WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:02.680 This morning, as I was making my coffee, I was 2 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.719 perusingex dot com, as I often do as I'm making 3 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:09.359 my coffee, and I saw a post by a guy 4 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.320 named Taylor Romero, and it is an email that he 5 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:16.320 sent to his landlord yesterday said I live in the Highlands, 6 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:18.480 and I'm going to encapsulate it for you, though I 7 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:20.160 did put it on the blog today, so you can 8 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:22.079 go over to the blog and read it there. But 9 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:24.399 the long and short of it is, and I'll read 10 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:28.280 this one paragraph to get you started. Homeless and druggies 11 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.079 are now a common occurrence in the back alley, one 12 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:34.520 even going so far as urinating in the small space 13 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.520 between the house and the neighbors. I confronted him mid act, 14 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.439 and he hasn't been back. I could hear the girls laughing, 15 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:43.679 playing with a friend just feet away, but inside, so 16 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.600 they had no idea what was happening. Then he goes 17 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:48.759 on to talk about the last sixty days that he 18 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.479 and his family have had to endure, watching a young 19 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:55.439 woman be chased, watching little girls get her scooters stolen 20 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:59.359 in broad daylight, watching drug activity and things of that nature. 21 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.880 And I reached out out and Taylor has agreed to 22 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:03.840 join me on the show. He says he's just an 23 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:06.599 average dad and husband living in the Highlands who's hoping 24 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:09.439 things changed before they end up being forced to leave 25 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:11.280 the state. Taylor, welcome to the show. 26 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:16.000 First of all, yeah, Mandy, thank you so much for 27 00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:16.400 having me. 28 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:21.879 So how long have you lived in the Highlands? 29 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:26.319 Uh, cheesy, less than ten years? 30 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:30.359 More than seven And it's been a while now. My 31 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:34.719 two daughters are kind of now comfortable to the area 32 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:38.159 of their friends in the area, and so those kind 33 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:40.239 of those commitments make it really hard for. 34 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:44.359 Us to mobile or to move. But it's it's been 35 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:46.079 maybe near a decade now. 36 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:51.159 You talked about your wife being chased by someone while 37 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:53.120 she was walking around slungslake and you having to leave 38 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.200 work and go pick her up. That has to be very, 39 00:01:56.319 --> 00:02:00.400 very unnerving. That was there one particular incident and everything 40 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:02.640 you laid out in this in this letter to your 41 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:05.719 email or a landlord, was there any one particular incident 42 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:07.120 or was it really an accumulation? 43 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:12.319 Gosh that that is such a good question. 44 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:16.039 It's been an accumulation and I don't know how much 45 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:18.159 time we have, but I can, I can, I can 46 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:23.240 walk through the progression yeah, and share that. So the 47 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:26.960 first kind of experience that comes to mind was maybe 48 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.360 like four years ago. I'm on thirty second in Federal 49 00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:34.919 heading West. I'm up next at the red light light 50 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:38.599 turn screen. I start to pull forward. I'm a halfway 51 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:40.759 two thirds away through the intersection. 52 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.479 And I get t boned. I get t boned hard. 53 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:47.360 The car that hits me, it's big suburban, hits me 54 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.039 kind of banks to the to their right. So now 55 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:54.400 they're in front of me, and I start to do 56 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:57.800 what I think is kind of Carmen Harlance at this 57 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:00.639 point when you get hit, is to pull over. And 58 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:04.199 I started to see they were accelerating, and I was like, oh, 59 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:07.319 oh no, And so I think I'm going to take 60 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:09.879 out my phone and I'm going to take a picture 61 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:11.639 of the license plate. 62 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:13.400 They don't have a license plate. 63 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:18.159 So they start to accelerate. I am like, well, I'm 64 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:19.680 just going to call the police and I'm going to 65 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:20.400 follow them. 66 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:21.360 And I start to. 67 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:25.800 Press on the accelerator and my car's like nah and sputters. 