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      District 10 Denver City Councilman Chris Hinds, PDA National Advisory Board Chair Donna Smith, candidate for Denver District 4 Tony Pigford, Denverite and PDA member Larry Smith, and Denver candidate at large Sarah Parady

      When Courage and Love Smash Unexpected Barriers

      The gentle soul and thoughtful man I know as Councilman Chris Hinds was able to take the moment of personal humiliation and struggle and turn it into a vibrant teachable moment for millions of people.

      Donna Smith
      Mar 04, 2023

      You may not have seen the news or you may have forgotten all about it by now. Last month, Denver City Councilman and candidate for re-election Chris Hinds was forced to crawl up onto the stage for a scheduled debate or forfeit the matching election funds from the city. The story drew attention not only locally but throughout the country and even globally. Councilman Hinds has used a wheelchair since 2008 when an accident left him paralyzed from the chest down.

      Many people have wondered why any person would feel forced or compelled to respond as he did to the barrier presented. I didn’t. Our society remains grossly and intentionally uninformed about what it is like to face physical barriers due to a disability. We passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, the ADA, 29 years ago yet we still build and maintain most buildings and even our cities to accommodate people without physical disabilities. Often, until a property’s owner is confronted by a legal challenge to become ADA compliant, barriers remain unchanged.

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      people with disabilities
      Condemning Police Conduct as 'Disgusting,' Federal Judge Bars Denver Cops From Using Chemical Weapons on Protesters

      Condemning Police Conduct as 'Disgusting,' Federal Judge Bars Denver Cops From Using Chemical Weapons on Protesters

      "Citizens should never have to fear peaceful protest on the basis of police retaliation, especially not when protesting that very same police violence."

      Jake Johnson
      Jun 06, 2020

      A federal judge late Friday issued a temporary order barring the Denver Police Department from using projectiles and chemical weapons such as tear gas against peaceful demonstrators, condemning the conduct of some officers against protesters across the nation in recent days as "disgusting."

      "The time is past to rely solely on the good faith and discretion of the Denver Police Department and its colleagues from other jurisdictions," wrote Judge R. Brooke Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado in his 11-page order (pdf). "The Denver Police Depart. has failed in its duty to police its own."

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      Democratic Socialist Lawmaker Persuades Fellow Denver City Council Members to End Contracts With For-Profit Prison Operators

      Democratic Socialist Lawmaker Persuades Fellow Denver City Council Members to End Contracts With For-Profit Prison Operators

      "Still think local elections don't matter?"

      Julia Conley
      Aug 08, 2019

      Two for-profit prison operators lost a combined $10.6 million in contracts after a progressive councilwoman convinced her fellow members of the Denver City Council to end the city's involvement with Core Civic and the GEO Group.

      City councilor Candi CdeBaca, who won her seat in June after campaigning on a Democratic Socialist platform, organized community members to speak out Monday against the two companies' contracts with the city, under which they have long operated six halfway houses in Denver.

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