Welcome to the Kim Monson Show podcast. Kim Monson is your host. America’s Founders maintained that self-governance requires a virtuous citizenry. Kim’s fellow Liberty Toastmasters share their perspectives on a virtuous society. Former State Board of Education Director Stephen Varela on Colorado politics. USMC Memorial Foundation President Paula Sarlls invites you to the Memorial Day event at the USMC Memorial. Plus Radiant Painting owner Karen Gordey on using quality products when sprucing up your home. ————————————————————————————– The Kim Monson Show airs on KLZ 560 AM every Monday thru Friday, 6-8 AM MST. You can listen to the live stream
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It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
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I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations.
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The latest in politics and world affairs.
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With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it’s not.
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Today’s current opinions and ideas.
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I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
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Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
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Indeed, let’s have a conversation and welcome to the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You each are treasured, you’re valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. Thank you to the team, that’s producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Yesterday was your birthday, Joe. Did you have a good birthday? Yes.
SPEAKER 25 : 1:18
Yes, ma’am, I did. It was very relaxing, and that’s the best.
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And you are now an old guy, 28 years old. So as I call you and Luke when you’re on the show, you’re the young guns here. So happy birthday, and I’m glad you had a great day. Thank you, Kim. And check out the website and join our community. This is a place where we are connecting and conversing and communicating and contemplating these big ideas and these issues. And we’re just scratching the surface with what we have going on. Let’s see, this evening is our class with Alan Thomas, which he is teaching the first half of the Federalist Papers and how they are relevant to today. And if you miss it, I know everybody’s busy. We have everything recorded. I actually have a couple of classes I need to make up because I ended up having different events the last two weeks. So I will be catching up. So I’m ready for this evening. But join us. It is it’s a very special place. We’ve spent. thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours to make this thing happen. And we’re really excited about that. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com. Text line is 720-605-0647. And as you know, we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something’s a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. And it’s not compassionate and it’s not altruistic to take other people’s stuff. And that could be their rights, their property, freedom, livelihoods, opportunities, childhoods, or lives. And force can come in a lot of different packages. It can be a weapon, policy, unpredictable and excessive taxation, fees, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation, legislation, the agenda of the World Economic Forum and globalist elites, and that they use the United Nations, this Colorado state legislature, this Colorado governor, but we even see it at county, local, school district, and special district levels. And the veil is off, and people are starting to pay attention. And so that’s why we are engaged in this big battle of ideas. Excuse me, on the show, we focus on the issues, and we’ll talk about the people behind those issues. We work to stay out of the personality. Name-calling, except if Kane’s in studio. Kane will be in studio next Thursday. But otherwise, we really work to stay out of that political rhetoric that you see in politics and with eighth-grade girls. And I didn’t really like eighth grade so much, and so that’s what we do. In studio with me is my good friend, and that is Kathy Russell. She is the president of Liberty Toastmasters North. You and Marshall were behind the mics last Friday for me as we were filming for the sequel to A Climate Conversation. But you’re in studio today because we’re going to have Liberty Toastmasters table topics.
SPEAKER 21 : 4:20
Yeah, I’m really excited about that, Kim. I’m also excited to see your new podcast. Your new film? The documentary?
