Recent comments

Many Question GJ Police Shooting   3 years 11 weeks ago

 As a handful gather at the department to question the polices use of undue lethal force, the GJ city attorney's office gave us a 103 pages of GJPD Guidelines on such things as use of force, lethal force, officer shooting incident protocols, ethic and conduct, vehicle pursuit, Emergency Vehicle Operations, Evidence, and many others of interest many have "High Risk" watermarked on the pages.  Will report back with more data. We hope the investigation will shed more light on how officers handled this case.

CU Banner Drop in Solidarity with Student Uprisings   3 years 11 weeks ago

Class War.  It is pretty cool to see the words 'Class War' anywhere, let alone at a college campus in Boulder of all places.  Liberal voices dominate the so-called student movement, and student-workers are ever encouraged to look to their leaders, to pressure their representatives, anything except fighting directly for their interests and desires.

As for the idea of injecting things into the consciousness of one's community, besides the images of syringes interacting with brain tissue that the phrase conjures up, I wonder at the importance of raising consciousness of class war.  I guess Marx said something about class consciousness being a good thing, but in the case of this message, what class?  The proletariat is the class which will abolish class society--and itself--through struggle.  Those who are not struggling have little role in revolution, except to derail it.

Here in Denver a banner has been hung for weeks with the message to students, "Wake Up!", but to anyone who is blissfully sleeping I would not cruelly intrude.  Consciousness has never brought me much good.  Toward the dreamers my feelings vascillate between nostalgia and envy.  Anyway, everyone wakes up eventually, and everyone goes back to sleep.

One does not talk to sleeping people.  They'll mumble something about elephants, or let out a whine.  Waking, struggling people we can talk with.  This leads to a second series of questions about the banner in Boulder.  Parts of it read like demands, but to whom?  "Free the debt slaves."  Who can free debt slaves but themselves?  The appeal to usurp the profiteer is presumably made to workers, but then it smacks of some sort of dictatorship of the proletariat.  Big words are cool but that phrasing is somewhat harder to digest than "Kill the rich," or "Fire the bosses."  At least it's not trying to 'speak truth to power.'

In Denver some students' message to the politicians was "You cut, we bleed" (a reference to the budget cuts).  How pathetic.  If one is going to say anything to the rich and powerful, it should be "You cut, you bleed."  Better yet to say nothing and make it manifest in stealth.

Now.  We want class war now, but in saying so defer it a bit.  Actually, class war is as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen.  And in this world-without-end, we want a vortex to open up and swallow us.  We can call it class war, or whatever.  So we want class war soon, but in saying so we resign ourselves a bit.  In any case, there is no one to demand it of, at least not in an intelligible way in response to which they will make it appear as if from beneath a trenchcoat.  Oh well, what would we be resigning ourselves to?  Ordinary life, which is to say, capitalism, which is to say, class war.

Ah.

CU Banner Drop in Solidarity with Student Uprisings   3 years 11 weeks ago

ya'll are my heroes!

Commission denies Leonard Peltier Parole!   3 years 11 weeks ago

keep fighting for justice. Your work will be rewarded.

Homeless in Colorado Springs Push Back   3 years 11 weeks ago

There are a lot of good, compassionate people who are concerned about homelessness and homeless people.  But those in charge of the programs that are supposed to help us do not necessarily feel that way.

I'm familiar with the situation in Boulder, as I live between Boulder and Denver (in my car), and there are truly terrible things brewing here.  Examples: plans to builld homeless accommodations near a radioactive waste dump (Denver) and questionable practices at clinics that "serve" the homeless (Denver and Boulder).

Shelters will not solve the problem of homelessness.  Homeless people need housing--not a temporary spot for the night where we can catch all kinds of contagious illnesses, listen to verbal abuse from people paid out of YOUR well-intended donations, and get kicked out in the street when the sun comes up.  Neither do we need food poisoning or stupid classes in how to look for jobs (what jobs?).  Homeless parents are generally good parents, as most people are, and should not have to sign over custody of their children to get shelter beds.  And most of us are not alcoholics, drug addicts, mentally ill, or criminals.  We are just people who can't afford rent.

