Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Civil Discourse

The Rorschach republic: The MLK test for a divided nation
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, National, Think Again USA

The Rorschach republic: The MLK test for a divided nation

By Melanie Sturm | Commentary, Think Again USA Substack From ICE to Epstein to gender medicine, we keep seeing what we want in the ink blots. See if you pass the MLK Test. Same ink blot. Different realities. Do you pass the MLK Test? We are living through a Rorschach moment. We look at the same ink blots — the border, Epstein, gender medicine — and swear we’re seeing opposite realities. I was reminded of that recently when I found myself seated next to a gentleman at a luncheon. We discovered easy common ground: he grew up in Indiana, I grew up in Nebraska. We traded a few jokes about Hoosiers and Huskers swapping basketball and football fortunes. Then the conversation turned to Indiana’s former fiery basketball coach Bobby Knight, whom he idolized growin...
Free speech tested: Fort Lewis TPUSA students persevere with faith, composure—and resolve
Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Free speech tested: Fort Lewis TPUSA students persevere with faith, composure—and resolve

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice The first Turning Point USA event, “Debate a Conservative,” took place Oct. 16 in the Fort Lewis College Student Union, where police stood at the doors as a steadying presence. Jonah Flynn, a senior studying philosophy and Spanish, along with Charlie Parke and Isabella Trevino, who were working to start a TPUSA chapter on campus, had braced for hostility but insisted on dialogue. “People with opposite views asked hard questions, but we all talked,” said Zen Moreno, a first-semester transfer in environmental conservation and management who joined the chapter after attending the event. She said she felt compelled to step in, hoping to turn hostility into conversation and connection. Flynn recalled how tension turned to civility. “People came...
A Nation Mourns: The Unthinkable Murder of Charlie Kirk and the Politics of Silence
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

A Nation Mourns: The Unthinkable Murder of Charlie Kirk and the Politics of Silence

By C.J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice A national moral collapse. A political crime worse than any before. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk stood at Utah Valley University. He manned his “Prove Me Wrong” table. He invited students to debate. Then a gunshot rang out. He recoiled. He collapsed. He bled. He died. We don’t yet know the full outcome. Some reports say he remains alive but critically wounded. Others say he is dead. If he has died, it is the most disturbing act of political violence in modern American history. Charlie Kirk’s only act was to speak. He didn’t insult. He didn’t riot. He didn’t strike anyone. He offered arguments. He invited discussion. His "crime" was free expression in the public square, in good faith, with those who disagreed with him...
More than a hat: How Bernie Lake’s fight for health became a political battleground
Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

More than a hat: How Bernie Lake’s fight for health became a political battleground

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice After fighting a cancer battle, Bernie Lake reclaimed her life while sporting her Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) hat. After breast cancer surgery, she returned to the Durango Community Recreation Center for her first post-treatment workout, determined to rebuild her strength.  Lake had been wearing her MAHA hat since July. "After the first assassination attempt on Trump, I was outraged that our political differences had gotten to such a level," Lake said. "People need to see different political views where they live. I don’t care if you like Trump or not—we should be able to coexist." Silent disapproval was common. "Not one person had said a word to my face before. Plenty of snickers, plenty of side-eyes, but neve...

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