Phillips’ defence case, led by Ron Mansfield, QC, was that he had fired in self-defence because he believed Williams was advancing on him with a knife. However, the jury agreed with the Crown case, led by Rebecca Mann and Jacinda Hamilton, that Phillips was in a murderous rage when he opened fire and had effectively ambushed Williams on the dark, twisting highway.

There had been bad blood between Phillips and Williams and his father, Lance Williams. The two families had been linked by a pair of twin sisters, one of whom was Phillips’ partner, the other the former partner of Williams – and with whom he had a son, Loki. The pair were rekindling a relationship at the time he was killed.

Phillips returned to the High Court at Hamilton on Wednesday for his sentencing before Justice Melanie Harland.

Lance Williams was also there, and he and his wife, Tracy, and brother Josh spoke of their anguish at hearing the manner of Bayden Williams’ death.

Lance Williams was evidently still furious at the man who killed his son “and rolled him into the bush like some animal”.

Seeing his son in a body bag “with one side of his face blown off” was an image that would always stay with him.

“Had I known you were capable of such a brutal act … I would never have opened my door to you.”

Tracy Williams told Phillips her son was “a people pleaser – a humble dude who made everyone welcome, as he did with you.

“He was such a spark of light in our lives, and you have snuffed him out.”

Josh Williams had a blunt assessment of the situation: “You have broken the hearts of many … I hope your time in prison is miserable with every waking moment.”

Mansfield said the actions of Phillips reflected a failure of the mental health system. His client had suffered horrific injuries in a fuel explosion about a year and a half before the shooting, and he had subsequently been assaulted by Lance and Bayden Williams in a confrontation in Tairua earlier that year.

“The consequences are sadly real. While the physical injuries may have healed, the emotional injuries remained real and raw.”

His issues “had not been adequately identified and treated. If they were, we would not be here today.”

In her submissions, Hamilton said Phillips “chose to put his desire for revenge to the fore. He armed himself … and knowing his capacity for anger he engineered a confrontation likely to trigger him[self].

“This offending is not the result of a mental illness. It is the result of the actions of a vengeful and angry man.”

Justice Harland described Phillips’ decision to intercept Williams’ car on the road as “an impulsive and irrational decision … You were not intending to have a civilised discussion to clear the air between you.”

She stopped short of describing the murder as premeditated, however.

Phillips’ case was comparable to other recent killers, including that of “stop-go” murderer Quentin Winders and the case of Raglan tourist murderer Mark Garson .

Hamilton had sought a minimum period of imprisonment of 15-and-a-half years. Mansfield asked for a 10-year minimum.

Phillips had tendered a letter to the court “offering my wholehearted apology … for what happened”.

“I will never forgive myself for what I did.”

Before the trial, Phillips had pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful possession of a shotgun and ammunition, and the judge sentenced him to a concurrent six months for those offences.

More Black Americans live in Texas than any other state. Two years after George Floyd’s murder, many reconsider their future here.

August 16, 2022 by www.chron.com Leave a Comment

After the nation watched a Minneapolis police officer murder George Floyd two summers ago, Gov. Greg Abbott promised his Houston relatives that his death would not be in vain — and signaled an openness to pursuing police reforms .

But even as millions of Americans protested excessive force, systemic racism and law enforcement’s treatment of people of color, Abbott quickly pivoted to defending police funding while remaining relatively quiet on overhauling public safety practices. Earlier this month, Abbott appointed an Austin police officer indicted for excessive force during the 2020 protests to the state agency that regulates law enforcement — which brought swift criticism for the message it sent to Black Texans.

Not that Chas Moore, an Austin activist who helped organize some of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, was surprised by the actions of the governor, who is white. After all, Texas is the birthplace of Juneteenth because it was the last state to free enslaved people — and is frequently a political harbinger in a country with a long history of racism, discrimination and oppression.

“There’s always been an attack on our very existence,” Moore said. “We’re not new to this, we’re true to this … it’s sad to say that we’re true to daily struggles of just existing as Black people.”

Floyd’s death and the massive demonstrations that followed it were part of a seemingly endless onslaught of upheaval, crises and emergencies that have trickled into every aspect of daily life — from the economy and health care to public safety and education — for the past two years. For Black people, deaths, illness, job loss and economic insecurity wrought by the coronavirus pandemic have compounded those traumas.

And in Texas, those seismic forces have been accompanied by a Republican-controlled state government that has limited how America’s history of racism is taught in public schools, restricted voting options heavily used by people of color and protected the GOP’s grip on power with new political maps that diminish the power of voters of color — who accounted for 95% of the state’s population boom between the last two censuses.

“What we’re dealing with now in Texas is not new,” said Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, a history professor at Texas Southern University. “It’s still about impacting the strength of the Black vote.”

Texas is home to more Black Americans than any other state — more than 3.8 million, about 13% of the state’s population. The state was founded by white men who were determined to expand slavery westward — the conflict that sparked the Civil War. Today, white men are overrepresented in the Legislature . At the start of the 2021 regular legislative session, there were 17 Black lawmakers in the 150-member Texas House — 16 Democrats and one Republican. Only two Black senators, both Democrats, serve in the 31-member Texas Senate. A few Black Texans have held statewide office, but none have made it to the senior-most executive and legislative positions.

Black Texans’ experiences of the past two years — and how they’re looking ahead to the November midterm elections and next year’s legislative session — are as varied as the individuals themselves. Some Black Republicans, for instance, don’t think that everything should be viewed through a lens of race. Robin Armstrong, who recently made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination for a Texas Senate district that includes Galveston, said that people use the “offense of racism” to control Black Texans.

“If we see everything through that, then we’re always going to have an excuse to fail,” Armstrong said.

But nearly a dozen Black Texans who talked to The Texas Tribune see racism in state leaders’ actions. Some have wondered if remaining in the state makes sense for them. Others are determined to stay and advocate for a more equal and just government.