68 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.960 So I call the police. A bunch of witnesses come around. 69 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:32.400 They're like, hey, we'll hang out for the police. I 70 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.240 call the police and the dispatch says, asked me, did 71 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:38.199 you get a license plate? 72 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:40.360 And I was like no, they actually didn't have one. 73 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.840 And the person online goes, oh, well there's nothing we 74 00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:47.479 can do. Sha, Well, are you going to you going 75 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:49.680 to send you need to send someone out or. 76 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:52.319 It's like no, there's nothing we can do. Fill out 77 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:57.199 a report online. Okay. So I thought about this. 78 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:01.520 What do you call getting t boned by somebody, having 79 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:07.280 your property damaged by somebody who is driving illegally and 80 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:11.319 the police being called but putting in zero effort. 81 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:13.960 I call it foreshadowing. 82 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.079 So then the next I didn't know at the time, right, 83 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:19.639 I had no idea at the time. I thought that 84 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.680 this is really this is not awesome, and I fill 85 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:24.639 out a report online so I can deal with my 86 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:25.319 car insurance. 87 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:25.759 Okay. 88 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:30.839 Sometime passes in the measure of months, and I am 89 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:34.800 walking on thirty second and Lowell in the little of 90 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:40.639 the shopping district Love that area, and I am I'm 91 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:43.920 confronted by a really nice young lady who I've helped 92 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:46.279 describe as a clipboard warrior. You've seen them out there 93 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:48.680 that's got their clipboards and they're trying to get you 94 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:50.759 to sign something or to fill something out. 95 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:54.560 So I'm talking with her. There's a whole story about 96 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:55.600 my conversation with her. 97 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:58.680 But about fifteen minutes into our conversation, or I think, 98 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:00.560 she starts to realize, oh my gosh, maybe I'm on 99 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:06.000 the wrong side of the clipboard here she I hear, help, help, help, 100 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:09.319 And I look up and I see two homeless people 101 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:14.399 grappling on the sidewalk in front of one of the 102 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:16.319 coffee shops that I don't think I think just went 103 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:20.920 out of business in the past week. And he's screaming help. 104 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:23.439 So why, I say, all right, I was awesome talking. 105 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:26.319 Excuse me for a minute. Someone's calling for help. 106 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:27.240 It's uh. 107 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:31.360 My wife hates it, like it's my instinct if someone's 108 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:34.319 in an emergency and asking for help to go investigate. 109 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:35.519 So I go. 110 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:38.639 I walk up, and I see these two homeless guys 111 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:40.360 on the ground, one on top of the other. Someone's 112 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:44.160 calling for help, and I'll never forget. I set my 113 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:46.920 backpack down. I start to walk over and one of 114 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:49.079 the shop owners steps in front of me, puts her 115 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:52.120 hand on my chest says, no, stop, just just stay 116 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:52.519 out of it. 117 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:57.839 Let them finish. And I was like, uh no, so. 118 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:00.120 I lightly just kind of push her hand to the 119 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.199 other side. I straddled both of them. I did like 120 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:06.240 the weapons inspection, like, okay, I'm seeing knives on seething. 121 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:10.000 I grabbed the guy on top, got him into a 122 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:12.560 hole to kind of secure him, and it was like 123 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:15.800 a glass wall was broken because at that moment, three 124 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:16.279 or four. 125 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:18.560 Other guys jumped into help them, right right, And. 126 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:23.160 So we pull them apart, we extract them, we de escalate. 127 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:26.560 We one of the ladies there says, I've called the police. 128 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:27.319 They're on their way. 129 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:32.480 Five minutes past, ten minutes past, the guy who was 130 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:36.959 the attacker just gets up, walks away. Yeah, another five 131 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.240 minutes past, another ten minutes past, the guy who was 132 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:40.480 being attacked, I just turned him. 133 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:42.120 I'm like, I don't think they're coming, dude. 134 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:44.759 And so we're all looking at each other like we 135 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:47.399 don't think the police aren't The police aren't coming, and 136 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:49.439 so we all just leave. 