Author Archives: nancycronk

Udall Promises “Bold and Productive Action” To Fight Sexual Assaults In The Military

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  by: nancycronk Mon May 20, 2013 at 4:35 PM MDT

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Responding to growing reports of sexual abuse and harassment within the United States military, U.S. Senator Mark Udall announced today he will take a leading role by working on both sides of the aisle to address sexual violence in the armed services. He outlined his plan to find solutions, hold perpetrators accountable, and protect victims from retaliation.

His plans include co-sponsoring "a number of bills" on the issue, and pushing for a provision to the National Defense Authorization Act. One of the bills he intends to support is the Murray-Ayotte Sexual Assault bill, a bipartisan piece of legislation from Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), which will establish a special military counsel to provide legal advice and assistance requested by any military sexual assault victim. The law will require cases to be automatically referred to a general or admiral to ensure greater oversight. The bill will allow cases to be shifted outside of the chain of command if an appropriate investigation does not occur in a timely fashion.

(more…)


Full story: Udall Promises “Bold and Productive Action” To Fight Sexual Assaults In The Military

Softec Responds to Violent, Racist Threats to Rep. Rhonda Fields

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  by: nancycronk Tue February 26, 2013 at 1:55 PM MDT

Softec Solutions, Inc. just put out this statement regarding the violent and racist threats their Chief Operating Officer allegedly made against Representative Rhonda Fields:


SofTec Solutions, Inc. has been informed of allegations against our employee, Mr. Frank Sain. We are shocked to learn of these allegations and are taking this matter very seriously. If true, these actions are highly inappropriate and will not be tolerated. Pending SofTec’s investigation into this matter, Mr. Sain has been suspended immediately from further duties at SofTec. SofTec Solutions is a minority-owned, small business and we employ a large diverse workforce. We will absolutely not tolerate any racial, sexual, gender-based slurs or threats of violence by employees.


Franklin Sain, who reportedly said regarding Representative Fields, ""Hopefully somebody Giffords both of your asses", was arrested Friday for "suspicion of harassment and an attempt to influence a public servant" after threatening emails that were sent to Representative Fields were tracked back to his computer. He was later released on a $30,000 bond, according to Westword. Sain was appointed as Chief Operating Officer at Softec in 2011, according to this press release.

Sain's involvement was detailed in a story by Westword this morning. According to the arrest affidavit, numerous emails were sent using the words, "c*nt" and "n*gger" and one said, "I'm coming for you N*gger B*tch".

Sain is due in court March 8, 2013.


Full story: Softec Responds to Violent, Racist Threats to Rep. Rhonda Fields

Rest in Peace, Arlen Specter.

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  by: nancycronk Sun October 14, 2012 at 8:32 PM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



According to the AP, Arlen Specter’s son reports his father has passed away this morning from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, at the age of 82. The outspoken Pennsylvania Senator was known as a centrist Republican at a time when his party was swinging to the hard right, and in 2009, became a Democrat. He then lost the Democratic primary in 2010, ending a 30 year career in public service. Specter had previously survived a brain tumor and a cardiac arrest following surgery.

From the AP’s obituary:

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, the outspoken Pennsylvania centrist whose switch from Republican to Democrat ended a 30-year career in which he played a pivotal role in several Supreme Court nominations, died Sunday. He was 82…

   Specter rose to prominence in the 1960s as an aggressive Philadelphia prosecutor and as an assistant counsel to the Warren Commission, developing the single-bullet theory that posited just one bullet struck both President Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connally – an assumption critical to the argument that presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. The theory remains controversial and was the focus of Oliver Stone’s 1991 movie “JFK.”

   In 1987, Specter helped thwart the Supreme Court nomination of former federal appeals Judge Robert H. Bork – earning him conservative enemies who still bitterly refer to such rejections as being “borked.”

   But four years later, Specter was criticized by liberals for his tough questioning of Anita Hill at Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court nomination hearings and for accusing her of committing “flat-out perjury.” The nationally televised interrogation incensed women’s groups and nearly cost him his seat in 1992.




Full story: Rest in Peace, Arlen Specter.

Mike Coffman Takes The Lowest Road Imaginable

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  by: nancycronk Mon October 8, 2012 at 11:32 PM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



Tea Party / Birther Congressman Mike Coffman just released a new ad which crossed the farthest line known in politics — falsely associating Joe Miklosi’s name with child molesters.