SPEAKER 27 : 4:27
Yeah. When does that come out? It will be released, I think, in September. It’s now in Colton’s hands. He is the co-producer and director. And this editing is what takes so much time. But he did such a great job on the first film. And we were talking afterwards. This is the vision of Walt Johnson. Yes. And Walt and his wife, Rami, have taken money out of their retirement accounts to fund these movies. And Walt has been a geophysicist for over 50 years. And he was seeing things in this whole narrative regarding climate change that just didn’t fit. And so he wanted to create something where there was just… Good Socratic questioning with experts. And so that’s what we did with A Climate Conversation, which was released in 2023. Here we are three years later, and we now kind of know what this is all about. And Colton’s… Focus on detail. And he brought in additional experts regarding photography, cameras, was great. And then his wife, Grace, is a makeup artist. Kathy, I don’t know if I should tell this story right here, but… So last time, there was no makeup artist. And again, I think this is going to be a film for the ages. So it’s me and all guys, okay? And I’m getting ready to go on film. I’ve never done video before, and I look at all, I go, do I look okay? And they go, you look fine. Okay, that’s what it was. But Grace is an expert in makeup. But she’d asked for me to send a selfie. And I sent a selfie that I didn’t have a lot of makeup on. I was tired. And it was not a great photo. I showed it to a trusted person in my life. And I said, this was not my best photo. She goes, well, Grace probably got it. She says, I’m a makeup artist, but I’m not a magician. And unfortunately, that was true. But I will tell you that I think Grace is a magician. I think she made me look pretty good. Oh, she captured the true you. And so this is going to be an excellent film. And the experts that we interviewed was obviously Walt Johnson. And again, thank you to him and Ramey for his vision and dedication to this project. But Will Happer flew in from Princeton and King Gregory with Friends of Science from Calgary, Alberta. Steve Gorham, who’s on this show regularly, he’s a climate expert from Chicago. And then Gregory Wrightstone, who is a senior fellow with the CO2 Coalition, flew in from Florida. And it is truly, I think, going to be a film for the ages. And the focus on it is, first of all, net zero. And net zero is… It’s nonsense is what it is. And we’ve spent trillions of dollars. And those trillions of dollars, where they’ve come from, is from everyday Americans. So this is pillaging Americans and our hopes and dreams. And so each of these experts address that. And so the film will focus, I think, a big focus will be talking about net zero and then also this assault upon the American middle class. And people have come to America because they’ve wanted to become the American middle class. And what we’re seeing with the globalist elites is that narrative, and this was from, I think it was a Danish person that was on TV. in the World Economic Forum, said by 2030, you will own nothing and be happy about it.
SPEAKER 21 : 8:41
Oh, Klaus Schwab.
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We will not be happy about it. And people are waking up.
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They are.
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And we are in the fight of our life for the American idea and the American middle class.
SPEAKER 21 : 8:56
Yes. And I loved your first film. I thought that was just amazing.
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Well, and you’re a scientist. You’re one of those real smart ones. You’re like a, what are you, a, you’re a microbiologist.
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My husband worked at NCAR in climate education, and he just saw it going downhill. And it was so sad to see what was happening. They became activists instead of educators.
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Yes.
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Very frustrating. Very, very frustrating. And so the work you’re doing is awesome, and it’s working. That’s what’s so exciting.
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It is working. And with that, speaking of working and people stepping up, Everyday people in the spirit of America, where it was merchants and farmers, everyday people that said, we want to have liberty, the responsible exercise of freedom. I am so pleased to have on the line with me one of our great sponsors, and that is Karen Gorday with Radiant Painting and Lighting. Karen, welcome. Good morning, Kim. Glad to be here. It’s good to have you. And there’s so much exciting things going on. Before we find out what you and all of your colleagues are doing in your spare time, let’s talk about radiant painting and lighting. And I have to thank you for all of this rain that we’ve gotten, because I know that you’ve scheduled… you’ve scheduled your spring, some outdoor painting. And once you did that, it’s like washing your car. Here comes the rain and the snow, but we needed it. And I thank you for that. Karen Gorday.
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Absolutely. You know, I’ve got customers like, where are we at in the schedule? And I’m like, I can’t even tell you at this point, you know, let me give you a number and we’ll go in order because even like this week, we’re getting more ways. And I’m like, thankful for the rain because we do need it, but it is not conducive to exterior painting in any way, shape, or form. So, but happy that we are getting all this rain because We really, really, really, it was just too dry.
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Well, and Karen, you’ve been in studio, and so you know the view that we have, and I’m looking to the west, and it looks like the mountains got snow last night. Now, you couldn’t buy a snowflake during ski season, but now we’ve got snow-capped mountains. It is crazy. It’s not climate change. It’s weather, and that is something that people need to understand. So let’s talk, first of all, though, and you could do interior painting while we’re having all this rain, but quality products. What I’ve learned over the years is working with quality people, investing in quality products, even though it may seem a little more expensive at the beginning, Over time, it actually saves you money. And you believe in good products, right, Karen?
SPEAKER 14 : 11:58
Absolutely. We only use quality products. And it’s so important here in Colorado to use quality products on your exterior painting because you want it to last. And to your point about the weather, our weather is a little crazy out here. And you don’t want to use the cheap products. It won’t last over time. No one wants to paint their house every two or three years. And so the quality products we paint with, the minimum you’re going to have to repaint is probably every 10 years. And that’s super important that we are providing the quality service with the quality products and treat every home like it’s our own.
