ValerieMitchell

ValerieMitchell

83p

123 comments posted · 0 followers · following 0

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder dispatchers: 5... · 3 replies · +8 points

Thank you for the correction, Daily Camera!

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder dispatchers: 5... · 1 reply · +20 points

Please Daily Camera update this article, that hole was no where near 6 feet deep. I live at Red Oak Park and saw it before he got stuck. A six year old could stand in it with his head above ground. The hole was very narrow and definitely NOT 6 feet deep, more like 3 feet. He had his head near the surface and could see all of us, he just couldn't get his feet unstuck. He was scared, of course, but Sammy's a trooper and the Boulder police department and firefighters and EMTs worked their butts off to get him out. Feel better Sammy, see you on the playground soon!

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Attention Homes sponso... · 1 reply · +4 points

Wow. I can see the plausibility of what you're saying, however, there are kids that Attention Homes deals with that are victims of neglect and abuse and the addictions and handicaps of their parents, they're not gaming the system, no kid's gonna pick the system over a family that loves them. They're not out there finding ways to live the good life off of food stamps and WIC, they've been raised in completely screwed up environments that most people couldn't even conceive of. They've been beaten down their whole lives, ignored or tormented, physically harmed or sexually abused and they end up at Attention Homes for a multitude of reasons. Attention Homes is full of people that give a damn about these kids, Boulder is lucky to have a place that concentrates on those among us without a voice, nor a shield.

Your point is well taken and not denied, but it's not fair to those that use Attention Homes as a safe haven to label them all as degenerates ie- punks, brats, etc. They are the victims of their environments and pretty innocent of the condition of their upbringing. You want to frame it as every kid's in it to win it, but it's not the case. These kids have stories that would blow your mind, you can't imagine what they've learned to cope with in the household, they didn't ask for any of it, they didn't deserve the crappy hand life dealt them. When the bottom finally falls out, Attention Homes is a net for them. Don't take away the net by being pissed at those gaming the system, mend the holes, but tighten the net and support the mission.

And from what I've learned over the past few years of studying this topic, homeless kids sleep on their friend's couches, they sleep with relatives, in cars with their siblings or around town in hidden spots like the rest of the homeless population. They're surviving, not conniving. And sadly, homeless teens put themselves at risk for rape and abuse because they're desperate to find a place to stay or they feel indebted to those providing shelter. Stop and imagine the worst kinds of parents, the ones you read about in the paper, throw a baby girl into the mix and fast forward 10-12 years, then take that preteen and imagine her getting thrown out of the house, now she's sitting prey for anyone that wants to control her. Homeless teen girls = easy target for prostitution rings. These kids didn't deserve what they got, when they finally come to society with stalled development and years of trauma and little trust in the world that surrounds them, it's heartbreaking more than it's a sham. Be mad at the few, but understand that the many are there to survive, don't cut the lifeline.

Attention Homes is an unsung hero of Boulder IMO.

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Circumcision decision ... · 0 replies · +16 points

So glad you wrote this article! Tara and I were neighbors and used to talk about this topic a lot, I know it was a hard thing to explain to her family but I also know that she respects her son's body and his own connection to god.

Simply put, if you wouldn't do it to your daughter, you shouldn't do it to your son. Period.

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Accused \'potty-peeper... · 0 replies · +1 points

well done

12 years ago @ elephant journal: Yoga... - Believing in A Higher ... · 0 replies · +1 points

oh it'll be "god's plan" what a load of BS

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder council suppor... · 16 replies · -10 points

Your Grandparents didn't get a new bag every time they went to the store, they survived just fine. We know plastic bags are wasteful and harmful to the environment, so why are people defending them? No one is saying you can't use a bag, just bring one from home like millions of people have done before you or pay for it. You'll waste more energy complaining about it than it takes to grab a bag out of the closet and bring it with you to the store. Tweak your habits, it's a pain free and simple thing to do and it actually has an impact on the world around you. Drop the Bag Boulder! (or at least pay for it!)

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Councilwoman: Consider... · 0 replies · +16 points

I agree with Mark- Really?

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder to remove old-... · 0 replies · +4 points

I agree, there are only a handful of deciduous trees that are native to our high plains desert, and cottonwoods are one of them. They definitely don't last as long as other deciduous trees, but they're native.

12 years ago @ Daily Camera.com: - Boulder to remove old-... · 1 reply · +3 points

They're listed as native, one of the only native deciduous trees in CO. hmmmmm