The ad is so outrageous, the Fraternal Order of Police sent an unsolicited letter of outrage condemning the Congressman’s vile and disgusting commercial.  


Colorado Fraternal Order of Police Denounces Mike Coffman’s Slanderous and False attacks against Joe Miklosi:

To the Citizens of Colorado’s 6th Congressional District,

On June 25th the Fraternal Order of Police announced its endorsement of 6th Congressional District candidate Joe Miklosi for the United States Congress. The Fraternal Order of Police is the world’s largest organization of sworn

law enforcement officers, with more than 330,000 members nationwide. Across our state the Colorado Fraternal Order of Police represents over 5,000 sworn law enforcement officers. We are the voice of those who dedicate their lives protecting and serving Colorado communities. The Fraternal Order of Police is very proud to reiterate its endorsement of 6th Congressional District candidate Joe Miklosi for the United States Congress.

Joe’s opponent is running distasteful and grossly misleading commercials suggesting that Joe has jeopardized the safety of Colorado children. That assertion is totally false. We find it unfortunate Joe’s opponent would use such deceptive advertising. Joe is a thoughtful and responsible legislator with a solid record of support for the public’s safety. We have worked with Joe during his tenure serving the citizens of Colorado in the General Assembly on matters of importance to the safety of the public. We have no doubt that Joe is concerned about keeping our communities safe. He un-questionably understands the issues surrounding public safety. He is a proven staunch supporter of law enforcement and the safety of the public, and we are proud to support him.

Electing the right person to serve in the US Congress is a serious responsibility, one that is tremendously important to the citizens of Colorado. Joe Miklosi’s history of commitment to public service, secure communities, and fairness has earned him this valuable endorsement. The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police believes Joe Miklosi is undoubtedly the best candidate for this office to resolve the serious issues facing our great nation.

Sincerely,

Michael J Violette

Executive Director

Colorado State Lodge

Fraternal Order of Police

From Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…


Jessica’s Law is the informal name given to a 2005 Florida law, as well as laws in several other states, designed to protect potential victims and reduce a sexual offender’s ability to re-offend. A version of Jessica’s Law, known as the Jessica Lunsford Act, was introduced at the federal level in 2005 but was never enacted into law by Congress.

As a Children’s Rights Activist who has donated thousands of hours to several organizations for efforts that help children, I am one of many people who believe Jessica’s Laws are usually well-intentioned but create more problems than they solve. Joe Miklosi needs to respond to Coffman’s outrageous ad, and he needs to do it now.  


Full story: Mike Coffman Takes The Lowest Road Imaginable

Secret Video of Very Candid Mitt Romney Surfaces

71
  by: nancycronk Tue September 18, 2012 at 12:48 AM MDT

(Um, holy crap? – promoted by Colorado Pols)



A tracker attended a fundraiser for Mitt Romney earlier this year and filmed Romney speaking very candidly to friends and supporters about what he really thinks about the President of the United States, as well as those who voted for him. Mother Jones broke the story, dividing up the video into five parts. Some of the most potentially damaging quotes are below:

“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what… These are people who pay no income tax.”

Later he went on:

“[M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”



Despite the necessity of Romney to improve his numbers within the Latino community, he said some disaparaging things about them when speaking with his friends (which is all the more interesting, given that Romney’s own father, George Romney, was reportedly born in Mexico to Mormon refugees escaping anti-polygamy laws).

Romney said of his father,

“Had he been born of Mexican parents, I’d have a better shot of winning this.”

Then, when speaking of key demographic groups, he added:  

“..we are having a much harder time with Hispanic voters, and if the Hispanic voting bloc becomes as committed to the Democrats as the African American voting block has in the past, why, we’re in trouble as a party and, I think, as a nation.”

While speaking about messaging strategy, Romney repeatedly indicated he is going after people who voted for Obama in ’08, and does so by calling them, “these people” and “those people” rather than voters (kind of like, “you people”?).


“And the best success I have at speaking with those people (italics used for emphasis) is saying, you know, the president has been a disappointment…. What’re they gonna do? These are the kinds of things that I can say to that audience that they nod their head and say, “Yeah, I think you’re right.” What he’s going to do, by the way, is try and vilify me as someone who’s been successful, or who’s, you know, closed businesses or laid people off, and is an evil bad guy. And that may work.”

