by Carolyn Martin (CHEC Director of Government Relations)
Silencing Truth
Glimpses of truth, like beams of sunlight breaking through the clouds, can be seen in our culture despite attempts to silence it. At the Colorado legislature, the efforts to silence truth are encased in attempts to shame the truth tellers by accusing them of violating institutional decorum and cultural sensitivity. According to those in control in the Colorado House, speaking about the biological realities of male and female are akin to claiming the earth is flat. During one debate on the House floor, legislators were told which words they could use to refer to people addicted to drugs — “addict” was strictly forbidden.
The latest attempt to silence the minority was last weekend. Three gun control bills were brought forward for debate on the House floor. After hours of debate, lasting through Friday and reconvening on Saturday, the majority pulled out a little used rule to shut down the minority and silence debate. They then called the House in on Sunday — the Lord’s Day — in order to ramrod the gun bills through the process. Representative Bottoms, a pastor from El Paso County, addressed their shenanigans and was accused of speaking hate.