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Well, and I will need to get on your schedule. There are some things I need to do first. But I want to get that done at my home this year. I’ve delayed it, which is not a good idea, but it’s just what it is. So we’re going to get that totally spiffed up. And to reach out to you regarding indoor or outdoor painting, what’s the best way for people to reach you, Karen Gorday?
SPEAKER 14 : 13:07
You can go out to the website, which is www.paintwithradiant.com.
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Okay. Now let’s move over to the American idea, the standing up for everyday people. You and your team at Lakewood Citizens Alliance have really been doing great work on watching what’s happening at the municipal, at the local, and the county level. And in the spirit of you, Mike Rolick, and so many of… Of my colleagues, I’ve decided to get re-engaged in my local government, so I attended the city council meeting the other evening, and I’ve been inspired by you, Karen Gorday.
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It’s going to suck you in, Kim, because it never ends.
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Well, so tell us, what’s the latest that you want people to know?
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So we’re changing the conversation in Lakewood. You know, we had over 100 people show up two weeks ago for the fire codes on a Saturday night. This past Tuesday, so two days ago, Ward 3 had a zoning listening session. And they wanted to know, trying to find common ground. City Council really doesn’t know how to proceed at this point. And Tuesday night at 5.30, over 75 people showed up to talk about zoning, and it was standing room only, and some people actually left because there were no seats. So we’ve got a huge amount of community engagement, and it is so wonderful to see because the people, they’re showing up, we have a voice, and we’re gonna figure out how to move forward.
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And with that, Karen, What has to occur before that is a few key people need to be informed. You took it upon yourself to read this lengthy document to understand what was going on. I know some of our Cutboard members are very involved in that, and I want to give a shout-out on that because… Colorado Union of Taxpayers, we’ve been watching legislation, and I was working on the 30 bills that we’ll have in our ratings report, and there were, I think, five or six very bad bills that, as I was looking at them last week, As we’re coming into the end of the session, it looked to me that they crossed over from one house to the other, and I figured they were going to pass, and they died. And so I need to let people know that we’ve made a difference because we’re watching what’s going on. So let me say thank you to this team, and I know that you know many of them well, Karen Gorday. That’s Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Rob Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Rami Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onizorg, Paula Beard, and Ray Beard. But as I was going through that list last night, I’m like, we are making a difference. You’re making a difference. So thank you for that.
SPEAKER 14 : 16:21
It’s really amazing to see because we are making a difference. And that was one thing that came up Tuesday night was more the communication piece and how people didn’t know that this was even going on. And they were really upset about it. And so it’s pushing for communication and transparency, and that’s the only way folks in Lakewood are going to start trusting the local government again. So we’re definitely making a difference.
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And that’s the way we reclaim our communities, our county, and our state. Karen Gorday, thank you so much again. Radiant Painting and Lighting, what’s that website?
SPEAKER 14 : 16:57
It’s www.paintwithradiant.com.
SPEAKER 27 : 17:02
And Karen, we’ll talk with you next week.
SPEAKER 14 : 17:04
All right, sounds great. Thank you.
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And, again, everyday people stepping up. And, you know, one of the things is to have these conversations to know what’s going on. That’s why we do what we do at the Kim Monson Show. And it happens because of our sponsors. Reach out to Roger Mangan and his team. They might be able to save you some money like a good neighbor. The Roger Mangan team is there. That number is 303-795-8855.
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State Farm Insurance recently lowered auto insurance rates for new and existing customers. Roger Mangan and his State Farm Insurance team would be delighted to talk with you about possibly saving money on your auto insurance coverage. Plus, if you already bundle your insurance coverage, you might save additional money. That’s real after-tax money in your pocket that you can save or use for everyday expenses. To find out if you can save money, Give the Roger Mangan team a call at 303-795-8855 for a complimentary appointment to review your insurance coverage. That’s 303-795-8855.
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Radiance Power specializes in providing expert electrical solutions for your home. Their licensed electricians excel in electrical installations and shielding. We’ll be right back.
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April 26th, 1777. Colonel, the British are raiding Danbury and burning the town. I’ll go tell them. 16-year-old Sybil Ludington mounted her horse and rode 40 miles through night and pouring rain. That’s twice the distance of Paul Revere to sound the alarm.
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Quickly, assemble at my father’s house.