Romney then brags about his campaign team:

“I have a very good team of extraordinarily experienced, highly successful consultants, a couple of people in particular who have done races around the world. I didn’t realize it. These guys in the US — the Karl Rove equivalents — they do races all over the world…they do these races and they see which ads work, and which processes work best, and we have ideas about what we do over the course of the campaign. I’d tell them to you, but I’d have to shoot you.”

When asked why Romney doesn’t discuss policy much, he responds that policy doesn’t win elections.

“…in a setting like this, a highly intellectual subject-discussion on a whole series of important topics typically doesn’t win elections. And there are, there are, there are-for instance, this president won because of “hope and change.”

Perhaps Romney’s most curious moment was when he attempted to predict the outcome of the race. Based on the assumption he would win, he said the following would occur:

“We’ll see capital come back and we’ll see– without actually doing anything– we’ll actually get a boost in the economy. If the president gets re-elected, I don’t know what will happen. I can- I can never predict what the markets will do. Sometimes it does the exact opposite of what I would have expected.”

Mother Jones offers more “Mitt Romney at the fundraiser” to come soon. Grab some popcorn.


Full story: Secret Video of Very Candid Mitt Romney Surfaces

Joe Miklosi’s New TV Ad

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  by: nancycronk Mon September 17, 2012 at 10:47 PM MDT

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Congressional Candidate Joe Miklosi released a hard-hitting ad today on You Tube, indicating it will begin playing tomorrow on television. Miklosi hit all of the major bullet points he needed to make:

1. He’s a regular guy like us, sitting with neighbors in friends in a regular coffee shop, not a Washington incumbent.

2. Congress has never been less popular, and here’s why you should send Joe Miklosi to fix it.

3. Incumbent Mike Coffman is a Tea Party member.

4. Mike Coffman holds dangerous, extremists views about a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions.

5. The GOP is concentrating on taking away people’s rights instead of offering economic solutions.

6. We need to stop outsourcing jobs and bring them back to the U.S.

7. Coffman wants to end Medicare.

8. Joe Miklosi = Colorado common sense.

I like the ad. Democrats need to hammer the Tea Party association on Coffman as much as possible to expose Coffman’s true colors (Coffman’s ad teams have done an effective job in his past elections to falsely paint him as a moderate). The ad is hard-hitting, yet 100% true.

Thoughts?

Do you think the ad is effective?

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Full story: Joe Miklosi’s New TV Ad

Hickenlooper’s Victim Fund Fallout

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  by: nancycronk Thu August 30, 2012 at 5:16 PM MDT

While much of Colorado has focused on Scott Gessler’s voter suppression, Mike Coffman’s hiding from constituents, and frequent local visits from the President of the United States, as well as the POTUS-wannabe, many Aurorans have been recovering from one of the worst mass shootings in Colorado history. In Aurora, everyone knew someone who knew someone who was in the theater multiplex the night of the shootings, and everyone has a story of some kind.

In the days after the shooting which killed 12 and wounded an additional 58 people, a fund was set up to assist victims. Recently, surviving family members gathered together to make a public statement about distribution of funds collected by the victim’s fund. They expressed frustration and outrage that money collected by the Governor’s fund was not distributed entirely to the victims who were shot, or to their survivors. Family members stated they were under the impression the victim’s fund was to be used to directly compensate them for their suffering. Accusations, innuendo, and finger-pointing followed. Many private donors have questioned if the Governor’s fund was managed appropriately.

Within hours of the shooting, a physical memorial site sprung up across the street from the theater. Since then, up to a thousand people visit the site each day (my friends and I have organized volunteers to make ribbons that were put in jars for guests to take as they paid their respects. We haven’t been able to keep the container filled most days.) People have come from all over the nation, leaving thousands of bouquets of flowers, hundreds of candles, scores of stuffed animals and countless other tokens of their sympathy.

Countless volunteers have stood out in the hot sun for the past six weeks greeting visitors, offering bottled water, removing broken glass, offering on-the-spot counseling and/or prayer, and sometimes throwing out and hauling away trash using their own vehicles. They have also responded to inquiries about donating — instructing potential donors to contribute directly on-line to the Governor’s “Aurora Victim’s Relief Fund”. Six weeks later, hundreds of people still visit the site each day.