137 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:52.959 Taylor. This this is we call this is this is. 138 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:54.800 I want to a couple of things about that story 139 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:58.000 that I want to just interrupt really quickly. You, first 140 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.680 of all, running towards danger, congrats ands off to you, 141 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.240 And I think that a lot of your neighbors needed 142 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.360 you to break that glass, right because they don't want 143 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:08.079 to be the first one in, but they will help 144 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:12.759 if someone else jumps in. Secondarily, that instinct will be 145 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:15.639 beaten out of you when nothing ever happens at the 146 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:17.800 end of it. You know what I'm saying, Like the 147 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:20.959 police not bothering to respond. And I know Denver police 148 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:24.720 has been undermanned, understaffed for a long time now, but 149 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:28.759 to your point, when it feels like they're not even trying, 150 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:34.480 it beats the instincts in citizens like you to try 151 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:35.040 and help. 152 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.040 That's very frustrating to me. 153 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:43.560 Yeah, it changes like if we were like kind of 154 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:45.560 focused on what's the light at the end of the tunnel. 155 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:48.120 It does not involve law enforcement. 156 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:51.120 And I think that's good to know, at least in 157 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:54.160 my experience back to back, which is why we get 158 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:56.639 into my email all of these things that I'm seeing. 159 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:58.240 We've stopped calling the police. 160 00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:02.839 And fact, after some of this stuff has happened, my 161 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:04.759 wife and I spoke, we said, well, shall we call 162 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:06.839 the police, Like what would be the point? Like, yeah, 163 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.639 file report online, like they're not going to do anything, 164 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.000 not going to show. Well, I was at Walmart in Lakewood, 165 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:20.000 and they have a fully like clothed, vested armed police 166 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.240 officer that is on duty there. 167 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:24.480 And so I had. 168 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.040 Overheard him talking to one of the guys that worked 169 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:29.120 there about something with the holidays and his wife. And 170 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:31.720 so after he was done talking, I approached him. I said, hey, man, 171 00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:35.919 I had a question as like a husband, and. 172 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:37.399 I don't know if you have kids. Is me talking 173 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:38.360 out if you have kids? 174 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:40.159 But it's like a husband and as a father, like, 175 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:43.399 here's some things that are happening, what what do I do, 176 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:47.679 Like if i'm if, I'm if one of my responsibilities 177 00:08:47.720 --> 00:08:49.919 is the safety and the protection of my of my 178 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.240 family and property. 179 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:53.200 What do I do? 180 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:57.200 And he says, well, you could, and he talks about 181 00:08:57.240 --> 00:09:02.559 calling and reporting, and I responded, I said, man, none 182 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:05.600 of that, none of your answers. Did I hear any 183 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:09.000 confidence in what you were saying? Yeah, I like, give 184 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:12.639 me an answer. You're confident and no joke. He looks 185 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:16.320 me up and down. He goes, well, I think given 186 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:19.120 what you're wearing, you could probably have a concealed fire arm. 187 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:22.879 You should probably go that route because and this is 188 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:26.639 a quote unquote unfortunately that's where we are. 189 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.679 Dang so you know, So, how did you are? You 190 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:33.799 sent this to your landlord? The letter, and again I 191 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:35.919 linked to it on the blog, so if people want 192 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:37.720 to go read the whole thing. But I think anybody 193 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:42.639 who lives in Denver who has been continually gaslt about 194 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:44.639 what is actually happening in neighborhoods, and that's one of 195 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:45.960 the reasons I wanted to have you on. 196 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:47.159 I need more. 197 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:50.200 Denver Rights to come forward with their story because what 198 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.000 I think is happening is that a lot of people 199 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:55.720 feel very isolated when they are experiencing some of these things. 