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The Kim Monson Show is our modern-day Sybil Ludington, bringing us the latest breaking news in the battle for truth and freedom. Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling is proud to stand with Kim. Will you stand with us? Get engaged with the issue that keeps you up at night so that you can influence your school and community with truth and justice. And for quality craftsmanship at a fair price, call or text Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling at 303-995-1636. That number again is 303-995-1636.
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SPEAKER 27 : 20:23
Welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. And a couple of things. I want to say thank you to our sponsors and thank you to Laramie Energy for their gold sponsorship of the show because it’s reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power. from naturally occurring hydrocarbons such as oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams, and empowers us to change our own personal climate. And I want to say thank you to Laramie Energy. They are also a gold sponsor of our two new presses, and that is the Kim Monson Community as well as the Kim Monson Newsroom. So I so appreciate Bob Boswell and all the people at Laramie Energy. If you are having any challenges with your own personal climate, being warm in the winter, cool in the summer, reach out to Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. That number is 303-995-1636. In studio with me is Kathy Russell, my good friend and president of Liberty Toastmasters North. Great to have you here.
SPEAKER 21 : 21:20
Yeah, great to be here, Kim. I’m looking forward to it.
SPEAKER 27 : 21:23
Table topics. Yes, it’s going to be great. We’re going to be talking about self-governance requires a virtuous people. And the founders knew that. And it’s very true now. So I can’t wait to hear what they all have to say. We’ll do that at the beginning at the bottom of the hour. But our word of the day is Visigoth. And the Visigoths were the western tribe of the Goths, a Germanic people who settled west of the Black Sea sometime in the 3rd century. According to the scholar Herwig Wolfram, the Roman writer, Cassidorus coined the term Visigoth to mean western Goths as he understood the term Ostrogothi to mean eastern Goths. Casadors was simply trying to coin a name to differentiate the two tribes of the Gothic people in his time who clearly differed from each other. These tribes did not originally refer to themselves by these names. The Roman historian Marcellinus, 4th century, refers to the Visigoths as the Tervingi, which may have been their original name. The designation Visigoth seems to have appealed to the Visigoths themselves, however, and in time they came to apply it to themselves. Now, I chose this because I’d actually not heard of this word. But yesterday when Mike Rolick was on and we were talking about AI data centers and property rights where AI data centers are coming in. and really changing the property rights of people that are already there by taking power, by taking water, noise, getting special treatment regarding taxes. And so he used the term vandals and Visigoths. And you were familiar with this, Producer Joe.
SPEAKER 25 : 23:17
Not really. I actually just kind of heard it, and so I started looking up stuff and really kind of fell in a rabbit hole and kind of found it funny.
SPEAKER 27 : 23:25
Okay. And so basically he said something along the term of when in Rome, people say when in Rome you’re a Roman, but he said do not be a vandal or a Visigoth, which is what these AI data centers are as far as coming in and vandalizing property rights. Would you say that’s…
SPEAKER 25 : 23:46
appropriate, Joe? Yeah, that pretty much pulls it together.
SPEAKER 27 : 23:52
But the Visigoths, you said when you had researched it, that when they came in and occupied Rome, they did not vandalize it, right?
SPEAKER 25 : 23:59
Yeah, so what I ended up reading was the Visigoths, when they put siege on Rome, they came in but they were demanding things like money, titles, and land because they felt the need to… felt the need to… to preserve, kind of preserve things. So they didn’t vandalize everything, correct? Exactly, exactly. They just wanted to make sure they were getting what they were owed because they didn’t feel like the leader did not hold up his end of the bargain with them, basically. However, the vandals came in and just laid… Just took unnecessary destruction so much so that they were ripping bronze tiles off of the roofs of the temples just because.
SPEAKER 27 : 24:51
Okay. So hopefully this is going to be interesting, Kathy, to see if our fellow Liberty Toastmasters can use the term Visigoth in a sentence.
SPEAKER 21 : 25:00
I will be very impressed.
SPEAKER 27 : 25:01
I will be impressed if they can make that happen. Our quote of the day is from Thomas Paine. He was born in 1737 and he died in 1809. He was an English-born American founding father inventor. political philosopher and statesman. His pamphlets, Common Sense and the American Crisis, frame the patriot argument for independence from Great Britain at the outset of the American Revolution, paint advanced Enlightenment era arguments for human rights that shaped revolutionary discourse on both sides of the Atlantic. And he said this, he said, I prefer peace, but if trouble must come, let it come in my time so that my children can live in peace. And we’re there right now. I look at all these, Young people, children, babies, we have this responsibility. This is at our door right now.