Within a couple of days of the tragedy, Governor Hickenlooper’s office was quick to identify a single charity to make memorial giving easy: www.GivingFirst.org, which was set up to work through the Community First Foundation. The main page of the website linked to another page that indicated from the beginning, that the donated money would be distributed among a host of legitimate, recognized community non-profits that would assist in the recovery and healing process.

The pre-approved non-profit organizations include:

Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network

Asia Pacific Development Center of Colorado

Aurora Mental Health Center

Bonfils Blood Center Foundation

Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation

Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance

Community Reach Center

Denver Center for Crime Victims

Greatest Generations Foundation

Jefferson Center for Mental Health

Judi’s House

Luthern Family Services Rocky Mountains

Maria Droste Counseling Center

Mental Health America of Colorado

Metro Crisis Services, Inc.

Safe2Tell

YMCA of Metropolitan Denver

In addition to the Governor’s fund, some individuals have raised money for specific families who were directly affected through private memorial funds, usually communicated via private memorial services. Several of the victims were single parents raising children, for example.

As an Aurora-area resident who spent many volunteer days going to memorial services, making ribbons, directing donations and consoling those who grieve, I am saddened by the criticism of the Governor about this fund. Although family members are entitled to the expression of their deep pain and anger, and no one can understand fully the depths of their grief, they need to remember there were countless victims of the Aurora shooting. Thousands of victims have been emotionally impacted by the tragedy, and they need assistance, as well. The impact of the massacre rippled out across an entire community, and across the Denver metro area — not just in Aurora.

The night the shooting occurred, there were hundreds of people in the theater multiplex. Many were high school and college students. Although a dozen individuals were murdered, 58 more were injured. Some of the injured are still in area hospitals today.

In addition to more than 70 people who were shot at by the gunmen, hundreds more escaped the shootings, some suffering minor injuries running out of the building (my son’s friend got banged up and broke a toe hopping over seats while while outrunning the gunfire, for example). Still others were in adjacent theaters, also running to save their lives. Thousands of parents and family members who later heard what happened at the multiplex that evening were traumatized by the stories, thinking, “I could have lost my loved one”. Thousands of Aurora residents who live in the apartments and neighborhoods nearby were plagued by the notion, “I frequent that theater but chose not to go there that evening. It could have been me.”

Dozens of first responders — police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs, and dispatchers witnessed a horror they will never forget. Memories of the first calls to 911, the screams of the movie patrons, the carnage at the scene, and the shortage of ambulances to transport the bleeding and wounded fast enough, will haunt them forever.

Doctors, nurses, medical technicians and support staff who were on duty or called in to assist the injured that night also have stories of how the shooting affected them. Crisis counselors, members of the clergy and Red Cross volunteers worked around the clock in those early days to identify, comfort, console and support family members and friends of the victims. Many are still doing so today.

Teachers and administrators in Aurora schools where student victims attended responded to the after-shocks of the emotional trauma caused by the shooting. Students who were classmates with victims did not have to know someone well to be frightened about going out in public places. Church friends, neighbors, coworkers, customers, and many other people who knew victims personally have also suffered.

Coloradans who were already at risk for depression were at greater risk after the shooting — questioning the safety of their community and wondering if the tragedy indicated a frightening trend. Hundreds of Columbine survivors — many of whom live merely twenty miles from the shooting — were re-traumatized, remembering similar events from just over a decade ago.

Although a dozen people were murdered the night of July 20th, and dozens more sustained serious physical injuries, there were tens of thousands of victims of the Aurora shooting who sustained emotional trauma. Emotional trauma is no less devastating than physical trauma, and often, more so. Post-traumatic stress syndrome can permanently affect the quality and length of a person’s life.

My heart goes out to the families who lost a loved one at the theatre the night of the shooting. No one can put a price on their suffering, and no amount of money in the world can bring back their friend or family member. The depths of their pain and grief cannot be imagined by anyone else, no matter how much we try.