One reason homeless people set up camps is because, even outdoors, life is better with privacy and a place to keep one's things than it is in a shelter.  But not everybody has the physical stamina, skills, or equipment to live in a camp.

Homelessness was extremely rare, just a few decades ago.  It has mushroomed as a consequence of our troubled economy.  Strangely, the size of newly built or rehabilitated housing units has drastically increased in recent years, even as family size has shrunk and real wages have first stagnated, then fallen.  So housing is seen, by the housing industry, as a luxury for the rich, not a necessity that needs to be available at all cost levels.  The result is that there are many more vacant housing units in the U.S. right now than there are homeless people.  That should make the solution simple.  But solving the problem would foil things for the con-artists who live off of grant money. 

Homeless in Colorado Springs Push Back   3 years 11 weeks ago

This article is not accurate at all.

Colorado Springs has many problems and can be criticized for many things, including "Focus on the Rich Family's" nearly always detrimental efforts, and its embarrassingly mismanaged budget. But as a Springs resident, one thing I can say is that the city's people, police and City Council have gone out of their way to help the homeless and have shown an outpouring of support in helping keep them alive during the winter, and to connect them with the many services and shelters available. (One of which is the Marian House, not Miriam House, which provides free meals daily to the homeless with no strings attached). While I'm normally ashamed of much about this city, I am proud of this. And they aren't just kicking out the homeless people (unlike Boulder, which just put their homeless on buses to get rid of them); even though the no-camping ordinance passed after months and months of ever-growing Tent Cities, defecation in rivers, burning of donated clothing, and trashed and abandoned camps, the police never did and will not now just ship them out. They have assured everyone that that will not happen (we'll see). Yes, homelessness can happen to anyone, and we need to be very compassionate. But the way to help the homeless is to connect them to services and nonprofits who know how to help them, NOT to continue to let the camps grow with families freezing in tents and trashing the water supply and aesthetics of the city. there are plenty of beds available for these people, and for the ones with substance-abuse issues, there are special services.

March from Auraria Campus to the Capital building   3 years 11 weeks ago

Then we should start by funding basic education in places like Haiti, Iraq and other places which receive the brunt of Amerikan intervention. Otherwise you're just arguing for the narrow bourgeois privilege of students in Amerika.

Moreover, 'higher ed'- or any education for that matter- is hardly nuetral. Amerikan universities propogate reactionary ideologies and advance the cause of assimilation within the imperialist structure.

 

 

Homeless in Colorado Springs Push Back   3 years 11 weeks ago

Thanks for reporting on this.

Rich people see the homeless as cash cows, to be milked for whatever they can get out of taxpayers' and donors' money.  They spend it on salaries for prison guard wannabes and empty talk about how we are supposed to get non-existent jobs.  Then, they try to run us out of town.

The rich made their money off us--paying us shit wages back when we worked two and three jobs, overcharging us for the homes we once lived in, cutting the services our taxes paid for, while they got a free ride.

Anyone who still has a roof over their head should beware.  Homelessness can and will happen to many of you.  Join the fight against capitalism, not just for our sake, but for yourselves and your children.

