Great to see people going beyond politics, ‘breaking bread’ together
UP to those on both ends of the political spectrum who are working to find common ground and see each other as people, rather than adversaries.
The most heartwarming example of this was when protesters on both sides of a Sept. 13 demonstration at the state Capitol came together over pizza. Donnie Crerar, Joe Ramirez and others showed what can happen when we take a breath and talk with one another.
The “I prefer my I.C.E. crushed” rally didn’t start that way. Like the nearly weekly demonstrations that came before it, there were anti-Trump demonstrators on the Capitol side of 24th Street, with counter-protesters across the street. When Dillon Williams chose to dance with his Palestinian flag in front of Mr. Crerar and his group, the war of words briefly escalated.
For whatever reason, in the midst of these verbal skirmishes, Mr. Crerar took a step toward de-escalation and apologized to Mr. Williams, who returned the apology and asked for a hug. Mr. Crerar handed his AR-style weapon to a friend and hugged Mr. Williams, which kicked off a conversation that led to them crossing the street and talking about things they had in common. Soon, pizza had arrived and the two sides thanked each other for showing up and exercising their First Amendment rights.
Also last week, a new nonprofit, Become a Peacemaker, was announced. The group of Wyoming Christians have a stated objective of returning civility to politics and grounding the public in Christian values.
And earlier this week, Mr. Ramirez’s group, Circle of Cheyenne Citizen Warriors & Friends, announced it had joined with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne to host a potluck today from noon until 3 p.m. at the church, 3005 Thomes Ave.
While there’s potential for these efforts to be short-lived, it’s an encouraging sign that at least some people are growing tired of the constant vitriol in our society, and are willing to step away from their keyboards and engage with one another face to face. We encourage more to join these and other efforts, such as those of Braver Angels and its Laramie County chapter.
We don’t have to agree about everything to have peace, but we all can surely agree that we need more peace these days.
Kudos to Moms for Liberty, LCSD1 for discussing parental involvement
UP to the Laramie County chapter of Moms for Liberty and officials from Laramie County School District 1 for joining together for a panel discussion Sept. 13 about ways parents can get more involved and support teachers in our public schools.
At the Laramie County Library event, a South High School teacher, principal and behavioral intervention specialist, along with the district’s superintendent, discussed how volunteering and consistent communication are always welcomed and encouraged. Panelists added that supporting teachers is more than just showing up to a classroom to assist a teacher; it can also mean helping educators address increasing behavioral issues.
Moms for Liberty Chair Patricia McCoy emphasized that her group is generally a “conservative-facing Christian group,” and this effort should not be partisan. In response to concerns voiced before the event, McCoy said the group has a policy instructing members not to bring their personal beliefs into volunteer settings.
We understand why some people are skeptical, but we applaud both Moms for Liberty and the LCSD1 staff members for engaging in this type of dialogue.
Volunteer inmate labor program good for inmates and community
UP to Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak and Ward 3 City Councilwoman Michelle Aldrich for giving volunteer jail inmates an opportunity to get outside and provide services to the community.
As we first reported last year, Sheriff Kozak got the Inmate Labor Program going as a way to let inmates who pass certain requirements work in the county on supervised projects. Last May, a crew worked to clean and prepare the Burns Cemetery for Memorial Day. On a recent Monday, another group trimmed grass and cleaned up the area surrounding headstones at Cheyenne’s Lakeview Cemetery. They’ve also removed or covered up graffiti near the Greater Cheyenne Greenway in the area of the Sun Valley subdivision.
Councilwoman Aldrich is right when she says, “It’s a good use of resources to utilize them as much as we can, especially for temporary labor.” She’s also correct when she says “… it really gives them an opportunity to get out and do something useful in the community.”
Inmate Joshua Nichols echoed those sentiments, adding, “It feels good, but it’s a double-edged sword at the same time. I shouldn’t have made the decisions that I did. However, this kind of spotlights the fact that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It doesn’t have to be a repeat situation.”
For the cost of lunch from a local eatery, the program can provide even more community beautification work and more hope for those currently behind bars. We’d love to see it used to its maximum potential.
Suicide numbers still too high, but awareness also is increasing
DOWN to Wyoming continuing to be in the top three states with the highest per-capita suicide rates, but UP for the ongoing efforts to reduce those numbers, especially among teens and other young people.
Following a peak in 2021 of 32.5 deaths per 100,000 Cowboy State residents, suicide rates have declined to between 26.3 and 28.2 per 100,000 since 2022. Unfortunately, that still places Wyoming just behind Alaska (28.1 suicides per 100,000 residents) and Montana (26.7 suicides per 100,000 residents).
Before this national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month ends, it’s important to re-evaluate what’s being done and what more can be done to prevent these needless deaths. Gov. Mark Gordon recently renewed his call to action to Wyoming residents to raise awareness and work together to prevent suicides.
While government resources, such as the state-funded 988 Wyoming LifeLine, are important, we also believe churches need to step up and provide faith-based solutions, as well. Studies have shown that a belief in God is a strong buffer against suicidal ideation and action.
Nonprofits and community groups like Cheyenne Frontier Days, with its “Pick-Up Man” campaign, are doing a good job of raising awareness and encouraging those who are struggling to seek help. But awareness only goes so far.
The main thing we each can do is watch for signs of depression, withdrawal from normal activities and other warning signs, and be willing to ask another person how they’re doing, then take the time to genuinely listen.
Only with an all-of-the-above approach will we have any hope of lowering Wyoming’s suicide rate and saving the lives of the people behind the numbers.