IN YOUR OWN WORDS Man! It is already known that we help a lot of rich people get richer, and people in power are fighting pay raises already. I wonder what we’re going to do when we reach the future. There are things that are here already like the selfcheckout lines at the grocery store. Cars that drive themselves will replace Uber drivers, truck drivers, and more. I don’t want to scare people. I just want to give people a heads up on what is coming our way. ■ A Hard Talk WITH SELF BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR LANDO ALLEN. CREDIT: SARAH HARVEY TODAY! BY LANDO ALLEN, VOICE VENDOR I LOOK AT ALL THE PROBLEMS IN OUR COUNTRY, from Q-Anon, to people who are racist and say racist things, trying to put Americans against each other. People who are hungry on keeping power, and the people who get elected by us and don’t do anything to help us when we need them to give us a hand. Personally, I’m tired of the separation stuff they put us through, but once in a while, I hear something that keeps me up at night. Right now, [what keeps me up] is technology that can take people’s jobs. That’s the way of the future, and it got me scared. People are already struggling to get jobs, pay for housing and keep themselves from being homeless. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT MASS SHOOTINGS in the USA. It was very hard to know that where you shop, someone can walk into a store and kill people. When will the madness with guns stop - guns that should never be on our streets? How can we be safe to go about our everyday lives, Self? It could have been me, Self. How can all the shootings keep going on, and no party in government will do anything? Neither side can get it right for us. Why do we have to live in the madness we are put in? You overcame death so many times. Now, Self, you have to be on the lookout, for you may catch a bullet while you’re out shopping. How can that be? How can 20 babies in school get killed? Why can’t we stop making guns for war? Why do we allow people with mental problems to have guns, Self? Five days after [the shooting at the King Soopers in Boulder], I’m waiting for a friend at Collyer Park in Longmont and saw police surround a car at the same time my dog wanted to get out of my car. As I shut my car door, a cop ran and told me I was in the line of fire. He took me to safety, and 15 minutes later, it was over. I couldn’t believe just going to the park I could be in the line of fire. Thank God it came to a peaceful conclusion. RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: CORTNEY TABERNA Then, a few days after that, the Motel 6 in Thornton had a hostage situation for 14 hours. That is the same place my son and daughter happened to be staying. Thankfully, they were on their way back from work when it happened. They were told no one was allowed in or out until it was over. They couldn’t get to their dogs that were in their motel room until later in the night, with the police escorting them. Self, we can’t be so afraid to leave the house, but you must be careful about what and who is around you. Be right with your higher power. Always tell your loved ones how much you love them because you or they may never hear those words ever again. Just think if your last words were hateful. How do you think you or your loved ones would feel? So, Self, be careful. Watch around you and always tell loved ones how much you love them before it’s too late. ■ Subscribe online: NEVER MISS AN ISSUE! DENVERVOICE.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS 12 DENVER VOICE May 2021 Become a Denver VOICE subscriber and get the paper delivered directly to your mailbox every month. Both personal and business subscriptions are available. Your donation goes directly to support our program!
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