'Who's a Leninist': News Miner 80
Tim Hernández joins the legislature, Gadsden flag redux, Dems for TABOR, PrideFest, no-knock raids, the harshness of nature, and more.
New Legislator Promoted Marx and Lenin
Complete Colorado published my new article, “Coverage of Marx-spouting legislator shows media bias.”
“We like to compete who knows Marx better . . . who’s a Leninist,” newly minted Colorado legislator Tim Hernández has said, but “the revolution will be led by the people.” But you wouldn’t know he said that reading most local media accounts of Hernández’s ascension!
As I write:
Colorado’s news journalists often act upset when accused of being in the tank for Democrats. But when they won’t even mention that a Democrat appointed to the legislature voiced support for Marxist-Leninist views, it’s hard to feel too sympathetic.
Thankfully, 9News’s Kyle Clark came through with some tough questions (although he sometimes held back on follow-up). Here are some excerpts from my piece:
We last met Hernández when he endorsed a resolution passed by the Colorado Education Association—the major teachers’ union in the state—condemning capitalism. . . .
Clark mentioned the Fox News story [that quotes Hernández on Marx and Lenin], then asked Hernández bluntly, “Are you a Marxist?” Hernández, of course, denied that he is. Clark did not ask him to square that stance with his comments quoted by Fox, in which Hernández clearly sympathizes with Marxist-Leninist ideology. . . .
What about Hernández’s comments about forceful revolution? Hernández told Clark that “some folks in their politics align to” physical force. He added, “I don’t see my role as a physical forcer. . . .”
Clark pushed, asking Hernández if he thinks that violence ever is “necessary or acceptable.” Hernández answered, “I’m not here to police protest. You know, I think that folks who choose to relegate towards violence is a personal political decision for themselves.” He added, “Hopefully we can prevent any form of forceful cultural violence.” So he pointedly does not condemn violence in the streets; he’s just saying he’s not personally prepared to commit it.
Read the entire piece.
Gadsden Redux
I’m surprised the incident about the kid getting in trouble at school over his Gadsden flag patch (mentioned here twice before) has grown into such a big story.
CNN had on Jared Polis to further discuss the matter. He said, “If we want the moral high ground to say schools should let be banning rainbow flags on kids, binders or backpacks to celebrate pride, we have to also say they should be banning free-speech on the other side.”
Chase Woodruff commented, “In the space of about 24 hours this story went from a post from some conservative think tank guy to a primetime CNN interview with the state’s top elected official. For all their complaints about bias the right’s ability to manipulate the press is unmatched.”
I think that’s simplistic. The goose/gander point is a good one: If schools can ban Gadsden flags, they can ban rainbow flags too. And this story is great for Polis; indeed, CNN’s Abby Phillip took the interview as an opportunity to subtly ask Polis if he’s running for president. Polis intentionally turned this into a bigger story, and he was smart to do so. The libertarian Reason magazine, which adores Polis, quoted him again regarding this story.
Colorado’s left is unhappy with Polis, as it always is, and this too works to Polis’s advantage, as he can position himself as a reasonable centrist.
For example, Joe Salazar wrote, “Christopher Gadsden was a slave owner & trader. The ‘Dont Tread on Me’ flag was later adopted by traitorous Confederates. In recent times, it’s been adopted by White nationalist & White racists. In sum, why would [the governor] defend this flag?”
It’s true that Polis defended both the flag and the right to display it, calling it “a proud symbol of the American revolution.” Salazar references a Washington Post article that notes the flag was embraced by Confederates. But the article also points out the flag has its roots “in 1775 as a nod to Ben Franklin’s ‘Join, or Die’ political cartoon.”
Yes, Gadsden held and traded slaves, and for that he should be condemned. It is also true that the flag originally was used as a Revolutionary symbol against British oppression, and that, in spirit, it stands against slavery and all forms of oppression. That Gadsden’s flag damns Gadsden’s own behavior is another manifestation of the central contradictions of America’s revolutionary spirit. You cannot coherently say “don’t tread on me” until you are prepared to say “and I won’t tread on you.”