In their grief, they should remember others grieve with them, and the entire community has suffered as well. The entire community has pulled together to try to help. As a community member who has spent many hours at the memorial site, I can attest that the potential donors I spoke with understood the proceeds given to the fund would be going to ease the emotional trauma, as well as the unpaid medical bills– all of the victims, not just those who suffered physical injury or death.

Governor Hickenlooper showed strong leadership to create a memorial fund, and to dedicate the proceeds to healing an entire community. Healing from the Aurora shooting tragedy will take decades, and caring for both the physical and emotional needs of the community at large is money well-spent.


Full story: Hickenlooper’s Victim Fund Fallout

Questions For Women: Why Are There So Few Women In Politics?

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  by: nancycronk Thu August 23, 2012 at 6:05 PM MDT

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The Akin (achin’) gaffes and the many other stories of late in the War Against Women have not only put a microscope on reproductive rights for women, but raised much larger questions. “Why do women put up with misogyny?” and “Why are there so few women in office?”

In Colorado, where women hold more elected offices at the state level than in any other state (and we have some of the strongest women in the country!), our numbers are still not even 40%, in a country where women are 51% of the population. Add to that our gross under-representation on the Supreme Court, and women cannot honestly point fingers at any other country. The political arena in the United States grossly under-represents women.

I am curious what kinds of systemic issues are beneath this problem. For those women who read Daily Kos and are brave enough to answer some questions, I hope you will. Not only will your answers be interesting, they may educate some Cro-Magnons who lurk on liberal blogs (and I say that with much affection, of course).

It will be interesting to see if the women who use their own names answer differently from bloggers who identify as women, yet who blog anonymously. It will also be interesting to see if these same questions posted on women-only blogs yield similar answers to this blog site, which has a considerable mix.

Ladies?  

Political Environment:

Do you find the political arena friendly to, or hostile to, women when it comes to debate?

When you have strong political opinions, do you share them openly and assertively, or are you afraid to do so? Why?

Have you ever been the victim of political bullying? Was the perpetrator male or female (or unknown/anonymous)?

Do you ever hold back your political opinions due to perceived intimidation by men?

Do you see the atmosphere in the political arena improving for women’s equal participation, or getting worse?

Running for Office:

Have you ever thought about running for office? Why or why not?

If so, are you as aggressive as the men you know with similar education in the level of office to which you aspire?

Expressing Your Political Opinions in Writing:

Do you blog? Where? Why?

Are there woman-friendly blogs and do you read them? Do you submit diaries to them? Why or why not?

Support:

Is your significant other supportive of your political interests?

Would your parents have approved of your political interests?

Your children?

Female peers?

Male peers?

Do you have other women as mentors in politics?

Who has encouraged you the most to participate in the political arena, and was it effective?

Empowering Other Women:

Have you ever had a thoughtful discussion with male counterparts in the political arena about this gender issue? Why or why not?

Have you ever mentored another woman in the political arena?

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. If you wish to send them to me privately, send them to njcronk @ aol.com. Later, I intend to write about your responses, with all names and identifying information removed (unless permission to quote you by name is granted). Thank you!

Are you...?

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Full story: Questions For Women: Why Are There So Few Women In Politics?

Don’t Shoot The Messenger: CU Study Predicts Romney Win

37
  by: nancycronk Thu August 23, 2012 at 7:15 AM MDT

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)



A new University of Colorado study produced a model that would have correctly predicted every Presidential election since 1980, and it predicts that Willard “Mitt” Romney will be the 45th President of the United States. The study, done by Political Science Professors Michael Berry from CU Denver and Ken Bickers from CU Boulder, uses different indicators than most other models. Instead of looking at one measurement of economic health for each state, it looks at two — per capita income, as well as that state’s unemployment number. According to the model, every battleground state will go to Romney, including Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Colorado, making the grand total Romney 320 to Obama 218.

The model also correctly predicted what happened in 2000, when Al Gore won the popular vote, and George W. Bush won the electoral college.

It is unclear from their press release whether the model included the many recent Republican “War On Women” gaffes, or considers the huge influx of money into the GOP campaigns post-Citizens United. It also does not state if it takes into account Koch brothers’ PACS buying up most of the air time on television.

Thoughts?

My own anecdotal evidence from knocking on doors tells me there seems to be a sizable number of independents and unaffiliateds who seem less enthusiastic about the President than they were four years ago. They claim to be “disappointed” but when asked about specific reasons why, have very little to say (it has crossed my mind more than once that Obama’s PR team may have been more policy wonks than great marketers these past four years).