“If we all run, who’s going to be here to change some of the policies, change some of the laws and change some of the minds of people that are in control and power so that we are able to make it a better place?” said Naomi Green, a transgender woman who volunteers with multiple LGBTQ advocacy organizations in North Texas. “Who’s gonna be here to do that?”

Some turn to human connections made in their own daily lives as a way to focus on the joys in the world, rather than completely fixate on the hardships. Some Black Texans draw strength from their ancestors’ resilience, while others point out that the constant fighting for survival is utterly exhausting.

“We’ve been through Jim Crow, we’ve been through the ‘war on drugs,’ we’ve been through the ’90s crime bill,” Moore said. “We’ve been through redlining with banks, we’ve been through work discrimination. It’s just kind of what it is. We’ve always, in that same breath, been organizing and fighting for humanity and fighting for our rightful place in society as Americans.”

Perseverance and pain

The history of Black people in Texas is a story of resilience.

Texas was the last state where enslaved people were proclaimed free — on June 19, 1865. The Juneteenth commemoration has been a Texas state holiday since 1980 and was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

In a state where the scars of Jim Crow segregation still linger, Black students today find themselves turning up at weekend brunch parties, Greek Life events and Black History Month observances on campuses that refused to entertain their applications a few decades ago. Many excel at institutions established by Black pioneers. Thousands have voted for Black legislators in a state where thousands used to gather for Black lynchings.

Faith Anderson grew up in East Austin in the 1990s. Local culture was everything to Anderson. They attended several Black-owned charter schools that accommodated students’ various learning styles. There was East Side Story, an afterschool program started by neighborhood legend Larry Jackson. Kids would go to youth dances. Sliding to Highland Mall on Saturdays was still the move.

Today, the 29-year-old is a director, actor, pilates coach and trauma-informed yoga teacher. They have leaned heavily into arts and community building as a way to preserve their own mental health — and bring joy to others.

“I do think we are the people who are reflecting and giving fun and a breath of air to this painful society,” they said.

But for some Black Texans, resilience takes a toll — and some wonder what their lived experiences would be like if they didn’t always have to put so much emotional labor into persistently fighting for equality.

One 32-year-old Black Texan, whose name is X, has worked in service of Black communities for most of their adult life. They helped during recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the cataclysmic Louisiana hurricane that killed more than 1,800 mostly Black people and displaced millions of others. Nearly 20 years later, they are still busy overseeing House of Rebirth, a Dallas organization advocating for Black trans women. They feel a constant tension between fighting for people’s rights and equality — and a sense that it’s inherently unequal to have to do so.

“At the end of the day, if I could have just been born free … I can’t imagine that I would be doing this,” X said.

Which Anderson gets. That’s a major reason why they stepped back from grassroots activism and now focuses largely on artistic endeavors meant to replenish people’s souls.

“I do think some of us are better suited in different places,” Anderson said.

A budding leader

Kennedy McGregor is entering her junior year at the University of North Texas in Denton as president of the school’s Progressive Black Student Organization. She has spent some of the summer trying to figure out the organization’s identity — finding a sweet spot between grassroots activism and serving as a safe space for Black students. The 20-year-old from Round Rock is also trying to keep her head in current events as much as possible to stay informed.

The leadership opportunity feels surreal considering she started college during the fall 2020 semester — when classes operated in a hybrid format because of the coronavirus and when much of the country stood off balance from Floyd’s murder. Months before McGregor arrived on campus, Darius Tarver, a 23-year-old Black student, was shot and killed by Denton police. Tarver’s family has filed a lawsuit seeking damages, asserting that police used excessive force.

“First, it kind of made me want to withdraw from things a little bit more because everything that was happening in 2020, with Black Lives Matter and then even nowadays where there’s grocery store shootings, church shootings, school shootings,” McGregor said, “it just made me want to withdraw because I’m like, am I even gonna be safe out here? Like, is there even a point of me doing all this and changing all this?”

But when McGregor joined the organization during her freshman year, she immediately identified with members’ raw and real vibe. Students were not consumed with trying to act overly flashy or classy. They prioritized getting to know one another through stimulating conversations, group meetings and social events.

That sense of grounding and belonging was exactly what she unsuccessfully sought in her predominantly white high school in an Austin suburb. For years, she tried to fit in and gain her white friends’ acceptance. Then came a devastating realization: They didn’t all respect her.

In the 11th grade, as she sat with some of her schoolmates in the local high school library, a white male friend unexpectedly walked up with a handful of students to harass her. Together the white students started shouting the N-word at the dark-skinned Black girl. Over and over and over. Even though there was no physical attack, she still felt like she’d been verbally jumped.

“It just scared the mess out of me,” she said. “It was just a real trigger for a while just to even hear their names or see them at school. So it was something I really struggled with.”

McGregor’s high school experience in part moved her to join the primarily Black student organization at UNT. The recent string of events has contributed to her longing to work in the service of more people who look like her.

Approaching the fall semester, at another moment when many Black Texans don’t feel that the state and country are working in their best interests, McGregor bears a heightened sense of responsibility to show up on campus ready to help those searching for guidance.

“I’m just trying to prepare myself and be as educated on what’s going on as I can,” McGregor said, “so that way I’m not biasing people, but I’m giving them information through someone who is familiar to them and … isn’t trying to trick them.”

Targeted on two fronts

Black trans women are fighting a battle on two fronts — one related to their race and the other having to do with their gender identity.

Since Green, the Garland woman who volunteers for several advocacy groups, began working in Texas, the state GOP has sought to limit access to LGBTQ-themed books in schools and vowed to restrict or ban classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. Lawmakers have already passed a law that requires student-athletes to play on sports teams that correspond to their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. And state leaders have pushed to open child abuse investigations of parents who allow their children access to gender-affirming care.