SPEAKER 21 : 25:53
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 27 : 25:53
And we have to step forward on this, Kathy.
SPEAKER 21 : 25:55
Yes, we do. And so you’re leading it. Thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 27 : 26:00
Well, the good Lord has put it on my heart and many people’s hearts that we need to step forward on all of this. And we are called to do this. So when I say on the show that we were made for this moment, We were made for this moment. It’s a big responsibility and it’s a very exciting time. And Colorado is at the tip of the spear of all of this. And so communication, Liberty Toastmasters, all of this is so important. A couple of things that I wanted to mention before we get in with our colleagues is Hooters Restaurants is a great partner of both the Kim Monson Show and America’s Veterans Stories. And I got to know them when I was on city council. I waited to reach out to them about becoming a sponsor until way after that. You know, no conflict of interest there. But it’s a really important story about freedom and free markets and capitalism. And they are truly patriots. And so they’ve been great sponsors of the show. I think I didn’t see the very end of the avalanche game last night, but I think they lost. And so we need to, if you want to watch how the avalanche are doing in their March towards the Stanley cup, Hooters restaurants is a great place to do it. They have specials Monday through Friday for happy hour and, uh, for, uh, lunch and of course a great place to watch the games because they have all kinds of television screens screens there and i do greatly appreciate hooters restaurants and also another great sponsor of the show is karen levine she’s a remax realtor and if you’re thinking about changing your address you’ll want to talk with her
SPEAKER 28 : 27:33
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SPEAKER 19 : 28:18
The Kim Monson Show is expanding and augmenting our voice and reach. In addition to the Kim Monson Show broadcast, we have created the Kim Monson Newsroom and the Kim Monson Community. We call them the Three Presses, and they are foundational to free speech and engaging in responsible self-governance. Go to kimMonson.com, click on the Newsletter tab… and sign up for the weekly email newsletter and the Daily Digest. And join the Kim Monson community, which is a modern salon where you can contemplate, connect, and converse around the principles we cover daily. Sign up today at kimMonson.com.
SPEAKER 26 : 28:55
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SPEAKER 01 : 29:33
All Kim’s sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 27 : 29:51
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And I can’t believe it, but this Monday is Memorial Day. It’s early, but it’s still, I can’t believe we’re at the end of May. And it is an important day on Memorial Day to stop and reflect about the people that have given their lives for our liberty, which is the responsible exercise of freedom. And so I will be out at the event that the USMC Memorial Foundation is doing at the memorial. 1.45, they will do the swearing in of new Marines. And then 2 o’clock is the event. It’ll last about 45 minutes. The keynote speaker is Billy Gallegos, who was one of the Iran hostages. He was a prisoner for 444 days. Just think about what that means, that you don’t have your freedom for 444 days. So he is the keynote speaker. That begins at 2 o’clock. at the Memorial, which is at 6th and Colfax. You can get more information by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And if you are looking for something more for your child’s education, good news. Excalibur Classical Academy is a new private school opening this fall in Centennial, serving kindergarten through third grade with 100% scholarship tuition available. Their classrooms are rooted in a classical Christian tradition where students grow through phonics, math, music, art, and the great books. that have shaped generations. Excalibur believes that young minds thrive on wisdom, virtue, and truth. So give your child a strong foundation for life. Enrollment is now open. Space is limited, so don’t miss out. Visit Excalibur, that’s E-X-C-A-L-I-B-U-R, classicalacademy.org today. And when we look at what results have been coming, we are getting from government-run schools, and there’s wonderful teachers in these government-run schools today. Many times their hands are tied with what they really want to teach. But in Colorado, less than half, across the state of Colorado, less than half of our third graders are reading, writing, and doing arithmetic at grade level. And when I look at the amount of money that we spend on government-run education, it’s like, I want my money back. But you can’t get back third grade. And so sign your kids up for Excalibur Classical Academy. Kathy Russell, you’re in studio. President of Liberty Toastmasters North. It’s great to have you here.
SPEAKER 21 : 32:22
Yeah, great to be here. And I’m excited about this next segment. Talking to our Liberty Toastmasters from North and from Denver. And we’re going to be talking about a theme that’s inspired by the founding fathers’ belief that Self-governance requires virtuous people, virtuous citizens.
SPEAKER 27 : 32:43
And so who is our first guest?