Fort Lewis College students announce SAFER referendum   3 years 11 weeks ago

Decriminalization is overdue, yes, but no one would be surprised to see that at Fort Lewis, widely known for a reputation as the relaxed atmosphere tolerant of activities like smoking marijuana. I'm not saying its bad I'm just not surprised. it would be a milestone to get it decriminalized in Colorado Springs or Douglas County, but Denver, Boulder and Durango ought to be easy places to achieve this goal. In Denver it failed as the "lowest ... priority" as they are still handing out misdemeanor charges to as many easy targets as they can for marijuana possession and distribution. I still see regular pot busts at the park, while people smoking pot in the parking lots outside gentrified clubs and bars are mostly left alone. I don't believe that will happen in Durango, as the dynamics of the areas demographics wouldn't allow such a perversion of the public will, but Denver is a typically corrupt home-rule and strong Mayor-Council city. I'm happy to see the students initiating the discussion but I'm afraid that it is so expected to see something like this in Durango - and this is not the first time by any means although the financial aid issue is a new burden, you're right - and by the fact that Durango is a hip spot it can be easily dismissed as typical of Fort Lewis students who often use marijuana and like things like snowboarding and punk rock. it is almost discrimination on the part of political leaders when the needs or interests of Fort Lewis students are dismissed as juvenile or immature, but it is hard to catch the political leaders in the act of expressing that kind of prejudice, so I would suggest to whomever is organizing this in Durango to find common ground with powerful people who might hold a stake in keeping Durango as cool as it is, perhaps shop owners who may lose customers significant to their presence in the town, someone like that perhaps. Also look outside the town and the college and find opposite profiles that agree with decriminalization or legalization, then the stereotype often slapped on Fort Lewis students, I think, would be less likely to stick so as to compromise the students' very justifiable and necessary endeavor. Personally I think decriminalization would only improve Durango, and Durango is already a totally rad town, always gorgeous and always fun. Anyhow, good luck Fort Lewis students, and I hope you win.

Local Citizens ‘Die-in’ at Xcel HQ in Coal Protest Group calls on Xcel to Keep Comanche 3 Closed and Produce 100% Renewable Electricity by 2020   3 years 11 weeks ago
Somebody should put these photos on COIMC, or at least keep a backup here!
The Red Pill Vol. 8 No. 2   3 years 12 weeks ago

Great publication, thanks for also uploading a copy here this time!

Fort Lewis College students announce SAFER referendum   3 years 12 weeks ago

Why would anyone be "rolling their eyes?" Marijuana legalization is long overdue - students continue to lose housing and financial aid because of unjust marijuana laws. I applaud these students for taking a stance and starting an important discussion.

Immigrant Taxi Drivers Form Co-Op in Denver   3 years 12 weeks ago

For financial and personal reasons Union Taxi first attracted 570 drivers
wanting to join the cooperatively owned business when it began to work
toward earning a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the
Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the regulatory body that oversees the
licensing of taxi companies in Colorado.

David Mayer

free books

The Red Pill Vol. 8 No. 2   3 years 12 weeks ago

since there hasn't been any news lately

Fort Lewis College students announce SAFER referendum   3 years 12 weeks ago

Anyone who knows that college who is reading this just rolled their eyes.

URGENT: Anarchist and former Black Liberation political prisoner, Ojore Lutalo arrested in La Junta Colorado!   3 years 13 weeks ago
xdenverabc.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/ojores-charges-dropped/x Yesterday, Ojore received official paperwork from the court in La Junta, Colorado, notifying him that charges would not be pursued against him for allegedly threatening an Amtrak train. Ojore was arrested at gun point on a train that was stopped in La Junta, Colorado on Tuesday January 26. He had boarded the train in California after his speaking appearance at the LA Anarchist Bookfair and was headed home to New Jersey at the time of his arrest. Ojore is a former member of a Black Liberation Army formation and was released from prison last August after spending over two decades inside for actions on behalf of Black liberation movements. A passenger allegedly heard Ojore make a threat against the train while he was on a private phone call. Ojore denied these accusations, and yesterday, the state finally admitted they had no actual evidence against him. Below is corporate news coverage of the charges being dropped. - DENVER — Prosecutors in southeastern Colorado said they won’t pursue charges against an ex-convict accused of making a threat against an Amtrak train because further investigation revealed the man displayed no bizarre behavior or even made a threat. Ojore Nuru Lutalo, 64, of Elizabeth, N.J., was arrested Jan. 26 on suspicion of felony endangering public transportation. Otero County District Attorney Rod Fouracre said Wednesday the Amtrak steward who reported the threats to police later said she hadn’t heard the alleged threatening statements herself but reported concerns voiced by other passengers. The passengers on the train later told police they never heard any specific threats to the train. Lutalo, a self-described anarchist who spent more than 20 years in solitary confinement in New Jersey, said he’s relieved. ad_icon “I never said anything, I never did anything. I’m not surprised at all,” Lutalo said when reached by phone in Denver, where he is staying pending his case. Lutalo had been freed on $30,000 bail. Fouracre said police had probable cause to arrest Lutalo based on the reports phoned in while the train was 10 to 15 minutes away from La Junta. “But based on the investigation we didn’t believe it could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Fouracre said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. In an affidavit filed in La Junta, a small farming and ranching community about 140 miles southeast of Denver, police said passengers reported hearing Lutalo saying he hadn’t killed anyone yet, and that he talked about going to jail. The steward reported one passenger hearing Lutalo mention al-Qaida, saying, “17th century tactics won’t work, we have 21st century tactics.” “Once she was re-interviewed after her initial statements to police, her statements were different,” Fouracre said. “She heard nothing about weapons nor specific threats against this train … she noted no bizarre behavior from Mr. Lutalo,” read court documents filed Wednesday by prosecutors and signed by District Judge Jon Kolomitz dismissing the case. Lutalo, who is well known among prison rights activists for his time spent in solitary confinement, was returning to New Jersey after speaking at a Los Angeles book fair sponsored by the Anarchist Black Cross Federation. He had said passengers apparently overheard his cell phone conversations about the book fair but that he never made a threat. Lutalo was released from a New Jersey prison in August after serving 28 years for armed robbery and weapons offenses involving a shootout with a police officer in 1975 and another shootout with a drug dealer in 1981. Lutalo spent most of his time in prison in solitary confinement because of the anarchist material he was reading was a deemed a security threat, according his New Jersey attorney, Bruce Afran. Lutalo said he avoided flying and decided to take a train because he feared extra scrutiny at airports because of his criminal record and known political views. “I might consider the bus,” he said.
Really Really Free Market #3   3 years 13 weeks ago