Republicans also passed a law limiting classroom discussions about race and slavery’s role in the shaping of the country. Many Republican officials and parents criticized diversity and equity initiatives — and social studies lessons about slavery and racism — as attempts to make white students feel guilt or discomfort , something some school officials called a “manufactured crisis.”

A Black principal in North Texas — not far from where Green resides — resigned from his position after white officials and parents accused him of “encouraging the disruption and destruction of our district” after he shared the pain he felt over the deaths of three Black Americans: Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia.

“It’s a constant attack,” Green said. “You’re waiting on the next thing to happen. You’re waiting on the next law, you’re waiting on the next executive order. You’re waiting on the next proposed legislation, you know, you’re waiting on all of these things to happen because it’s been happening. I have not let my guard down.”

Green’s gender transition started in 2006. Looking back, she said her transition wasn’t as difficult as many people’s because she had already graduated from high school and college, started her career and had loving family members who accepted her.

“The thing about it is, for most transgender women of color, specifically, that’s not the case,” she said. “They lack most of those things. And so it’s much more difficult. And I didn’t realize that until I got into this work.”

Black trans women make up two-thirds of the victims of deadly violence in LGBTQ communities across the U.S. since 2013, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Advocates say that Texas officials’ rhetoric and legislation targeting marginalized communities only makes people of color and LGBTQ people more vulnerable.

Green’s motivation is powered by her work helping disempowered and stigmatized people.

“That is what keeps me going — receiving calls and texts and emails and kind gestures from people letting me know that I helped them in some way or that they need my help or that I am making a difference and having an impact,” she said.

Not that it always yields a positive result. Green recently got a call from a colleague asking her to help a trans woman sleeping outside of an office building. The woman had previously tried living in a shelter but left for unknown reasons. But when the colleague asked Green what she could do to help, she realized there were virtually no options available because of Dallas’ scarcity of resources for trans people.

“It’s deflating,” Green said about not being able to help the woman. “It’s sympathy, it’s empathy, you know, it’s feeling helpless in those particular moments. But at the same time, it’s what drives me because it’s something that I know needs to change.”

“Everything you were put on this Earth to be”

At 20 years old, Ryan Douglas finds herself frustrated with the ongoing political and social upheaval that so often impacts Black people much more negatively than their white counterparts. When she was younger, the Carrollton native had already decided there wasn’t really a future for her in Texas.

Then the U.S. Supreme Court this summer overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, a procedure Black women use at the highest rates . It was a decision many saw as a devastating revocation of settled law — and another attack on women’s rights. And Texas has a “trigger law” in place to now ban virtually all abortions this month.

That sealed the deal for the North Carolina A&T State University junior. She doesn’t want to live in Texas long term after she graduates partly because she’s lost faith that women of color will gain equitable political ground.

“I just don’t see it changing anytime soon,” she said. “It’s been this way for so long.”

But Ashton Woods, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, plans to stay in place. He most recently organized a demonstration outside of the Republican Party of Texas’ state convention. He understands that heading into the November midterm elections, there are fewer voting options than in 2020. His message to the thousands of people who showed up to protest was simple: Hold elected officials accountable and hold your neighbors accountable.

“I love the whole idea of being able to vote at midnight; I did love the idea of being able to drive-thru. I liked all of that,” Woods said.

For him, a piece of the antidote is still casting ballots, despite attempts that make it less convenient.

“We’ve always adapted,” he said. “So we’re just gonna have to do what we gotta do to get people to the polls.”

First: Ashton Woods, co-founder and lead organizer of Black Lives Matter Houston, continues to mobilize voters and has even run for office. Last: Milton Harris, executive director of 100 Black Men of San Antonio, runs a training center that mentors Black youth in self-empowerment. Credit: Annie Mulligan and Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune

Milton Harris, the 54-year-old executive director of 100 Black Men of San Antonio, a youth training and support organization, views officials’ actions as attempts to knock Black Texans off their destined paths. The Air Force veteran said that as long as the “white caucasian male” power structure lasts, Black people will face strife. His organization uses job training, teaching and mentorship to show young people how to overcome those hindrances.

“Things are gonna be adversarial because it’s all about power and control,” Harris said. “But that should not and cannot prevent you from being everything you were put on this Earth to be and potentially, at some point, bringing about change.”

Moore, of the Austin Justice Coalition, also said Black Texans need to focus on holding officials accountable. To incite meaningful change, he said, they will need to mobilize more outside of mass demonstrations. He says, “something is going to have to give.”

He also plans to stay in Texas — even though he does sometimes entertain the idea of living somewhere else.

“Yes, I fantasize about being at a Black-ass brunch in Harlem, but I can’t do that and rest peacefully knowing that there are Black people that can’t up and leave if they wanted to, and they don’t want to leave because they have culture and heritage and history here,” Moore said. “I have to fight to make sure that Black people have the freedom and self will to call any place home, you know? So why not fight? This land is my land just as much as anybody else’s.”

Disclosure: Human Rights Campaign, Texas Southern University – Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here .

The full program is now LIVE for the 2022 The Texas Tribune Festival , happening Sept. 22-24 in Austin. Explore the schedule of 100+ mind-expanding conversations coming to TribFest, including the inside track on the 2022 elections and the 2023 legislative session, the state of public and higher ed at this stage in the pandemic, why Texas suburbs are booming, why broadband access matters, the legacy of slavery, what really happened in Uvalde and so much more. See the program.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/16/black-texans-future/ .

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

Liz Cheney calls on Democratic voters to switch parties, give her boost in GOP primary

August 16, 2022 by www.foxnews.com Leave a Comment

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Liz Cheney faces uphill battle against Trump-endorsed Hageman in heated Wyoming primary

Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith talks with Liz Cheney and Trump endorsed-challenger Harriet Hageman who will face off in a key primary race this month.

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Wyoming voters will go to the polls Tuesday to vote in the state’s primary elections, and Republican congresswoman Rep. Liz Cheney is looking to an unusual source for support in her GOP race: Democrats.