SPEAKER 21 : 32:44
Yeah, well, our first guest is Rick Rome from Liberty Toastmasters in Denver. Hey, Rick.
SPEAKER 11 : 32:50
How are you doing? Kathy, Kim, if I were king, the world would be a wonderful place for me. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. And it has sort of a dual backhanded way of describing what we really face in this society. We have this incredible amount of abundance. The blessings of liberty abound with everything that we have, and a lot of it has been acquired without the discipline to secure it ourselves. We’ve forgotten that fundamental lesson of what it takes to secure that blessing of liberty, the desire to do better for the next generation, as you mentioned earlier, Kim. The net result of that is we have an entitlement society. And it’s really very sad to see. I mean, for those who have not figured it out, capitalism is not evil just because you suck at life. And that’s the mindset that we’re dealing with in many of these entitled programs. These promises coming from our politicians, how to buy votes with food stamps, welfare, rob from the rich, give to the poor, this whole Robin Hood mentality that gives people permission to be lazy butts. Part of what we’re talking about here with this virtuous cycle is appreciation for the things that we have. And with that appreciation, it comes a responsibility to protect, preserve, build on those disciplines that have given us this abundance. Make sure that we understand what the legislations are that are coming down the pipe so that we’re able to speak in favor, speak against. Make sure that we understand the implications to our families on how the school systems impact our family and what the teachers and the school unions are trying to do and fill our kids’ heads with.
SPEAKER 21 : 34:37
Great. Rick, that was awesome. Thank you. I love your comment about appreciation. Oh, did you have more? Great.
SPEAKER 11 : 34:43
Thank you. No, it’s all good. I’m off my game today.
SPEAKER 27 : 34:48
I thought you were on your game, Rick. Yeah, you made some excellent points. Thank you. Yeah, and he brought up a word I was just thinking about, abundance. And we’ll talk about that later. Okay, Kathy?
SPEAKER 21 : 34:59
Yeah, well, our next caller is Marshall Dawson from Liberty Toastmasters in Longmont. Hey, Marshall.
SPEAKER 12 : 35:05
Hey, Kathy. Great to hear your voice and yours too, Kim.
SPEAKER 27 : 35:10
Well, and Marshall, thank you to you and Kathy for guest hosting last week when I was out because we were filming Climate Conversation 2. So thank you.
SPEAKER 12 : 35:21
Happy to do it. It’s always a great opportunity, and I appreciate it a whole lot. I really do. I do have to admit I’m going to throw in the towel on the word of the day today. But look, as you know, I spent most of my working years in technology. Some of that was computer vision. Some of the products I’ve worked on, we use every day to enrich our lives. And some of it is even inside of those data centers where big tech and data brokers track us. So let me just pronounce that we live in a remarkable age where roadside cameras upload mass surveillance into the cloud, AI-assisted crime fighting is happening, and now even we have drones as first responders. So if you love technology for tracking the populace, there’s just no better time to be alive. And of course, I’m being tongue-in-cheek. I am extraordinarily cautious, sometimes even fearful of what this can mean. In thinking about today’s topic, this Ben Franklin quote came to mind. Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. Or if I paraphrase that, only virtuous people are capable of freedom, otherwise they require having masters. And there’s a big problem. The non-virtuous people get a say in the matter. Brandon Wark and I were discussing this on Friday during the show, where Colorado Springs now has started using drones to catch street racers and parking lot takeovers. And I get it. There’s a real problem there. Earlier this year, a 77-year-old woman was killed by street racers. In 2023, there were five people crushed by a driver trying to do donuts. And I truly believe that Mayor Mobilotti and the Springs Police have noble intentions. But I do want to urge caution when using high tech and especially as it gets cheaper and more powerful. Because as you know, if a little is good, then more must be better. And you can just sort of imagine a police chief giving a pitch. Hey, just think of the possibilities. We spend a little bit more money. So we do need to be very careful, very measured. of all the power that we give to government and police departments. So I’m not arguing for anarchy here, just caution.
SPEAKER 27 : 37:46
That makes a lot of sense. And this is a discussion and conversation that we must have. People are having it. So thank you, Marshall Dawson.
SPEAKER 21 : 37:54
Yeah, thanks, Marshall. Thank you. Great. Well, our next person is Tim Cranston. He’s a new member from Liberty Toastmasters North. Or no, excuse me, Denver. Hey, Tim. Hi.
