Chapman: Then, I am radical
Recently, there has been much said about how the Eagle County Grassroots movement is so far right and radical. Remember? It started with first defending Rep. Lauren Boebert in the piece, “Enough with the Boebert Bashing.”
Possibly it really started with campaigning for Boebert because the party she represented would have nothing to do with her in Eagle County. The Eagle County Board of Commissioners continued by standing together to display their disgust with her winning. She did not represent Eagle County they said, paraphrasing.
Once she won, some of us were content with going home and minding our business, only to realize that our government had another plan. A deadly virus came upon us and we needed to mask up and shut down. Churches and businesses were deemed nonessential. Bold citizens who never engaged in their local politics began to stand up. They bombarded commissioner meetings demonstrating the freedom that comes with being a democracy. By the way, there is a difference between a democracy and a constitutional republic.
The movement gained momentum with ordinary citizens having the audacity to attend school board meetings and dare to say no. Then putting up four candidates to run for school board, who were deemed racist and a far-right radical movement. How dare parents believe they have the freedom to give input into their children’s education? These parents didn’t want Critical Race Theory taught in their schools. They were told it wasn’t part of the curriculum, yet equity became the theme of the day. Competition diminished, mediocrity strongly embraced.
Eagle County Grassroots was deemed a racist organization. Ironically, the community had chosen a black woman who loved her neighborhood and country to lead — really not fitting into the liberal or conservative communities, both having their doubts.
Somehow, the Eagle County Grassroots movement became all about right-winged radicalism. While in earlier decades, right-winged radicalism comprised of cross burnings, tar-feathering, and the hanging of colored folk.
For clarification:
If going into county commissioners’ meetings and expressing individuals have inalienable rights including the right to choose how they live their lives without interference by the government, then I am radical.
If being engaged and attending school board meetings and voicing that we do not want our children sexualized, regardless of the type, then I am radical.
If believing every legal vote should count and there should be one election day with exceptions for the disabled and military, and election rolls should be cleaned, then I am radical.
If believing there is only male and female and individuals have the right to choose the way they express their love in their bedroom or how they identify, but do not have the right to thrust it upon others, I am radical!
If boldly declaring the government’s only duty is to protect the inalienable rights of the people is wrong, I do not want to be right and I am radical.
If we cannot agree to not always agree civilly communicating our disagreement, we have become radicals.
