Rep. Wesley Hunt:
"I can assure you that my four year old and my two year old daughters will not change in front of biological men. This is ridiculous."
I was born and raised in Denver. I love my city.
Unfortunately, since some drugs (marijuana and, later on, psychedelics) were legalized here, things have gone from bad to worse. I’m convinced that much of the massive homelessness epidemic in Denver is connected with drug use, not economics. I go downtown consistently to minister to the homeless and can testify to this.
Scattered syringes, the distinct smell of weed and the testimony of the homeless themselves are strong witnesses to this truth. Many move to Colorado for the drugs. People are overdosing and dying as a result.
Legalizing SOME drugs seems to have increased the massive influx of ALL drugs. According to an article in the Denver Post today almost 1800 people died in Colorado last year of overdose, many of them young and people of color.
Much of this is due to the opioid Fentanyl.
Now government agencies and non profits are convening and conspiring what to do to solve the problem. That’s good. But, in many ways that’s like a committee meeting on the beach trying to figure out why the tide has receded so much. The answer is simple, an earthquake has struck deep in the ocean and a tsunami is coming.
When drugs were legalized in Colorado the earthquake struck and now the first waves of the tsunami are here. Until these kinds of drugs are outlawed completely we will continue to experience wave after wave of death, destruction, crime and homelessness.
As someone who works with teenagers I pray our government leaders (and the leaders in cities like Portland and others) look up from their beachfront committee meetings and see the next tidal waves coming realize how they started and what needs to be done to stop it.
Meanwhile I’ll continue to pray for, care for and evangelize the homeless in downtown Denver no matter what happens.