200 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:59.360 They don't want to be the neighbor to call the police, 201 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:01.279 or they don't want to be that neighbor that seems 202 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:04.399 judgmental or whatever. There's a whole bunch of like social 203 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:07.840 pressures that go into this. But I think that Denver 204 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:10.120 Rights have to stand up and say this is enough. 205 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:12.639 We're not going to put up with us anymore. What 206 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:14.679 did your landlord say when he read the letter or 207 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:15.440 she read the letter? 208 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:19.440 Uh, well, no joke. 209 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:23.639 I got their response, Uh just before we start our call. 210 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:24.840 So I have not read it yet. 211 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:27.879 Oh God, surely they know. 212 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:30.279 I mean, surely if they own the properties, they know 213 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:33.039 what's going on in the neighborhood, you know, and it's 214 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:36.639 got to be incredibly infuriating for the landlords who are 215 00:10:36.759 --> 00:10:40.559 who are probably understanding of your position while also needing to, 216 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:43.840 you know, keep keep people in their in their properties. 217 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:47.240 So it's you know, it's a very difficult situation. And 218 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:49.720 where are you looking to move to? Have you even 219 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:50.320 thought about it? 220 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.759 We want to get some more closer to golden Yeah. 221 00:10:56.799 --> 00:10:59.960 So one of the things and I have got so much, 222 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:03.600 there's so much to share here, but I've one of 223 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:08.080 the things I've seen is that wealth disparity is a 224 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:12.200 precursor to violence. And when the people who run your 225 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:16.480 city import an immense amount of people in a different 226 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:22.840 socioeconomic bracket, violence is inevitable. And uh, for the for 227 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:25.720 the first time ever, And I and just like young 228 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:28.559 me can't even believe I'm saying anything like this is 229 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:31.320 I need my family and my family we need to 230 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:33.399 be at a place with there is not wealth disparity, 231 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:37.960 because what ends up happening is when you bring in poverty, 232 00:11:38.120 --> 00:11:42.480 you import poverty, it makes. 233 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:46.679 For a good justification for violence. Oh they stole your jacket, Yeah, 234 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.840 but they couldn't afford one. Yeah, they hurt and broke 235 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:52.399 into your house. Yeah, but that's because they don't have one. 236 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:54.360 So once you end up in a situation. 237 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:58.600 Where, uh, you have really good reasons for really bad things, 238 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:02.799 it gets it's really hard because and we've I think 239 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:06.000 felt this just more generally over the past at least 240 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:09.120 four or or more years, where it's like just saying 241 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:12.440 common sense things can get you attacked, like hey, maybe 242 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.639 we shouldn't be like stealing things from little girls. 243 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:16.320 Yeah. 244 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.879 But then when the response is yeah, but those people 245 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:23.919 have nothing, you start this debate of justifying aggression, violence 246 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:28.279 and theft, and and so I actually think I might 247 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.840 I kind of think the situation Denver is in is 248 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:38.480 really interesting because the people that run Denver no doubt 249 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:44.200 have a good reason, noble purpose for everything they're doing. Unfortunately, 250 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:48.559 my family and my family safety is the sacrifice, and 251 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:52.960 I believe they believe it is a worthy sacrifice. It's 252 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:56.720 okay if a middle income, middle American family has to 253 00:12:56.840 --> 00:13:01.600 run because we were able to house x amount of 254 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.919 people or feed y amount of people. And there's this 255 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:09.679 false dichotomy that I think a lot of people, especially 256 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:12.919 I would describe as the political class, get themselves in 257 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:17.080 where they think that the sacrifice of the average citizen 258 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:18.639 is a worthy sacrifice. 259 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:21.759 So it's like, I don't even know. I don't think 260 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:22.639 that they don't know. 261 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:24.919 Well. I think they just see it and go, yeah, 262 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:27.879 but you've had a great life, So let me give 263 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:29.080 someone who needs it more. 264 00:13:29.320 --> 00:13:32.000 Let me give you a little more perspective from perhaps 265 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:34.240 further down on the right side of the aisle, just 266 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:35.639 to give you a little bit of this. 267 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:37.399 I think you're absolutely right. 