SPEAKER 08 : 38:06
Yeah, howdy. I appreciate your efforts, Kim, to fight the good fight for freedom and against force. By the way, Englishman Thomas Paine was an unknown quantity when he handed Ben Franklin his scratched-out version of Common Sense. And within months, hundreds of thousands were dispersed throughout the colonies, and even more were published in England. So a little bit goes a long way. The question of the day is, can a virtuous constitutional republic with such characteristics as rule of law, equal protection, and separation of powers exist without a virtuous citizenry? I’ll address two aspects. First, what did the founders think, the constitutional framers? And second, what do we think today of what the founders thought? Their political theory was steeped in natural rights. In fact, the greatest sentence ever written in America, and I’m going to quote Jefferson as modified and edited by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, “…we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Striking about that sentence is that virtually all believed in a creator, all of our founders, some of them Christian, believed in the triune God, and others believed in deism. But they all believed and wrote into the Constitution that these rights come from outside ourselves, that there’s an objective truth. In fact, there’s self-evident truth. In fact, Jefferson’s first draft called them sacred truths. And I wish Franklin hadn’t edited that out because the founders truly relied on our natural rights derived from God. But the lesser known thing about the founders is that they weren’t just about abstract natural rights, a set of principles. They also believed in natural law. They highlighted the requirement that character does. There was a requirement that the citizens had character. Foremost in that law was their notion of virtue. And their notion of virtue included things like justice and responsibility and benevolence and hard work and strength and bravery and leadership. Most important was religious piety. So they believed in both natural rights and natural law. They were unwavering in that commitment. Every right comes with a responsibility, we might say today. So today, do we agree with those founders? Do we believe that there are objective truths that are outside ourselves, that are derived and defined by God? Well, the jury’s out, but our educational system has indoctrinated us into two vandals and Visigoths, modernists. which say truth is relative, and the postmodernists who believe there is no truth, or that all truths are created equal, the I’m okay, you’re okay version of philosophy. Well, as a traditional conservative, my goal is first to lift up Jesus Christ as the author of all life and truth, and to fight the good fight of our founders, to use my faith in God to preserve the blessings of liberty.
SPEAKER 27 : 41:20
Oh, Tim Cranston, well done. Well done. And you even got the word of the day in there. Well done, Tim Cranston.
SPEAKER 21 : 41:26
Yeah, thank you. Okay, Kathy. Yeah, well, our next guest is Fred Clifford from Liberty Toastmasters in Denver. Good morning, Fred.
SPEAKER 10 : 41:37
Good morning. Thanks for having me. And I enjoyed listening to Tim, by the way, and a little bit of Marshall. So, The idea that the founders maintained that self-government requires a virtuous people. First of all, you know, I question, what does it really mean to be a virtuous? So I kind of want to handle that first. So if somebody thinks that they don’t have any weaknesses or moral flaws, they’re probably not very virtuous. In other words, if someone says, I’m a good person, they’re most likely they are not. Virtue requires growth. And maybe someone alone on this, I don’t know, but one expression that really drives me crazy is, well, I did my best. I just don’t like that. It just seems like an excuse and a very weak excuse at that. Maybe a modified version could be, well, I wanted to do my best, but I really didn’t. Next time I’ll do better. I think that’s a little bit better, but did we really want to do our best in those situations sometimes? Not always. And by the way, we don’t learn from our mistakes. We only learn from correcting our behavior once we realize that we’ve made a mistake. So in other words, in order to correct the behavior, you need to realize you made a mistake. And so why is it important to have virtue with self-government? I really like what it stated in Federalist 51, and I always screw this up, that if men were angels, we wouldn’t need government. And if government were made of angels, we wouldn’t need a constitution. So if our republic is based on the idea that people have flaws, you know, the greatest people who ever lived were probably imperfect people. So if we want to be free, and I want to be free, I’m a big freedom believer, we need less government. If government is required because of our flaws, then the greater the level of virtue of the people, the less government we need. So therefore, freedom requires virtue. And we can think of examples of this all day long. I just thought of a couple examples. I don’t really like the welfare system that we have, the entitlement program. I do think we need some sort of welfare system. So if part of being virtuous, for instance, is making charitable contributions, then the more virtuous people there are and the greater the level of virtues, the less of a welfare system we would need. And by the way, charity actually begins with your own family and people that you know. And not only by giving a helping hand, but mainly by helping them to understand the importance of personal growth. So I think there’s a great example. The more virtue is, the more freedom we have because of the less government we have. Another example is, you know, criminals are always figuring out new ways to commit crimes. And I think Marshall was talking about this a little bit. And so whenever there’s new ways to commit crimes, we need more laws to combat those crimes. And I remember a few years back, you know, 10, 15 years ago, we were put, People were talking about identity theft because that didn’t used to be a thing. And then it became a thing. So we need laws to address it. So the point is freedom requires a virtuous people. What do you think?