Democrats for TABOR
I love to see it:
Michael Bennet: “For 30 years, the IRS has not taxed TABOR refunds—and it makes no sense for them to start now. I’m committed to working with the IRS to ensure TABOR’s precedent is respected and that Coloradans can keep the money they are entitled to.”
Jared Polis: “We must not let the federal government tax our TABOR refunds.”
Not all Democrats are thrilled about TABOR, of course. Deep Singh Badhesha wrote, “We should Repeal TABOR in 2024 to fund our schools, fix our roads, create rapid transit and build more affordable housing! This should be one of our North Stars. Progressives can talk about all the policies we want to pass, but it means nothing without funding!”
In fact, TABOR is the Democrats’ best friend, as it forces them into budgetary moderation while giving them out outside force to blame for their restraint.
More on the DougCo PrideFest
From Kyle Clark:
A tactical training group is no longer participating in a planned event with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office after Able Shepherd’s leaders disrupted a PrideFest celebration last weekend.
A group of approximately 70 men interrupted DougCo PrideFest’s family-friendly drag show on Saturday. The men, wearing shirts reading “Stand to Protect Children,” stood blocking the view of the performers for roughly 40 minutes until they were escorted out.
Heidi Beedle writes:
This Saturday’s Douglas County Pride Fest was protested by a number of different groups—Able Shepherd, a nonprofit that provides mass shooter training to churches and schools, Patriot Front, the white nationalist group arrested en masse for conspiracy to riot in Idaho last year, the Rocky Mountain Active Club, the local chapter of the white supremacist fight club started by Robert Rundo, and the Proud Boys.
Is it not obvious that, if the choice is between drag queens and the so-called “Proud Boys” (more like whiny bullies), you side with the queens?
Clark followed up: “Able Shepherd's Jimmy Graham, who led the DougCo PrideFest disruption, and indicted Trump co-defendant Jenna Ellis, who suggested Club Q victims are burning in hell, are both Policy Fellows at [Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute],” according to a university web page. Absolutely shameful.
Quick Takes
Ken Buck: Via Pols: “I think he [Trump] absolutely needs to tell all Americans to stand down and allow the judicial system to take its course.”
Lindstrom: The Democratic Socialists are building a powerful block in the legislature. Rep. Javier Mabrey recently strongly endorsed Bryan Lindstrom. Lindstrom, along with Hernández (from above), gained infamy by running the anti-capitalist resolution through the teacher’s union. Unfortunately, the Republican Party has imploded to such a degree that Democrats simply are not afraid of losing various seats anymore.
Transgender: PBS: “Leaving Texas, families with transgender children seek refuge in Colorado.”
No-Knocks: Shelly Bradbury: “Denver police haven’t served a no-knock warrant in three years. The police department quietly stopped using no-knock warrants in 2020 amid a nationwide outcry against police brutality and push for criminal justice reform, police records show.” That’s good, but we still need legislation tightly regulating these dangerous home invasions.
Police: Jacob Factor: “A man this week sued Fort Collins and two of its police officers, alleging that, in 2021, they used excessive force and pepper-sprayed his face from two inches away while attempting to issue the man a summons for a reported trespassing incident.” A badge does not give you license to unnecessarily hurt people.
Housing: Pat Hill: “Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order that, in essence, restores local [permitting] control while directing multiple state departments to speed up the permit process.”
Schools: According to Chalkbeat, a Boulder school counselor resisted the request of a Latina mom to place her son in a harder math class, saying he should stay in “the class that Latinos go into.” Assuming the facts are as reported—hard to believe—that’s terrible.
Welfare: This ProPublica story illustrates some of the difficulties of investigating abuse when a child’s parents are separated and hostile to each other and injuries can be interpreted in different ways.
Nature: It’s beautiful, but it’s dangerous, and it will kill you if you underestimate its hazards. Olivia Prentzel: “A 14-year-old boy struggled to survive at a remote Colorado campsite, where he, his mother and aunt set out to live ‘off the grid,’ before he wasted down to 40 pounds and all three died of malnutrition and hypothermia.” Horrible. But if you take care, you can find extraordinary beauty in nature, as this photo from a recent hike indicates.