While only members of a given party are allowed to vote in that party’s primary in Wyoming, the state does allow for same-day voter registration. This means that people can switch parties the same day they vote, so those who had been Democrats can become Republicans just to vote for Cheney in the primary, where her main challenger is Harriet Hageman.

“When Liz Cheney’s only hope is to appeal to Democrats to raid a Republican primary, you know she has gone all the way over to Nancy Pelosi’s side,” Hageman’s campaign manager Carly Miller told Wyoming Public Media. “Wyoming is fed up with Cheney, and it’s too late for any election shenanigans to save her.”

Cheney, who has served in the House since 2017, drew the ire of many fellow Republicans with her opposition to former President Donald Trump, including her prominent role as one of two Republicans on the House January 6 Committee. Trump himself has endorsed Hageman in an effort to unseat Cheney.

TOP TRUMP TARGETS CHENEY, MURKOWSKI, FACE VOTERS IN TUESDAY’S PRIMARIES IN WYOMING, ALASKA

Wyoming voters share their disdain for Liz Cheney with CNN

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With prominent Republicans like Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, looking to sway existing Republican voters away from Cheney, the incumbent is hoping to convert new ones to save her. A page on her campaign website with voting information even has a section with instructions for how people can change their party so they can vote for her.

The site notes that a voter could register as a Republican up to 14 days before the primary date, when they request an absentee ballot, or on the day itself at the polling site.

CRUZ ENDORSES TRUMP-BACKED CHENEY OPPONENT HARRIET HAGEMAN IN WYOMING CONGRESSIONAL RACE

Rep. Liz Cheney delivers her “Time for Choosing” speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, June 29, 2022, in Simi Valley, California. The speech is part of a series addressing critical questions facing the Republican Party. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Whether a result of Cheney’s efforts or not, there has been a swing in voter registration numbers since January, with Democrats losing almost 7,000 voters and Republicans gaining more than 11,000, according to Wyoming Public Media.

Mike Sullivan, former Democratic governor of Wyoming, counts himself among those who will make the switch and vote in the Republican primary. He told the Star-Tribune that for him, it was “a choice between the politics of courage, character and integrity or revenge, vindication and chaos.”

Rep. Liz Cheney speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill, Oct. 22, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

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It was not a decision he took lightly.

“I just didn’t think that it was something that a former Democratic governor oughta do — register as a Republican,” he said.

Letters: Should my tax dollars fund private-school tuitions?

August 16, 2022 by www.denverpost.com Leave a Comment

Debating public funding for private schools

Re: “Here’s why Democrats should support vouchers,” Aug. 7 opinion column

Thanks to Megan Schrader for a sensible and persuasive suggestion to Democrats: support vouchers.

Her proposal to set income limitations for vouchers, makes perfect sense. Don’t support those who can well-afford expensive private education. Rather, allow parents who rely on their education allotment from the government to choose the school that best suits their child.

I can speak only for the Denver Catholic school where I worked with the children’s choir, but am familiar with the statistics:

99% of Catholic high school students graduate (NCEA), compared with the national average of all high schools, 86% (usafacts.org)

92.4% of Catholic high school graduates within the Archdiocese of Denver in 2015-16 went on to enroll at 4-year college, according to denvercatholicschools.com.

The Black, Latino and Asian population accounts for 19.8% of the Catholic school population (16.1% Latino; 7.7% Black/African American; 5.5% Asian American; 5.9% Multiracial). (NCEA)

17.4% of students in Catholic schools are not Catholic (NCEA)

In 2016 the student-teacher ratio in Catholic schools was 13:1 (NCEA)

Catholic schools in Denver are accredited, their teachers, credentialed.

I do not mean to exclude other private schools, but to agree that vouchers given them will be to the benefit of the entire community. Catholic schools alone save the nation over $24 billion dollars a year, and the combined savings from private schooling amounts to much more than that. This is money parents of private-school students have paid in addition to what they spend on tuition at their chosen school.

Vouchers should not be a right-wing agenda item; they are a correct choice for both parties.

Frances Rossi, Denver

Megan Schrader’s editorial is based on so many bad assumptions that it would take far more than 250 words just to describe them. States should never “offer public funding to private schools”!

A fundamental loss of confidence in public institutions in general and schools in particular combined with overweening trust that the invisible hand of the market will arrange all things for our betterment has engendered completely irrational public policy. The pretense of “school choice” and an imagined market in which schools compete to provide the best education is so ideologically appealing that educational reality doesn’t stand a chance, but this is a very expensive and ineffective pretense.

Charter schools in general have proven no better than those administered directly by school districts, so there’s no possible justification in transferring money to them. Some genuinely private schools outperform public ones, at great expense; providing well-off parents with vouchers serves their selfish ends, but vouchers are not the means by which most students from families of modest means can get a better education.

Public schools are failing, in large measure, because we have debased their academic integrity — restore that rather than encouraging a relative few to abandon public education for private.

Robert Chase, Aurora

Don’t forget the achievements of Flight for Life

Re: “Air ambulances can now operate as mobile ERs,” Aug. 5 news story

Colorado was the home to the first civilian air ambulance service dating back to 1972 with the birth of Flight for Life, a Centura/St. Anthony Hospital, multi state, air and ground medical transport system.

Flight for Life is the premier air transport service in the western states, celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year. With over 150,000 medical transports, Flight for Life has enjoyed accolades and recognition for being a statewide first responder for Level 1 trauma, premature infant transport, rescue operations in hard to get locations and for patients in medical distress needing a “level” trauma emergency service. These dedicated responders, pilots and ground crew are very special people that dedicate their lives to help and serve others in distress. For this we should say thank you.

Flight for Life’s helicopters have been equipped similar to an ICU for well over twenty years. Centura and FFL continues to raise the bar to have the most up to date medical equipment for their air and mobile units and their continuous training of their personnel makes them highly sort after by other systems throughout the country.

