A saying has always graced the banner of one of Denver's daily newspapers. "'Tis a privilege to live in Colorado."  Voters in the state must stand and defend their quality of life now.

Coloradoans back in the day voted Republican, and the state was red because of them.  Today's voters can do the same.

Last night, my husband Peter and I were among people who have the guts not only to protect the quality of life in Colorado, but to improve it with their votes.  We were with Black conservatives for a meet-and-greet for Heidi Ganahl and Danny Moore, who are running for governor and lieutenant governor. 

Black conservatives get abuse from all sides — from Democrats who hate them for being conservatives, from Republican establishment types who don't know how to support them, from white liberals who can't figure out why these Black people are not with them.

We are proud to call Black conservatives our friends.  They are courageous.

So many people — of all shapes, sizes, occupations, colors, faiths — have come to this state because it is a privilege to live here.  They have stayed because they love the state.

My family came in the late 1800s.  Before the turn of the century, my great-grandparents graduated from Denver high schools.  (I have their senior pictures.)  My family members were always Republicans who voted for a strong and free Colorado.  The Boomer generation went Democrat, unfortunately.  I woke up from the bad dream and became a Republican.  I've always loved my state and still do.

The song "Colorado" by Chuck Pyle tugs at my heart.  It says, "Colorado, everywhere I go, I'm in your shadow; you're calling to me.  Colorado, sun melts the snow, makes the rivers flow to the sea."

I also love hearing John Denver sing "Rocky Mountain High, Colorado."

It has been such a good life in Colorado.  Some of us have trouble leaving even when our children opt to live in big cities on the left and right coasts.

But Democrats have damaged Colorado.  When Jared Polis and his wealthy friends took over the state with The Blueprint they financed, when Polis used his dollars to get himself elected to Congress and then to become governor, it was the beginning of a downhill slide.

Now here we are in a valley, a gully, a dry gulch.

Democrats have given Colorado higher crime and inflation.  They have enabled abortion in all nine months of pregnancy and created all-day kindergarten, but not kept up our children's education, to the point where 60 percent can't read at grade level.  At the same time, they have pushed woke agendas undercover in schools.  They have let our roads get run down.  They have attacked the energy sector in our state and damaged our economy but good.  They have ruined the prospects of our youth to the point where the suicide rate has gone higher and higher.  They have enabled the influx of fentanyl, which is killing many, many people of all ages. 

Democrats made Colorado a sanctuary state for illegal aliens.  Wouldn't it be better if we went back to being a sanctuary for Coloradoans, where they can feel safe and be free?  Shouldn't it be a sanctuary for other Americans who want to come to the state to ski or to fish and hike, who want to spend time in nature at fourteen thousand feet?

Also, Democrats made the state a sanctuary for LGTB et cetera.  Unfortunately, that group of people never seems satisfied.  They are always pushing, pushing, pushing other Coloradoans.  For example, they are all about the gay pride parade and enabling that group to live freely, but at the same time, they persecute a fellow Coloradoan who doesn't want to bake a cake celebrating a same-sex ceremony or gender transition.  Isn't that a little bit ungrateful and a lot hypocritical?

Life in Colorado has always been live and let live; you could live in the state as you wanted, as long as you were not hurting anyone else.  Now leftist Democrats want Colorado to be live and you'd better like the way we live, or we'll destroy you.  For example, you don't just see the gay pride flags for the designated month anymore; you see gay flags with the Colorado symbol up for month after month, even when the homeowners go on vacation.  (At least this happened on the block where we live in suburban Littleton.) 

Colorado voters who have had enough should vote Republican down the ticket.

We'll have to watch and see if they do.  Will they stand with the old-time Republicans?  Will they stand with the Black conservatives as they protect our state and help her heal today?

C.S. Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC.

Image: Free-Photos via Pixabay, Pixabay License.