April 25, 2023 11:25 AM UTC

Colorado Springs Cross Burning: Are We Better Than This?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Pam Zubeck reports for the Colorado Springs Independent:

The runoff race for Colorado Springs mayor has taken a distressing turn with a the discovery of a racial slur scrawled across a “Yemi for Mayor” sign, and a burning cross planted in front of it.

The sign, with the n-word written on it in red, was found Sunday and both the sign and cross were removed…

Mayor John Suthers issued a statement, when asked, saying, “There is no place in our community for racism. No hate crime should be tolerated, and it needs to be fully investigated by the Police Department.”

The Mobolade campaign issued this statement mid-afternoon Monday, April 24:

“I’m aware of the video sent to media and recognize the hurt this heinous content causes our city. We do not know if the photo is of real events or if it was staged/created. Either way, it’s reprehensible. This is not the Colorado Springs we know and it is likely the actions of an unhealthy individual. Simply put, this is a distraction from what this election is about — our families and building a Colorado Springs that puts our families first. We encourage the media to refrain from posting these photos — as not to give this sort of behavior any oxygen.”

Political newcomer and local businessman Yemi Mobolade stunned the Colorado Springs political establishment in the April 4 municipal election by handily defeating the two well-known partisan Republican frontrunners, Wayne Williams and Sallie Clark. Now facing off against Williams directly in the May 16 runoff and Clark eliminated after a measure of sour grapes, Mobolade has picked up support from influential local leaders like former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder. Mobolade’s unexpected strength in this campaign is attributed both to his own personal charisma as well as widespread voter dissatisfaction with the “establishment’s” choices.

The solution? Well, for somebody in Colorado Springs, it’s burning a cross.

According to the CS Indy, Colorado Springs Police took reports on 113 bias-motivated crimes in the city in 2021. The city is also freshly recovering from the Club Q shooting, while east of town in rural El Paso County a Black rancher has alleged a pattern of race-based persecution by neighbors and bias by responding deputies. At the same time, a growing and diverse population in the city continues to shift the electorate, while a general sense of frustration among city residents with ideological conservatives who leave basic responsibilities neglected has weakened the standing of once-shoe-in candidates like Williams.

The consensus opinion remains that the conservative vote split in the first round between Williams and Clark will consolidate around Williams in the runoff. If Mobolade completes his historic upset, it means the negative messages about Williams as a crony of developers from first-round opponents stuck, and across-the-aisle endorsements from people like former Sheriff Elder counted for something.

Now you can add this: a desire to see Colorado Springs deliver just desserts to a cross-burning piece of shit.