“The best part of your worst day” is when you see the Orange Bird in the sky, hovering over you to provide care and immediate transportation.

Happy 50th Anniversary and may your next 50 years be as rewarding to the citizens FFL serves and to the special breed of dedicated men and women of FFL.

Jay Weinstein, Denver

Let’s consider the problems in the Republican Party

Re: “Politically motivated swatting in Woodland Park,” Aug. 7 opinion column

As an academic, Krista Kafer should know that extrapolating to an entire group from a few individual cases demonstrates poor logic and a lack of rigor.

There needs to be a substantial proportion of group members behaving similarly before arguing for a group norm. For example, over 60% of Republicans believe the 2020 election was stolen and support laws to prevent them losing again.

This suggests Republicans do not support democracy and/or are afraid they cannot win without cheating.

This may be why Republicans have also mastered the use of gerrymandering, far better than Democrats, to give them power even when receiving well under 50% of the votes (see Wisconsin for example).

Of more concern is Republicans promoting candidates that aggressively support the fossil fuel industry while working to block efforts to mitigate climate change, suggesting Republicans are not only anti-science but delusional.

All of these Republican “norms” pose grave threats to democracy and our country’s future. I hope that Kafer holds her students to higher standards than she does for her own op-ed columns.

Garry Auld, Fort Collins

Let voters decide the abortion question directly

Re: “The crusade to revoke your abortion rights will never, ever end,” Aug. 7 opinion column

Let’s stop referring to anti-abortion rights activists as “pro-life.” They are not concerned about the life and health of the pregnant woman, nor are they concerned about the life of the baby or his/her family after birth. To be accurate, they are “anti-choice.”

Their goal is to impose their minority religious precepts on a majority of Americans. Their views are not based on science, they are based on the preaching of patriarchal organizations that seek to control a woman’s personal medical decisions and thereby keep her subservient.

They should realize this will never be an abortion-free country — abortions have been around as long as civilization. Abortion is health care, and thus needs to be accessible and safe.

Kansas voters showed that a majority of people do not want more restrictive abortion laws. Other “red” states should have the courage to let their citizens make the same choice.

Karen McClurg, Wheat Ridge

The search for missing … valentines?

Re: “Mar-a-Lago search could be end of another ‘long national nightmare,’” Aug. 10 opinion column

I must say I had a good laugh reading your guest columnist, Harry Litman, who, when justifying the search of ex-president Trump’s home, mentioned the “particularly brazen and damaging” aspects of Trump’s mishandling of official documents.

According to Litman, “among the documents he reportedly took with him and has declined to return are true historical items belonging to the American people” are valentines to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. If only this fact was general knowledge!

Even the most strident Trump zealots would find the search justified if they only knew the issue involved missing valentines!

Scott Grove, Lakewood

Sinema goes to bat to keep taxes low for wealthy

Re: “Senate passes budget package,” Aug. 8 news story

So thank you, Kyrsten Sinema, for agreeing to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act. Since the U.S. is the first or second largest contributor in the world to greenhouse gases (depending on how you measure) we must show leadership in this regard.

I’ve got two questions for you. Is it typical behavior that Democratic senators negotiate as heavily as you just did, on behalf of wealthy hedge fund managers?

The average citizen — who doesn’t have the wealth to invest in hedge funds — pays between 22% and 27% in federal income taxes. Hedge fund managers, (whom you just helped by your insistence that a loophole be left alone), only pay the 20% long-term capital gains tax on their earnings.

You just saved some of the wealthiest people in this country an annual $5 billion dollars in taxes that they would’ve had to pay, had the bill been passed as it was proposed. Add to that, the taxes saved by thousands of additional hedge fund investors across the country. Who do you actually represent, senator?

Sherre Waggoner, Castle Rock

Technology can make us safer

Re: “Woman, 32, is hit by debris, killed on I-25,” Aug. 10 news story

Considering the large number of destructive and life-threatening accidents that routinely occur nationwide because of oversize vehicles and loads traveling on our roads, railways and waterways, transportation authorities should ponder installing transponders on or near bridges, overpasses, tunnels and other low-clearance infrastructure that send wireless signals to and communicate with built-in or portable receivers in vehicles that could be programmed with the maximum height, width and weight of the vehicle and its load.

As an oversize vehicle approaches the restriction, a warning is sent automatically to the driver to avert potential disaster.

In this day and age of cheap and readily available technology, having this alert likely would save lives, bridges, overpasses, tunnels, vehicles and vehicle loads.

Michael Pravica, Henderson, Nev.

Polis’ personal use of the mail

Re: “When to expect your $750 check,” Aug. 4 news story

I just received some of my taxes back that were collected over and above what TABOR allows. The return address on the envelope from the State of Colorado clearly has in bold print “State of Colorado Official Mail — Penalty for Private Use.”

Inside the envelope included with my check, was a signed letter from Gov. Jared Polis stating he signed a bill directing this refund.

The refund, however, is required as outlined in the state Constitution, so no bill was needed. No letter was needed. I see this as purely campaign rhetoric to get a vote for Polis. That is “private use.” Per CRS 24-30-1111, this is a Class 3 Misdemeanor. Per Use.

Does anyone in the Democrat-controlled state government have the guts to file charges? Or, because this is a misdemeanor, does any judicial district prosecutor have the guts to file charges?

Roger H. Weed Jr., Colorado Springs

Are the ReTrumpian Party people insinuating they would not have included a similar letter with the $750 or $1,500 checks if they were in office instead of Polis?

Ha!

Larry McLaughlin, Aurora

We can do better with TABOR

Re: “It’s like even living out of your car is gentrified,” Aug. 7 news story

Having read another article about the desperation workers and mountain towns are facing with adequate and affordable housing, I reflected on a letter to the editor that I wrote, and was published, in May regarding the TABOR amendment and the Colorado taxpayers’ refund we’re about to receive. I questioned the continued unwillingness to end TABOR and loss of monies we desperately need to solve problems.

