By Cory Gaines | Guest Columnist
I was recently introduced to a Twitter account called “Do Better Denver,” after reading about it in a Westword article.
If you are like me and don’t live in Denver (or on Twitter), you may not be aware of who they are, but it’s not hard to describe. It’s a social media account that posts unflinching pictures of homeless people around Denver along with sharing some items that would fall more comfortably into the category of news, e.g. sharing the amount Denver has spent on public safety this year.
I think that reasonable arguments could be made either way about the value of pictures of homeless people and encampments in bringing to light the issue and/or in trying to fix it. I will leave it to you to come to your own conclusions there. I’m not going to argue either way here.
I want to touch on what stuck out to me after reading between the lines of the Westword article: I want to talk about what other people’s responses to this effort say, including Mayor Mike Johnston’s thoughts on the matter.
If you go look at Do Better Denver’s accounts and take a look through the comments, it’s pretty eye opening. I am no stranger to salty language, but, frankly, I was struck reading some of the comments people put on this group’s posts. They range from honest criticism (fair) to open threats of violence (unacceptable). Small wonder the people that run it choose to remain anonymous. I would under similar circumstances. I have a family to consider.
Stop and think for a second. What does it say about Denverites that some take time out of their day to, in an effort to show compassion for homeless people I suppose, threaten others who put pictures of homeless camps, homeless people and the trash and mess associated with both online? Mind you these photos are shown as they were taken, without any sort of derogatory comments about the people in them.
Again, I think it’s reasonable to question the manner in which this group is pursuing their advocacy, but how can you be so invested in a particular view that you react strongly enough to preach violence when you feel threatened by unaltered pictures without any form of insult attached?
I find the reaction by Denver Mayor Johnston to be less confusing, and instead more telling. In the Westword piece, his office refers to the group’s posts as “irresponsible”, “cruel” and says they rely on trusted news sources who will “… share pertinent information about our administration’s efforts.” It is quite clear here what the expected relationship the mayor wants, and feels he ought to have, with the media. And perhaps he does have that relationship with some outlets.
And this brings me to the last part that struck me about this whole saga: the silence by many mainstream media outlets about this whole thing. I’m old enough to remember multiple times Denver media called out those that threaten violence against people they disagree with. Any room for outrage here? Any room to even report that it’s happening?
I’m also old enough to remember barrels of electronic ink spilled refuting accusations of “fake news”. Any of that happening here? Anyone in the media standing up to Mayor Johnston about his words?
Do you have any illusions at all as to whether there would be this much silence if the political ideology of this situation were reversed? Exactly. Take away all the detail here and what you’re left with is a group doing something that others don’t like. And the response has been threats from some, unfounded and unfair accusations by the powerful, and silence by the supposed watchdogs.
Now that, is not okay by any measure.
Cory Gaines is a physics instructor at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling. He writes the Colorado Accountability Project Substack and lives for what Richard P. Feynman called “the pleasure of finding things out.”