There also seems to be greater complacency among political activists who supported Obama four years ago. With the number of Republican gaffes and Tea Party members of Congress horror stories, are many Obama supporters so sure of a win for the Dems they have yet to put in any real effort to make it happen?


Full story: Don’t Shoot The Messenger: CU Study Predicts Romney Win

Help the Governor Help Aurora (not political)

1
  by: nancycronk Tue July 24, 2012 at 6:27 PM MDT

Governor Hickenlooper has asked Coloradans to donate to GivingFirst.org, a fund set up by the Community First Foundation. All proceeds go to help victim’s assistance charities that will serve Aurorans. If you can afford to donate, please give generously. If you can’t, please help solicit donations directly to GivingFirst.org.

Here is how I am helping, and would love for others to join me. I am making simple black ribbons (loops and a pin) and passing them out to everyone I see. When I do, I tell them they can donate to www.GivingFirst.org, the charity Governor Hickenlooper is pushing to help victims of the Aurora shootings, or to the Red Cross (Note: the ribbons ARE NEVER SOLD, just given away). I’ve already made more than 1000 ribbons and passed them out.

Ribbons accomplish two things: they stimulate healing conversations between strangers, and they give us an excuse to encourage people to give. Giving will help the healing process for everyone. For more information, go to the fb page “Compassion For Aurora”. Here’s a link to an msnbc story on the ribbon  project. http://www.bing.com/videos/wat…

Please donate generously to the victims families at www.GivingFirst.org, or to the American Red Cross at www.RedCross.org.


Full story: Help the Governor Help Aurora (not political)

Belated Jams Fest

1
  by: nancycronk Sun July 22, 2012 at 7:37 AM MDT

Due to the horrific event in Aurora on Friday morning, we seem to have forgotten Friday’s Jam Fest. As a means of healing as a community, we are supposed to go back to our normal routines. Tonight, my family and I went to the movies — an act which I have  done hundreds of times in my life, but never before in defiance. This first one is for all who are hurting.

Since I look forward to Ralphie’s funk posts on Fridays, here’s another one, this time a little more upbeat, to express gratitude for all of those who survived Friday’s shootings, and for all of the many blessings we take for granted.




Full story: Belated Jams Fest

Aurora Shootings: What Victim’s Families Want to Tell You But Can’t

21
  by: nancycronk Sat July 21, 2012 at 7:12 PM MDT

((I was ready to unload my anger and passions on this site today. Nancy’s diary made me delay that…for at least a few hours.) – promoted by SSG_Dan)



Update:

In response to the information that Westboro Baptist Church may be coming to Denver to protest the funerals and memorials of the victims, this is the plan we are circulating wide and far: A Wall Of Love.

If you attend a funeral where Westboro is present to protest, simply turn your back to them, arm in arm with other members of the Wall of Love. Create a gentle barrier to keep the families surrounded by love. Do not jeer the protesters. Do not give them attention. Do not protest them. Simply surround the families and mourners with love and light. Please pass share among your networks. Thank you!

*************************************************

I have an Aurora mailing address (my neighborhood is unincorporated still) and spent much of yesterday talking to people who were directly affected. One woman’s friend died. Another friend lost a coworker. Another friend was in the theatre next door when the shootings happened, and made it out unharmed, but frightened. Another friend knows a family whose daughter is hanging onto her life by a thread in intensive care. A paramedic friend seemed to be in a fog — the things he saw and the things he had to do will haunt him a lifetime. Another friend shared about a family member who is a nurse, and the stresses the employees are under at the hospital where she works. Everywhere we turn in Aurora, there are stories of heartache and despair. There is still much confusion, and many residents are in a state of shock.

Families and friends of the victims are reaching out to each other, trying to get news, sharing updates and consoling one another using social media. Facebook is full of posts asking, “Are you okay?” and “So glad you weren’t there last night!” Families are simultaneously trying to keep the media away with one hand, while asking for emotional support from people close to them with the other. What would have been private moments in another generation, are being played out in front of a world thirsty for real-time play-by-plays. Unfortunately, what is going on in Aurora  is not a “reality show”. It’s real.