In today’s article, a business owner suggests that Gov. Polis declare an affordable-housing emergency so federal government funding can be made available for this crisis.

We use over a billion dollars of surplus that our state government is holding to refund $750 per taxpayer because of TABOR, while asking the federal government, currently hemorrhaging in debt, to solve our problem. Democrats lacked the courage to challenge Colorado citizens and Republican legislators to repeal or manipulate spending this money throughout our state this year before calculating the surplus.

And the Republicans, beating the “it’s your money” drumbeat, lack the foresight to problem-solve, even when so many struggling people are in Republican-leaning towns and counties. We need to do better than this.

Mark Zaitz, Denver

Political sniping is tiresome

Re: “Republican complaint rips Polis rebate letter,” Aug. 6 news story

Kudos to Gov. Jared Polis. He is emulating and learning from the Republicans.

Who remembers that in April 2020 President Donald Trump refused to sign a COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress and delayed the issuance of checks so his personal name could appear on the memo line of the checks with the words, “Economic Impact Payment.”

No president’s name has ever appeared on the checks from the Internal Revenue Service before; the idea originated with Trump himself. Was this “electioneering?”

Who remembers the 2001 recession when President George W. Bush signed stimulus checks? He did not get his name on the checks, but his administration sent a letter with the checks, saying “We are pleased to inform you that the United States Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed into law the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which provides long-term tax relief for all Americans who pay income tax.” Was this “electioneering?”

A letter of notice and explanation from Polis to the residents of Colorado and the accompanying refund payment is in order, explaining the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and that by state law a flat amount would be mailed directly. “We are focused on ensuring that people understand why they are receiving immediate relief. … ”

Who is really playing politics, wasting taxpayer dollars and “electioneering” here?

Katherine Webster, Littleton

Where was this indignity when ex-President Donald Trump had his name printed on the economic stimulus checks we received during the pandemic? This constant political sniping has become very boring.

Lindy McNamee, Littleton

FBI search is distressing

The FBI search of Trump’s personal residence was distressing, especially given the stated issue: documents belonging to the National Archive. Government contractors having dealt with the National Archive over the years report they are as slow, backward and ham-handed as any other federal agency, if not more so. My hope is the raid recovered something worthy of the spectacle created. Otherwise, I see only escalation of the ugly, and ultimately counterproductive partisanship gripping Washington. I really don’t want Trump to run again, despite appreciating some of his accomplishments. He would be a strong force for increasing divisiveness. His die has been cast, and he should just fade away.

Douglass Croot, Highlands Ranch

Don’t blame officers; blame no-knock-raid orders

Re: “Feds charge four oﬃcers in Breonna Taylor raid,” Aug. 5 news story

The death of Breonna Taylor should not be blamed on the officers performing the no-knock raid. Her death should be attributed to the judge who authorized the raid and the official who requested it.

I have argued against no-knock raids for years as they seem to cause the death or injury of innocent people on a regular basis, especially when officers are sent in error to the wrong house. There are thousands of homes in the United States occupied by totally law-abiding citizens where any forced entry would be met with gunfire.

For the safety of the officers and the innocent, no-knock raids should be eliminated.

William F. Hineser, Arvada

Yes, save for the future

Re: “Retirement is ‘absolute fantasy,’ ” Aug. 8 news story

I was a bit shocked, saddened and eventually mad about how the millennials and Gen Z’ers were thinking about their finances and retirement. We do live in a topsy-turvy world right now, but are we really so short-sighted that we have forgotten how it felt during World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War.

What if our younger generations during those times just decided to spend for today, not save any money for their future, just give up on government programs?

Social Security was started because of the financial insecurity we suffered through in the Great Depression. It was always set up as way to supplement your financial security in retirement.

There are ways to keep Social Security funded, and those solutions will be found. Solutions to huge problems take time and lots of people to solve. But for individuals to selfishly live only for today is disheartening.

I work in the retirement industry and can tell these folks that retirement happens. Often it is not on your terms, but your physical body won’t allow you to continue to work, or you lose your job and are too old to get rehired. Yes, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow, but is that any more realistic then taking some time to plan and save for the future?

Alane Morris, Denver

Trump’s “third-world” quip strikes close to home

Re: “Trump says FBI searches estate,” Aug. 9 news story

Our ex-president, Donald Trump, has indignantly declared that the FBI search of his Mar-A-Lago home in Florida is “outrageous,” and this kind of thing could only happen in “broken, Third-World Countries.”

Does Trump realize that his ongoing assertions about the 2020 election being rigged are similarly casting aspersions on the United States as being a third-world country? Does he even realize that it sullies the United States’ image as a free country and Americans’ ability to choose who should be their president?

It is unpatriotic, to say the least.

I have been an American for only 30 years, and I am proud to be so. As such, I am always defending American foreign and social policies to my foreign friends, who, unfortunately, have been bombarded with anti-American literature and rhetoric on social media.

In that sense, I am more of a patriot than our former president.

Jane Liew, Littleton

We’ve given autocrats power

Re: “Pelosi arrives in Taiwan,” Aug. 3 news story

“It is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats.” — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

We have already given in.

Does Speaker Pelosi or anyone in our government understand our true physical and economic reliance/dependence on China? Critical components of our everyday lives are controlled by China. China doesn’t have to “rattle sabers.” All they need to do to “retaliate” is withhold some or all their exports to America.

It’s not just about China. The world is dependent on other autocratic countries such as Russia. We know from experience autocrats are unpredictable, undependable and often very dangerous. If we are dependent on autocrats, they control our present and future and, accordingly, we have already given in to autocrats.

America needs to wake up before “woking up” kills us. We must wake up and deal with the realities of the world. We must regain control of our future.

