Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Commentary

Sullivan: In the true story of Thanksgiving, socialism failed and individual liberty rescued the pilgrims
Approved, Commentary, Texas Scorecard

Sullivan: In the true story of Thanksgiving, socialism failed and individual liberty rescued the pilgrims

By Michael Quinn Sullivan | Guest Commentary, Texas Scorecard We think we know the story of Thanksgiving: the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, faced a harsh winter, famine and disease, and then only with the help of friendly natives learned how to survive. It’s nice for bedtime stories and feel-good paintings, but it ignores the most important lessons of our early history. The pilgrims weren’t city slickers ill-prepared for wilderness life, nor were they misguided about the challenges facing them in the New World. Sadly, the travails and trials of those pilgrims weren’t merely the result of recklessness, ignorance, or chance. No, the problems the pilgrims faced — and overcame — were of their very own making through a well-intentioned, though misguided, governing ideology. ...
Daniel: Let local communities lead on public lands
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Daniel: Let local communities lead on public lands

By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Public lands are woven into the fabric of Colorado’s identity, serving as living symbols of our shared heritage, natural beauty and deep connection to the land. Nowhere is this more evident than in Western Colorado, where public lands foster a profound respect for nature and a commitment to stewardship. To ensure these lands thrive for future generations, we must adopt outcome-based policies prioritizing access, sustainability and thoughtful management — balancing conservation with economic vitality. Unfortunately, this balance is increasingly threatened by political instability and federal overreach. Mesa County, where 73% of the land is federally managed, provides a telling example of the challenges at hand. Federal burea...
Duffy: Denver’s mayor frets over the wrong Exodus
Approved, Commentary, gazette.com

Duffy: Denver’s mayor frets over the wrong Exodus

By Sean Duffy | Commentary, The Gazette Mayor Mike Johnston is confused. Denver’s mayor wants to stand athwart the city’s boundaries to stop people from leaving. His problem is he’s focused on the wrong people. Apparently seeking to bolster his progressive bona-fides, Mayor Mike recently staged a public hissy fit about the incoming Trump administration’s plan to deport illegal immigrants. In a bizarre rant he had to walk back, he said he would deploy the already understaffed Denver Police Department to stop federal immigration agents. If his goal was to get national attention as a pro-illegal immigrant warrior, it worked. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT THE GAZETTE Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflec...
Sloan: Could Doug Burgum and Chris Wright lead an American energy revival?
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Sloan: Could Doug Burgum and Chris Wright lead an American energy revival?

By Kelly Sloan | Contributing Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice There is much consternation in different corners about President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks; indeed, some of it is not entirely unwarranted. Much of it, on the other hand, is on the order of polemical hysteria, an outcropping of the left’s general caterwauling about how America under a second Trump presidency will take on the appearance of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. The Senate may have its work cut out in sorting through the noise generated around some of the appointments, but two that ought to give them no pause in the least are the President-elect’s picks for Interior and Energy: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright respectively.  It will prove exceedingly difficult to...
Caldara: Trump win puts progressive intolerance on display
Approved, Commentary, completecolorado.com

Caldara: Trump win puts progressive intolerance on display

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado Welcome to the Great Un-friending. One of the telltale signs of a progressive is the constant self-celebration of their tolerance. Progressive communities, like my hometown of Boulder, slap the word “diversity” on every school wall, rec center poster and library. “All are welcome,” don’t ya know. The woke mob has mandated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion trainings that feeds the DEI Industrial Complex. The trans movement created the pronoun police state, where gender dysphoria is not merely tolerated, it will be celebrated. Free speech and proper grammar are relics of a long-gone racist era. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT COMPLETE COLORADO Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not ...
Hillman: National debt is silent threat to America’s security
Approved, Commentary, Mark Hillman

Hillman: National debt is silent threat to America’s security

By Mark Hillman | Commentary, MarkHillman.com With the election mercifully behind us, Americans should expect those we’ve elected to get to the less-pleasant task of governing responsibly.  While hot-button issues such as immigration, inflation and foreign affairs will garner most headlines, a more pressing concern is too often overlooked: America’s staggering national debt. Growing faster than the economy and projected to reach a record share of gross domestic product (GDP) within three years, our debt is a national crisis.  If we continue down the current unsustainable path, we are flirting with catastrophe that would dwarf the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Our next Congress and President must confront this challenge before it is too late. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY A...
Kalam: Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s insurrection rhetoric
Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Kalam: Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s insurrection rhetoric

By Ahnaf Kalam | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In the wake of the recent electoral landslide — a decisive repudiation of unchecked illegal immigration and the catastrophic security failures at America’s borders — one might have expected local leaders to reconsider their stances on sanctuary city policies. Yet, in Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston has chosen defiance over reason, doubling down on policies that disregard the will of his constituents and the authority of the federal government. His response to President-elect Trump’s nomination of Tom Homan as "border czar" is nothing short of insurrectionary. Mayor Johnston took to social media to unveil a bold, but deeply troubling plan to block any federal efforts to deport illegal immigrants in Denver. He went so far as to cla...
Bzdek: What Trump’s Cabinet picks say about his coming presidency
Approved, Commentary, gazette.com

Bzdek: What Trump’s Cabinet picks say about his coming presidency

By Vince Bzdek | The Gazette There is a book I read to my kids when they were about 4 years old called “The Mixed Up Chameleon.” One day the chameleon discovers it can change not only its color but its shape and size, too. When it sees different animals in the zoo, it immediately wants to be like them. And it ends up being “a little of this, a little of that,” part polar bear, part flamingo, fox, fish, deer, giraffe, turtle, elephant and seal. President-elect Trump’s choices for his Cabinet so far reminded me of that book, and created a similar mashup in my mind. Call it his Frankestaff, a Cabinet sewn together from ill-matched bits. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily re...
Devotional: Wisdom and understanding are essential to living a life of celebration
Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Devotional: Wisdom and understanding are essential to living a life of celebration

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Do you have the capacity to truly enjoy life? Not just parts of it, but all of it — every role and responsibility: personally, in partnership, parenting, professionally, and even planetarily (globally). Can you find joy regardless of the circumstances, situations, or people involved? The truth is, few ever tap into this full capacity for living, and fewer still know how to achieve it. But here’s the good news: there is a way (John 14:6). A reality. A lifestyle that makes this kind of celebratory living possible for anyone willing to discover its secrets. And it starts with one powerful step: Just believe — celebration! Consider a significant event like the recent U.S. Primary Election. For many, there’s celebration when their side...
Yoder: How Republicans (sometimes) get on board with climate action
Approved, Commentary, Grist, National

Yoder: How Republicans (sometimes) get on board with climate action

By Kate Yoder | Commentary, Grist As President-elect Donald Trump gears up for his second term in January, things might appear bleak for those who want to see the United States tackle climate change. Trump has promised to expand fossil fuel production and undo much of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda, saying he would roll back environmental regulations, cut federal support for clean energy, and withdraw from the Paris climate agreement — again. But a certain brand of Republican still hopes to push the incoming administration to take on climate change, the “America First” way. In a statement congratulating Trump on his victory last week, the American Conservation Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based group trying to build a conservative environmental movemen...