Check out the awesome new flyer!

Fort Lewis College students announce SAFER referendum   3 years 13 weeks ago

This referendum is endorsed by Animas SDS, the autonomous Durango chapter of Students for a Democratic Society.

1,000 Architects and Engineers Call for New 9/11 Investigation Cite Evidence of Explosive Demolition at WTC   3 years 13 weeks ago

Date of the five press conferences in the Denver is Friday, February 19.  Times and venues are

8:30 am: Office of the Honorable Ed Perlmutter, 12600 West Colfax Avenue, Suite B-400,
Lakewood, CO
9:30 am: Office of the Honorable Diana DeGette, 600 Grant St., Suite 202, Denver, CO
10:00 am: Office of the Honorable Jared Polis, 1200 East 78th Avenue, Suite 105,
Thornton, CO
12:00 noon: Office of Senator Michael F. Bennet, 2300 15th St., Suite 450, Denver, CO
2:00 pm: Office of the Honorable Mike Coffman, 9220 Kimmer Drive, Suite 220, Lone
Tree, CO
 

UPDATE: Home Depot has Earth First! activists arrested in Denver for action against dams in Patagonia   3 years 13 weeks ago
you

I don't know where to start and it would take too long to finish, so I'll just say this and you can spend the next 50 years trying to figure it out: YOU'RE AN IDIOT.

Military recruiter uses homophobic slur during ASVAB test in Durango High School: PLEASE COMMENT!   3 years 13 weeks ago

gays in the military. oh no im going to be fighting with a guy with a pink thong on and with bunny pink ears holding his gun like a puseey. hell no if this happens,im get out of the amry

even taking showers with fags checking me out hell no!!

High School Students refuse to accept coal money   3 years 14 weeks ago

No, they don't have one.  That's unfortunate.  But this is a great story.

Maybe when these high school students get a bit older, they will start an IMC, or maybe they will be too busy protecting what is left of Montana's natural environment.  They certainly have their work cut out for them.

These high school students are definitely on the right track.  Actions like theirs need all the support they can get.

High School Students refuse to accept coal money   3 years 14 weeks ago

This is Montana news, not Colorado.  Does montana have an IMC?

Springs to Jump on Homeless   3 years 14 weeks ago

This isn't a very thurough, detailed, or well-written article, but it deserves to be bumped more than some of the other events that have been posted as articles in recent months, such as protests, which should be in the events section.