Daniel G. Zang, Lakewood

Vets health bill spent $400B

Re: “Voting down vets health bill was nothing but petty revenge,” Aug. 3 letter to the editor

The letter writer needs to look further than his nose to understand why the Republicans blocked the PACT Act when an earlier version of the bill passed by 84-14 in June. This newer version of the PACT Act (which has now passed) allows $400 billion over the next 10 years in spending, which is completely unrelated to veterans. Democrats are at their finest when it comes to spending and then accusing the Republicans of not caring for veterans.

Kay Robbins, Denver

Misuse of political donations

Re: “Six Colo. Dems condemn party’s meddling,” Aug. 3 news story

As a lifelong Democrat, I join the six emeritus party leaders who wrote a letter condemning the use of party money to advertise Republican candidates. It smells of dirty tricks and I resent any of my contributions going for such a sordid effort. This was a major faux pas. I sincerely believe that the Democratic Party is better than this.

Philip Brien Clarke, Lone Tree

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In Opinion: Who exactly were the Founding Fathers?

July 4, 2016 by www.newsweek.com Leave a Comment

This article was first published in The Daily Signal.

When reading the Declaration of Independence, it is easy to focus only on the sweeping language of the second paragraph and skip over the names and mutual pledge of the signers at its conclusion.

Though the principles enunciated in its opening paragraphs, such as the self-evident truth that all men are created equal, provide the moral and philosophical foundation on which the American regime rests, it is important to acknowledge that declaring principles alone secures nothing.

Principles need to be enforced by individuals who have the habits of character necessary to fight for them, and perhaps even die for them, if need be. In a time where talk of rights dominates our political discourse, a focus on duties is indispensable in order to teach citizens the responsibilities they owe toward each other and their posterity.

The signers’ mutual pledge to themselves to sacrifice their lives, fortunes and sacred honor for the cause of independence shows that these men took seriously their duties to the people of the new nation.

A look at the historical record will show this to be beyond dispute.

Of the 56 men who signed the declaration, 12 fought in battles as members of state militias, five were captured and imprisoned during the Revolutionary War, 17 lost property as a result of British raids and five lost their fortunes in helping fund the Continental Army and state militias battle the redcoats.

Below we will explore the sacrifices the signers made on behalf of the American cause.

Thomas Heyward Jr., Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton

Thomas Heyward Jr. of South Carolina was a signer of both the declaration and the Articles of Confederation. Heyward drew the ire of the British when, as a circuit court judge, he presided over the trial of several loyalists who were found guilty of treason. The prisoners were summarily executed in full view of British troops. In 1779, he joined the South Carolina militia as a captain of artillery.

Heyward’s compatriot in the South Carolina delegation, Edward Rutledge, also served in the state militia. At age 26, Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence. After returning home from attending the Second Continental Congress in 1777, he joined the militia as captain of an artillery battalion.

Both Heyward and Rutledge aided their country in the battle at Port Royal Island, where they helped Gen. William Moultrie defeat British Maj. William Gardiner and his troops.

Arthur Middleton, the last of the South Carolina delegation who served in the militia, took up arms against the British during the siege of Charleston in 1780. His fellow signers, Heyward and Rutledge, fought in that battle as well.

Upon the surrender of Charleston, all three men were captured by the British and were sent to a prison in St. Augustine, Florida, which was reserved for people the British thought were particularly dangerous. They were held there for almost a year before being released. On route to Philadelphia for a prisoner exchange in July 1781, Heyward almost drowned. He survived his fall overboard by clinging to the ship’s rudder until he could be rescued.

During the British occupation of Charleston, Commandant Nisbet Balfour ordered the seizure of many estates in Charleston, including those owned by Heyward and Middleton.

During his imprisonment, Heyward’s wife died at home, and his estate and property were heavily damaged. Rutledge’s estate was left intact, but his family had to sell many of their belongings in order to make the trip to Philadelphia to reunite with him after his release. Middleton’s estate was left relatively untouched, but his collection of rare paintings was destroyed during the British occupation of his home.

Thomas Nelson Jr.

Thomas Nelson Jr. of the Commonwealth of Virginia was appointed to the position of brigadier general and commander-in-chief of the Virginia militia by Gov. Patrick Henry in August 1777. At that time it was thought that the British would be making a full scale invasion of the state. Nelson was able to muster only a few hundred men to defend Virginia, but the British instead decided to attack Philadelphia.

Nelson inherited a vast family fortune, much of which he used to support the American effort. He personally paid for the return journey home of 70 troops he had led to meet the British in Philadelphia during the summer of 1778. In the spring of 1780, Nelson signed his name to a loan for $2 million that was needed to purchase provisions for the French fleet that was coming to America’s aid in the war.

As then-governor of Virginia, during the Battle of Yorktown he ordered American troops to fire upon his mansion, which had been commandeered by Gen. Cornwallis and his men.

Richard Stockton

A member of the New Jersey delegation, Richard Stockton, had his estate commandeered by the British for use as a headquarters. As they left, British troops burned all his personal effects—including his library, private papers, furniture and clothes.

Though Stockton was in hiding at the time, he ultimately did not escape capture; a traitor led the British to his position in November 1776. He was held captive in Amboy, New Jersey, and was then sent to New York City where he was imprisoned in a jail reserved for common criminals. Incensed by his treatment, Congress worked with British Gen. William Howe to obtain his release.

George Walton

Because of his small build and stature, George Walton was thought to be the youngest of the signers of the declaration (he was actually in his mid-30s). He hailed from Georgia and served as colonel in the first regiment of the state militia in 1778. During the siege of Savannah, a cannonball broke Walton’s leg, which led to his being captured. He was held captive for nine months and was released in the early fall of 1779 in a prisoner exchange for a British navy captain.