268 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:42.639 That people are justifying criminal behavior because of the circumstances 269 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:45.559 of the people that are committing it. However, most of 270 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:48.480 the time those people are not being impacted on a 271 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:52.720 daily basis they themselves, And I would say that my 272 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:55.240 frustration with the City of Denver. First of all, I 273 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:59.679 think they're pursuing some measures that are short term effective 274 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:02.200 at one thing, long term failures and others. When we're 275 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.279 talking about housing, people living on the streets and things 276 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:06.639 of that nature. I would do all this differently, just 277 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:09.360 to get that out there. But that being said, you're right, 278 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:14.279 their intentions are very very good. Their intentions are that 279 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:16.840 they want to prove that we are a welcoming city. 280 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:18.320 We are a welcoming country. 281 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:21.279 But they do so because they're not living with the 282 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:23.480 daily impacts that you and your family are living with. 283 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:25.279 And that's the frustration and the. 284 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:29.399 Disconnect, and that is what Denver rights across the spectrum 285 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:32.720 who are dealing with this need to be emboldened and say, 286 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:36.559 we too, are compassionate. Nobody wants the family to starve, 287 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.120 nobody wants the family to suffer. You can look at 288 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:41.320 some of these people coming across the border with little 289 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:43.679 children and your heartbreaks, but you. 290 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.759 Also have to enforce the rule of law. 291 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:49.559 Because those people are being victimized too. Right, it's not 292 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:52.960 just white middle class Americans. We've seen what's happened in 293 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:56.720 these apartment complexes. We're the same people that we're supposed 294 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:57.799 to feel sorry for are the. 295 00:14:57.720 --> 00:14:59.080 Ones being victimized. 296 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:02.200 So we we have to get back to establishing the 297 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:05.279 rule of law and order so we can have a 298 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:08.840 society that is capable of supporting the people that need 299 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:11.879 our help, because what happens is the schism starts to 300 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.120 happen where normally people who would one hundred percent say 301 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:17.960 this is great, we're compassionate, we want these people here. 302 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.799 Then go, but wait a minute, my daughter's scooter just 303 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:22.519 got stolen. 304 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.960 So your heart starts to turn, your. 305 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:27.120 Heart starts to harden, and that in the long run 306 00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:29.440 becomes a huge problem for the very people that we're 307 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:33.000 here to help. So to your point, I think you're 308 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:36.559 totally right. You're absolutely right that there are justifications being 309 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:40.960 made for this criminal activity. Whether it is they're addicted, 310 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:43.600 it's mental illness, so they can't help it. 311 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:46.039 Great, then we need to help them. We need to 312 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:46.840 help these people. 313 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.200 We need to do this, but we need to do 314 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.120 it in a way that doesn't sacrifice our own safety 315 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.120 as a community. And I think that's kind of what 316 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:56.200 you just said in a different perspective. 317 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:57.399 So, you know, so. 318 00:15:59.000 --> 00:15:59.600 What are you. 319 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:01.240 Looking to do now? 320 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:02.960 You said you want to move closer to golden but 321 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:06.759 that ultimately doesn't necessarily solve the problem. 322 00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:08.639 Did you put this why did you put this letter out? 323 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:09.639 Let me ask that question. 324 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:16.240 Yeah, I think, well, so, I think there's a part 325 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:22.960 of me that is hopelessly optimistic, and I've seen that 326 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:26.159 in the process of solving a problem, it has to 327 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.039 start with discussions, and. 328 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:30.399 So let's talk. 329 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:38.200 And I think the problem is a major problem is 330 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:43.559 that there's no way to talk about this without being 331 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:48.840 embroiled in the ideological battle of our time, and so 332 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:53.120 what happens is I am I would say if anybody 333 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:58.440 very apolitical, I actually haven't even voted since Obama the 334 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:00.600 first time. I have a lot of reason for why 335 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:03.159 that was my I'm out of this moment. 