Please remember these families and their friends are hurting. They are in pain, they are in shock, they are confused, and they are exhausted. Some are dealing with the biggest decisions they will ever make. Others are battling with guilt, despair, fear, and grief. While all this is playing out in their lives, they see our facebook posts. They see our tweets. They read our emails, and they hear our radio broadcasts. They too need to use those forms of communication for their own needs.

Our anger is a natural protective reaction to observing a crime. We want to avenge the deaths or the injuries of the innocent by holding perpetrators, and the conditions that create crime, responsible. Our adrenaline is flowing, and releasing it through anger can make us feel better.

Unfortunately, our anger is showing up in places where people are looking for support. Places where these people can’t help but look, and where it hurts them again, and again, and again. The tension our anger creates, hurts the very people we want to protect. Those who suffer today need us to protect them from the anger. They need us to shelter them, help them, comfort them, console them, pray for them, and to be gentle around them. At least for today.

When a victim’s family or circle of friends are reaching out for support, they don’t care if that person is a Republican, or a Democrat, or a member of the NRA, or a proponent of gun control. They don’t care what race they are, or if they were born in this country. They don’t care how they vote, whether or not they own firearms, or if they go to church or synagogue or mosque. What they care about is if that person is ready to hold them when they need a hug, or catch them emotionally if they “collapse”. They want to know that person can be called in the middle of the night, or will mind picking up their kids from school. Or will sit with them while they cry. If the world around them is full of anger, there is no space for their pain.

There will be many months to analyze what happened, to point fingers, to assign blame, to argue, to debate, and to “be right”.  There will be many months to carry a flag, to score political points, and to protest transgressions. There will be ample time to share our anger, if that is what we feel compelled to do. But that day is not today.

I am not saying, “Don’t be angry.” I am saying, let’s be responsible for our anger. Let’s be sensitive to who sees that anger, and how, and when. I’m asking all of us to look deep within our selves and discover alternative ways we can react that will help us all to heal.

Let’s all take a break from acting angry for a day or two. Let’s give people around us a safe space to grieve, to reach out, and to be vulnerable. Instead of using our energy to be angry, let’s use it to comfort those around us. And for those who do not live close to Aurora, there is so much that can be done.

   * Make some handmade cards and send them to one of the area hospitals.

   * Bake some cookies and bring them to your local fire stations and police stations.

   * Organize a car wash and have the proceeds go to a scholarship fund in someone’s memory.

   * Write a check to the Aurora Mental Health    

    * Center to get people the counseling they need for months to come.

    * If you’re in Denver, call your closest  hospital and offer to host a traveling relative. Write a poem of gratitude for all who survived, and share it widely.

   * Go door-to-door and collect contributions to the Red Cross.

   * Start a prayer chain and offer it to victim’s family members.

   * Create a memorial website, giving people an opportunity to share their condolences or their grief.

   * Paint a sign with a comforting message and display it on your front door.

   * Tie black and blue ribbons around your trees (Batman colors).

   * Host a prayer vigil in your own community or at your church, and invite the larger community.

   * Be extra sensitive to teenagers trying to process what happened, and ask if they need someone to talk to.

   * Thank a nurse.

I could go on and on. After Columbine, Colorado witnessed extraordinary displays of kindness and outpourings of love from all over the world. And as the years went by, we paid that gift forward by offering our love and support to other communities in need.  No doubt, this will happen again. This tragedy will once again bring out the best of what makes us human, and our acts of love will make it possible for others to heal.

Until then, let’s all be careful with our on-line communications. Let’s all be the kinds of support we would want available, and easily accessible to us, if our world was falling apart. Let us seek revenge against hate by being pillars of love.

Nancy Cronk

American Red Cross: http://www.coloradoredcross.or…

Aurora Mental Health Center: http://www.aumhc.org/donations…


Full story: Aurora Shootings: What Victim’s Families Want to Tell You But Can’t

Congress Spends 72 Million on Sports Like NASCAR

15
  by: nancycronk Thu July 19, 2012 at 8:03 PM MDT

(What say you, Dan? – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl)



In the most egregious example of wasteful taxpayer spending I have ever seen in my 49 years, Congress rejected an amendment to cut 72 million dollars in spending on sports sponsorships by the military, with 7 million dollars going exclusively to NASCAR. According to Inside Politics, the late-night vote on the floor of the House was heated, with 60 Democrats and 156 Republicans voting to continue funding the program.

