Concerned about the latest initiative re big cat hunting? Here's what you can do. At least one high school is bringing back shop. Good on 'em. And, because it's Friday, patchwork trucks and Kintsugi.
A brand new initiative just now taking its first steps.
A reader (a hunter) shared the Outdoor Life article below with me and I wanted to share it with you. I wanted to share because, while I'm not a hunter, I am getting tired of what I take to be the "camel's nose under the tent tactics of the animal rights people.
Meaning, I am tired of them nibbling around the edges, making this or that tiny thing illegal until we wake up one day and find that animals now have constitutional rights and bacon is outlawed.
Besides that, I also wanted to share it because the reader had asked what could be done about this and that provides me a chance to run (in brief) through the initiative process so you know what you can do should you want to speak up on this or on some other issue close to your heart.
I'll mix the two as I go.
Let's start here. The second link below is to the first announcement of the proposed initiative. This page is an offshoot of the CO General Assembly's page and that's because this is where initiatives start. They go first to a legislative committee and a legal committee attached to the legislature for suggestions on wording and to make sure there are no problems.
Take a look at screenshot 1 attached for the language off the page. Fancier way to say the above.
For example, and I'm not a lawyer here so I present this not as an example of an ACTUAL problem, merely as the kind of issue that would fall under the purview of this group, take a look at screenshot 2 attached (from the text of the proposed initiative). The legal committee might take exception to the wording there (about civil penalties someone who shot, say, a bobcat would face IN ADDITION to threats to their license). Maybe it violates some other section or procedure in Colorado law and thus needs to be fixed so it matches.
This meeting, the one between initiative sponsors and the legislative committees over their comments on the proposal language, is public. This is not a chance for public comment though: the public is not allowed to comment at this meeting. In other words, you can listen to the session, but can't speak up.
You can, however, speak up starting at the next steps. When the initiative clears this group, it goes to the Title Board.
At the Title Board hearing, it will go before representatives of the AG's office, the SOS's office, and the Office of Legislative Legal Services. They discuss the language in the bill and also discuss whether it meets Colorado's Single Subject Rule. In particular, they consider whether the language in the question adequately represents the changes to law and whether the language in the question would be understandable to voters.
What they do NOT do is decide whether or not this is a good idea. If you are going to speak up, keep this in mind. Take a look at screenshot 3 for an example (maybe a poor one, but an example). It is also from the ballot language.
The part underlined in red is wrong in my view, but saying that's wrong would be for voters and not the Title Board to decide. The part underlined in black could be a potential line of attack. I think it could be reasonable to say that the average voter might not understand from the top lines of the initiative that prior to using lethal methods to protect cattle, a rancher would have to use non-lethal methods first and have them fail. Knowing that (or not) might influence voters. You could then argue that it needs to be more prominently displayed.
To wrap up, if this issue is a concern, your first step is to either watch the SOS's initiative tracker page so you can speak up at a Title Board hearing (or send them written comment). I linked it third below for convenience. You can also sign up for email updates if you prefer so you don't have to check back all the time.
If the issue DOES make it out to get signatures, you fight it then.
And then lastly if it makes the ballot, you attend and speak up at blue book hearings. First things first though, start with the Title Board. Speak up here because these small boards rarely hear from more than a couple people. A concerted effort by many will be especially striking here.
I frequently watch Title Board stuff (I'm on the email blast list) so I will update as I hear more. As I said above, this is one I want to work against and I hope you join me on that. If you get wind of something prior to me, let me know
If hunting is not your thing but some other issue initiative is, remember the general principles re. the title board. Sign up for updates, watch, and speak up.
https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/mountain-lion-hunting-ban-petition-colorado/?utm_term=ODL%20-%20092523&utm_campaign=Outdoor%20Life_Newsletter_Actives&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email
https://leg.colorado.gov/content/prohibit-trophy-hunting
https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/
Elizabeth HS bringing back shop?!
Glad to hear it.
I am old enough to have now seen the phasing out of shop classes and their phasing back in. I guess the old joke I have heard about teaching is true (this joke probably applies to more fields, but I've always heard it in the context of education): stick around long enough and we'll eventually get back to teaching the way we did when you started.
When I was entering middle school, shop was on the way out. The last gasps of it were what I took. I forget the name but it was something like "technology class" and it was supposed to be a merging of shop with computers and etc. Decent class. I don't remember much, but I have no bad memories of it.
I had wanted to learn how to weld for a long time and was looking forward to metal shop in high school. By the time I got to high school metal shop was no more. Wood shop followed after a year or so.
That is what motivated me to enroll in the program my high school offered where I could go to vocational school on the district's dime. I did and took a couple years' worth of welding through TH Pickens School in Aurora.
Apparently shop's on the way back but not at my old district. It's coming back in Elizabeth, CO (see the video linked first below) and I'm glad to see it. I don't know how well it will prepare students for a vocational career, but I am hoping it will ignite an interest in the trades among our young folks.
What do you do if you're not in a school district that offers shop?
What I'd recommend you do is exactly what I did when I was younger: talk to your school (counselor, principal, whoever would help with such things at your school) about opportunities for concurrent enrollment. That is, opportunities where you can still be in high school and take high school classes, but spend part of the day at trade school.
Besides places like TH Pickens in Aurora many community colleges (like mine) around the state have concurrent enrollment programs in their CTE (career and trade education) programs.
Already past high school? I got you. There are, of course, programs at the local community colleges, but I want to bend your ear about apprenticeship programs (see the second link below for a good example and the names of some things you can look into).
Those have the benefit of being paid; that is, you get to make money while you're learning.
If you know of someone either in high school or out of it who's considering a trade or unsure of what they want to do, let them know about the above.
https://ngazette.com/a-fair-trade-swapping-college-debt-for-a-reliable-career/
Patchwork pickup ...
It's that time in the week again. Last one on a Friday so prepare for something for fun and not related to politics.
Something new this time. I will be busy this weekend and so this is the last one til Monday not just Sunday.
Have you ever driven a patchwork car, by this I mean one that has mismatched colors due to replaced body panels or doors (see the attached picture of a pickup off the internet for a sample)?
I did. Back in the day I drove a 1971 Plymouth Satellite Custom (see the attached picture of said car off the internet—mine was white). This was literally a grandma car: not only was it huge, but I also bought it from my grandma.
It was also a patchwork car after an accident. The car was originally all white but the only driver's side front fender I could find was a rusty blue so that's what she got.
The other day on the way to work I saw a patchwork truck that was fabulous with a capital F. The original color was red, but the driver had replaced the driver's side door and front driver's side fender with yellow parts off a donor truck.
Not content to merely replace them, however, this gentleman added a rainbow-trailing shooting star across the mismatched body panels. I got a good chuckle out of this: live your best life man. If they don't match, make that a virtue!
All of this put me in mind of the Japanese art of Kintsugi (see the Wikipedia page below if you're not familiar). This is the one where you, when you repair, say, a broken piece of pottery, you do your repair outlined in gold, highlighting the repair because it gives character and makes you who you are.
I think that I'm going to take this concept forward now, using the truck as inspiration.
If I have another mismatched car, I'm going to highlight that mismatch. My next scar will be lined in gold.
I hope you got a chuckle out of it too. Have a good Friday and back at it Monday!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi