I had not planned on getting involved in the HD48 race. Having met both Jeff and Steve I decided that I liked both of them and both were able to speak well on the things I personally value. They also passed the Exodus 18:21 test. And I have become more concerned with a real spiritual revival than politics as we are a nation in judgment. Don’t believe me read Deuteronomy 28.
Of course primary campaigns can get tough and negative ads work, if they didn’t they would not get used. I got to read about how horrible I would be for School Board by people who had never even met me or talked to me in the local paper. That is politics, if you have a thin skin, you should not run for office, much less serve the public because no matter what you do, there will be critics. Probably the worst thing you can do is take it personally, because once you do, it gets easy to lose perspective and you spend a lot of energy talking about the negative ads and stop doing the things that made you a threat in the first place.
This is the case in House District 48, which is the District that I live in. I saw some “hit pieces” on Jeff and honestly did not pay a lot of attention to them; something I suspect is true of most people not directly involved with either campaign. But Jeff’s response to those ads spoke volumes to me. This is from his campaign Facebook page.
“Currently, the Colorado Constitution does not allow concealed carry. Article II section 13 states “but nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons”. I would not be opposed to RMGO or any other organization putting forth a constitutional amendment, but would have to look at the language before determining whether or not I’d support it.”
After reading that I was a little shocked. First, Article II is referred to as the Bill of Rights section and as such it does not prohibit anything from citizens, it only limits government. While that clause certainly does not protect concealed carry, that is far different than “not allowing” it.
Second, I would rather have legislators who take actual stands on the issues. While I support citizens initiatives, having a candidate say that instead of asking him to run or support a bill that further protects my rights, I should only work through the amendment process is at best an evasive maneuver to keep from revealing your true feelings on the subject.
Finally, we have open carry in Colorado, meaning in warm weather I can legally carry a gun, but once I have to put on a jacket, I need a permit.
After reading that, I posted a response on his page listing my concerns. I was careful to be respectful and asked for a response. My post was deleted and I was removed from the page. That was shock number two. Asking questions gets you censored?
I wanted to make sure there was no mistake so I sent him a message directly. At this point I am still not actively involved in either campaign and every time I have had a concern about one of Jeff’s positions I have asked, and he has been forthcoming his answers. This was not the case this time.
Pressure reveals character. If you squeeze a rose, the aroma will always be that of a rose. If you squeeze a skunk, it will not smell like a rose. To be clear, I am not calling Jeff a skunk, and while I understand the pressure of a primary campaign, and being the target of negative ads, it only reveals what you are, it does not make you something else.
To be fair, I have not seen the same pressure applied to Steve, but given that State Senator Scott Renfroe and former State Senator Dave Schultheis each of whom I regard as the gold standard for citizen legislators in Colorado, have endorsed him, I have decided to lend my influence, small as it may be to helping him in the primary. It is not that I think Jeff is a bad guy, but I now have a little uncertainty where there didn’t used to be any and I want to work while there is still time to make a difference.
contrast to those preaching a Romans 13 unlimited submission to authority standing on the principles that the ultimate Governmental authority at the Federal Level comes from the Constitution, a document made posible by the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence that our rights are from God and not government.