336 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:06.160 Yeah, a lot of people feel that way sometimes. 337 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:09.279 Yeah, But you know, does this inspire you to pay 338 00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:11.279 more attention at least at the local level. And this 339 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:13.240 is something I talk about on the show, Like I 340 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:15.920 could talk about federal elections all day every day, But 341 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:18.720 the reality is the people we put on the city council, 342 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.759 the people we put on the school board, the people 343 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.440 we put in these boards and commissions at the local 344 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:26.039 level have far more impact on your day to day 345 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:28.480 life than anybody at the federal level. 346 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:28.839 You know. 347 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.359 It's like the people whoever's president is going to have 348 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:34.680 way less impact on you as a citizen of Denver 349 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:38.359 than the Denver City Council or or the Denver Police Department, 350 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:41.079 like finding out what's going on there. So I'm really 351 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:43.200 glad and I hope that this inspires you to be 352 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:47.440 a little more engaged, because you're great at presenting what's 353 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:49.519 going on in a way that I think a lot 354 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:52.599 of people would go, yeah, that's pretty damn accurate. That's 355 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:55.119 what's happening in our communities, and we don't know what 356 00:17:55.160 --> 00:17:57.319 to do about it. 357 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.920 Yeah, well I will say, yeah, we give a little 358 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.559 like a little framing as a thought experiment, because it'll 359 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:08.799 really capture what I'm facing when I talk when I 360 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:13.839 speak about this stuff. So, okay, imagine this. Imagine we 361 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:16.480 went to a time machine. We jump back three four 362 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:20.680 hundred years into into the UK and the and the 363 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:24.200 ideological battle the time was Protestants and Catholics. 364 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:26.880 So imagine we go and we talk to someone. 365 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:30.359 And and they ask us, well, do you think that 366 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:33.160 a married couple should be allowed to get a divorce? 367 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:36.240 And we would say yeah, and they would respond. 368 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.079 With what are you Protestant? 369 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:40.599 And it's like, well, no, no, no, I'm a time 370 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:44.319 traveler from the future who's not captured by the ideological 371 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:47.400 battle of your time. Okay, so fast forward to today. 372 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:51.039 I say things and someone says, what are you a 373 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.559 Republican or what are you a Democrat? And I go, no, 374 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:55.599 it might be best to think of me as a 375 00:18:55.640 --> 00:18:58.519 time traveler from the picture who is not captured by 376 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:02.079 the ideological battle of our time. I do not care 377 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:05.920 what your belief system is. I care that, like I'm 378 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:08.799 having to get a can sealed carry license now, and 379 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.200 that I'm not the only dad in a group of 380 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:14.960 fathers that I hang out with now and again talking 381 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:16.960 about the armed defense of our family. 382 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:19.079 Yeah, and so I. 383 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:21.599 Can't speak about this without being called the amount of 384 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:24.759 times that's something Republican would say. 385 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:28.039 What does that have to do with anything? 386 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:33.839 Yeah, Well, as a go ahead, I say, it just 387 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:37.559 kills the conversation because once I'm an out group, I 388 00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:41.079 can be branded and villainized, and then there is no 389 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:42.119 conversation to be at. 390 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:43.920 Taylor, That's what I am seeing. 391 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:46.200 Taylor Ramiro is my guest. I would strongly are. 392 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:47.759 Do you to go look at his letter to his 393 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:49.559 landlord about why he wants to move out of the 394 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:52.359 Highlands after living there for almost a decade. Taylor, I 395 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.440 think you are great at this conversation. I'm so happy 396 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:58.160 I reached out to you, because again, I just want 397 00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:01.400 to empower people to feel like they can say things 398 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:04.160 are not okay and we need to fix it. Things 399 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:06.279 are not okay, and this is you know, we need 400 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:07.640 to make Denver great again. 401 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:09.400