Editorial: Tough summer brings Colorado together

It has been a rough summer for the state of Colorado. From the fires that burned our beautiful mountains to the tragedy at Century 16 in Aurora, there has been a lot to be sad about around here. However, there is a bright light to look at, but the news media seems to miss it. Through pain, we Coloradans have come together to help each other.
The wildfires put a damper on what looked like a great summer. It seemed like every day a new fire broke out, each becoming bigger than the last one. We looked fine here on the Western Slope until the fire near DeBeque started, which created panic. They had to close I-70 since the fire had become so close to the highway. Luckily for us, the fire was out before it caused too much damage. The biggest fire burned in Colorado Springs, where hundreds of houses were destroyed and many people needed a lot of help.
That help came by the bunches from all over the state. Whether it was car washes to raise money or food and clothing drives, people from the Western slope did so much to help. In news that’s filled with sadness, the local support really makes residents feel good about the people in the community.
On July 20, a gunman walked into the Century 16 movie theater and opened fire during the much anticipated Batman premier. The killer, James Holmes, killed 12 people while shooting a total of 71 people. It was hard to turn off the TV that day as the news just kept coming in.
Although the terrorist brought down the town for the day, the people in that community drew stregth from each other. They knew they had to stick together to get through it. The most notable reachout was the support the players and coaches from the Broncos and Rockies showed. Players like Peyton Manning, Todd Helton and manager Jim Tracy made visits to the hospital rooms to try to put a smile on patients faces.
As I walked through the memorial made outside the theater, I felt all the emotions seeing the flowers and pictures of the victims. Some residents made a big sign that read, “Aurora Still Stands.” That inspired the community.
The other great thing that came from the public outcry was how supportive everyone was to the police. In the moments after the shooting, hundreds of police cars from all corners of the state showed up to the horrific scene. They did great getting everyone who was wounded to the hospital and all other movie-goers to a safe place. In a place where the police get a bad rap, the Aurora people and all other Coloradans gave them all the respect in the world.
Despite a rough summer for everyone here in the community and the state of Colorado, we really did come out stronger than before. The support from everyone really makes you believe in humanity, despite all the negatives you see on the news. As a sign said in Aurora, “Real heroes wear badges, not capes.” Here’s to you, policemen, firefighters and all those who help on a daily basis.

Categorised in: Opinions

This post was written by critedev