The bill was the second effort in two years by Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum, a woman who obviously considers race cars going around a track at least slightly less important than feeding the poor, caring for the elderly, giving life-saving treatment to those who have substance abuse, etc. Even Rep. Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican from a very NASCAR-friendly area, could not justify spending 72 million on sports when Congress should be tightening its belt. Joining them were Republican Representatives Jeff Flake of Arizona and Jim Jordan, chairman of the House conservative caucus.

Supporters of the bill say the money is used to pay for advertising to recruit people to join the military, despite the fact there is little evidence to support that claim. One wonders how much more effective it would be to invest 72 million additional dollars in care to Veterans, reducing the number of people with PTSD, depression and difficulty finding jobs. Clearly, seeing Veterans return to their communities healthy and whole speaks volumes to potential recruits.  


Full story: Congress Spends 72 Million on Sports Like NASCAR

The Audacity of Mike Coffman: 5 Lies, One Mailpiece

3
  by: nancycronk Thu July 19, 2012 at 6:14 PM MDT

My husband received a flier in the mail yesterday from Congressman Mike Coffman. My husband is a died-in-the-wool Democrat and would sooner eat a box full of living ladybugs than vote for a Tea Party Congressman (and he’s a vegetarian!). Our home has four registered Dems — me, my husband, and our two college age sons (our high school aged son is too young to vote). Clearly the Coffman campaign is targeting Democratic men in his age group — no one else in the family received the hilarious mail piece which reads:

While you were out, Mike Coffman tried to call you…

“I regularly hold tele-townhall meetings in order to know what’s important to you and to better represent you i Washington.”

It then goes on to say, “Mike Coffman / More Transparency in Washington”. The only other things on the simplistic mailpiece are a photo of the Tea Partier , and an enormous red telephone — the kind Batman used to call the Commissioner — minus the flashing button.

On the back, there is a photo of Mike Coffman talking to four business women in black suits, who all look like they just attended a funeral (nice grab at the women’s vote, Mike). The caption reads that they are talking about Anthem College (Anthem what?). Next to the photo is a fake letter listing his bogus top four issues, including, “Saving Medicare and Social Security, Reforming Congress, Cutting Congressional Spending, and Improving Job Growth and the Economy”.  

No, I did not wet my pants laughing, nor did I choke on my dinner as we read the mail, although I certainly could have done so.

To Mike:

1. No, Mike Coffman, you didn’t try to call me. I have Caller ID. We have 5 people living in our house, each with a different schedule. If you tried to call, we’d know it. If you tried to call every one of your constituents, surely you would have reached some. Why would you then need to do a mass mailing with a computerized address field? Do you think voters in S. Aurora are stupid? Lie #1

2. What is a Tele-town hall? Oh, you mean those things where the Robo-dialer calls us and tells us if we want to hear you speak, we should pick up the phone and be talked at?  That is not a town hall. That is phone spam.

How about a real town hall? You know, the kind with real flesh-and-blood human beings who breathe, walk, talk, and have an opportunity to ask you pointed questions? I know Republicans have a hard time understanding the concept of human (eggs and corporations are not human), but surely someone can help you figure it out.

In all fairness, you do a great job of chasing cameras on right-leaning television and radio programs — propping yourself and your talking points in places completely void of real (human) constituents. Lie #2

3. “Transparency”. If you believe in transparency, why do you run every time your constituents approach you in public? Lie #3

http://www.youtube.com/channel…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

4. “Saving Medicare and Social Security”. Sir, you called Social Security a “Ponzi Scheme”. Lie #4

5. “Reforming Congress”. On your website, you mutilate the intent of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill designed to make Congress transparent, into some kind of vague “free speech” issue, and come out against it. Sir, you wouldn’t know transparency if it were a 200 foot mirror that fell on your head. Lie #5.

I could go on, Sir, but I won’t. Mr. Coffman — stop lying to your constituents. Have a real town hall, open it up to the public, and post it on your website weeks in advance. Your constituents deserve better. Your constituents deserve the truth.


Full story: The Audacity of Mike Coffman: 5 Lies, One Mailpiece