At the same time Walton was held prisoner, his wife Dorothy was captured by the British. She was imprisoned on an island in the West Indies and was eventually freed after a prisoner exchange. During the Waltons’ confinement, the British ransacked their home.

George Clymer

British troops destroyed the home of George Clymer of Pennsylvania in September 1777 when they captured Philadelphia. Though his home was outside of the city, it was right in the middle of the path of the British march. American loyalists pointed out to the British homes belonging to patriots, which of course included Clymer’s estate.

Clymer also contributed to the war monetarily. He converted his entire fortune into continental currency, a risky move considering the likelihood that the currency would be rendered worthless. He also told wealthy friends to contribute to the American cause.

Robert Morris

A delegate from Pennsylvania, Robert Morris helped ensure Washington’s victory at Yorktown by using his own credit to obtain the supplies necessary to defeat the British. He spent more than $1 million (not adjusted for inflation) of his own money to accomplish this.

While serving as superintendent of finance of the United States, Morris regularly used his own financial resources to obtain much needed supplies. Using his own funds, for example, he purchased 1,000 barrels of flour for Washington’s men in late spring of 1778.

Lewis Morris

Lewis Morris of New York served as a major general in the state militia. Morris devoted himself to recruiting men to serve in the militia and to help keep supplies up, which was a constant problem. For almost the entire length of the war, the British occupied his home, Morrisania, and used it as their headquarters. This forced Morris to live off of his close friends and associates until the war ended in 1783.

John Hancock

John Hancock of Massachusetts, the man with the largest signature on the declaration, served in the militia as major general in 1778. Hancock was put in command of approximately 6,000 men during the Rhode Island campaign. That campaign was ultimately unsuccessful because the French failed to carry out their end of the bargain.

Caesar Rodney

Caesar Rodney served in the Delaware militia as well, attaining the rank of brigadier general. Rodney famously road on horseback straight from Dover to Philadelphia to cast his vote in favor of declaring independence (the Delaware delegation was split). He was with his men in the field during the brutal winter of 1776, helped quash an uprising in Delaware (there were a large number of loyalists within the state), and helped in George Washington’s effort to defend Philadelphia from being taken by the British.

Carter Braxton

Carter Braxton of the Virginia delegation accumulated massive personal debts helping the American effort in the war. He loaned 10,000 pounds sterling to Congress, which was never repaid. He also spent much of his wealth outfitting American ships so that they could carry more cargo. Due to the British capturing some of his vessels and others being lost out on the high seas, he suffered great financial calamity. These accumulated losses left him bankrupt by war’s end.

Oliver Wolcott

A delegate from Connecticut, Oliver Wolcott served as captain and then major general in the state militia. In 1776, he was appointed to lead 14 regiments in defense of New York City. He also commanded thousands of men in the Battle of Saratoga. Wolcott worked tirelessly to recruit for the Connecticut militia, which, like the Army in general, was sorely lacking in numbers within its ranks.

William Whipple

William Whipple of New Hampshire served as brigadier general in the state militia. He fought against Gen. Burgoyne at the battles of Stillwater and Saratoga (commonly pointed to as the turning point for Americans in the war) in 1777. The following year, Whipple participated in the retaking of Rhode Island.

Thomas McKean

Thomas McKean of Delaware served as colonel in the Delaware state militia. Once McKean was appointed to the office of President of Delaware in 1777, he was targeted by the British (the British captured John McKinley, the previous president). He had to move his family on five occasions because of raids by both the British and local Indian tribes.

Francis Lewis

Francis Lewis of New York signed the declaration on August 2, 1776. Although he was present when independence was declared a month earlier, the New York delegation did not get permission from the state’s legislature to sign the document. A few months after affixing his signature on the declaration, British troops destroyed the Long Island estate of Lewis. They took Lewis’s wife and put her in prison where she was tortured on a regular basis. Under the direction of George Washington, she was finally returned in a prisoner exchange two years later.

Benjamin Franklin

Known as the sage of Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest of the signers of the declaration. Prior to setting sail for France in late 1776 to ask the French for assistance in the war, Franklin gave his entire fortune to Congress to help fund the war.

John Hart

Hessian mercenaries plundered signer John Hart’s 400-acre farm outside of Hopewell, New Jersey. Prior to his farm being captured, Hart was forced to leave his family because of advancing British troops. During his absence, his wife died, and his children were sent to live with neighbors.

William Ellery

The estate of William Ellery of Delaware was burned down during the British occupation of Newport, Rhode Island. Ellery served in the Second Continental Congress until the British left Newport, which they held for three years. He returned home in order to salvage what was left of his property.

Joseph Hewes

With his fortunes built on trade, Joseph Hewes of North Carolina was a vigorous proponent of the decision of the First Continental Congress to cut off all imports and exports with the British. This of course had the effect of drying up his wealth. Interestingly, Hewes also renounced his Quaker religion in order to support the war.

James Smith

A delegate from Pennsylvania, James Smith served in the Pennsylvania militia as captain, colonel and then as brigadier general. He was one of the first to raise men for the possibility of defending his home state, a duty he took up beginning as early as 1774.

Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison of Virginia, whose son and grandson both served as U.S. presidents, complained in a letter to Gov. William Livingston of New Jersey that his debts had accumulated substantially because of the “ravages” and “plunderings” of the British.

William Floyd

While William Floyd of New York served as a delegate in the Second Continental Congress, the British sacked his estate, forcing his family to flee. Though they made it safely to Connecticut, his family was left without a home for the duration of the war.

William Hooper

William Hooper of North Carolina outlasted British raiders who were looking to capture him and his family. In 1782, he and his family fled Wilmington after it fell to the British. Though much of his property was destroyed, he and his family were reunited at the conclusion of the war.

Lyman Hall

The British destroyed the home and plantation of Lyman Hall of Georgia. Luckily, his family escaped before the British arrived and moved up North to be with him.

Michael Sabo is a research assistant for the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics at The Heritage Foundation.