SPEAKER 27 : 45:08
Well done, Fred Clifford. Thank you so much. And we’re going to go to break Kathy. And before we do that, I did want to mention the center for American values, which is one of the two nonprofits that I highlight regularly on the show. And they are focused on these foundational values. Virtues of Honor, Integrity, and Patriotism. They’re located in Pueblo, Colorado. I recommend that you support them. And that website is AmericanValueCenter.org, AmericanValueCenter.org. And we get to have all these discussions because of our sponsors. And one of those is Lauren Levy.
SPEAKER 24 : 45:42
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SPEAKER 04 : 47:32
With all the chaos and confusion in our world, how can you plant yourself on a foundation based on truth and clarity? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim examines news, politics and opinion through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom and shares human interest stories that will inspire you and make you smile. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m., with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website, and the KLZ app. Shows can also be found at kimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 27 : 48:11
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And your financial freedom is shaped by more than numbers. It’s shaped by planning for the realities of your life. At Mint Financial Strategies, Jody Hinsey and her team help you assess your current reality while planning for your future. She is helping me plan for my future and give them a call for a complimentary appointment. That number is 303-285-3080. And again, visit You need to create a plan, plan for your success, and Mint Financial Strategies can help you with your financial freedom. In studio with me is the president of Liberty Toastmasters North, and that is Kathy Russell. And Liberty Toastmasters North meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month in Longmont. And Liberty Denver meets on the first and third Saturdays at the Independence Institute. We love guests.
SPEAKER 21 : 49:07
Yes, we do. And we have a new guest, which is Mark Chilson from Liberty, Denver. Welcome, Mark. Kim and Kathy, can you hear me? We can.
SPEAKER 07 : 49:17
Kim and Kathy, what an honor to be with you here today on the show. C.S. Lewis is instructive on this subject on the need for personal virtue over reliance on government manipulation. Quote, of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. Those who torment us for our own good will torment us. Without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience, end quote. It is like watching a 500-year-old portrait by a master artist, ripped and spray-painted in the gallery by climate-doomed visigoths. The founders founded a constitutional republic instead of a democracy. A democracy is two wolves in a land deciding what will be on the dinner menu. Only a constitutional republic safeguards liberties. The dollar has lost 96% of its value since the Federal Reserve was created in 1913. You cannot build a culture of thrift, delayed gratification, and personal responsibility on a currency that punishes all three. G.K. Chesterton said that the true ground of a democracy is not that men are good enough to govern themselves. It is that no man is good enough to govern others without their consent. The men who wrote the Constitution understood exactly this. They did not build checks and balances because they trusted human nature. They built them precisely because they didn’t. But they also knew those mechanisms had a limit. Madison said it plainly. No form of government can render us secure if there is no virtue among us. The Constitution is rather only a framework. It is not the foundation. Actually, individual virtue is the foundation. Alexander Solzhenitsyn is the greatest author of the 20th century. He saw what happens when the foundation is gone. In his Harvard address, he said, quote, a climb into courage may be the most striking feature that an outside observer notices in the West today. In the Western world has lost its civic courage, both as a whole and separately in each country, in each government, in each political party, unquote. Naturally, Harvard booed him. He was right then. He’s more right now.
SPEAKER 27 : 51:14
Well, well done, Mark Chilson. Thank you so much. Thanks so much for having me.
SPEAKER 21 : 51:19
Yeah. And next is Dave Walden from Liberty Toastmasters North. Good morning, Dave. How are you doing?
SPEAKER 09 : 51:26
Well, good morning, Kathy and Kim. Allow me a moment to catch my breath. Mark was going at such a pace. You know, I come at this from a different perspective. The bottom line is our founders created for us and them a political system based on the concept of the right of the individual to live their lives if they see fit. The only proviso being that they must allow all others to do the same. I point out that that. The politics that a group fashions reflects what they believe to be what is right, what is good, what is proper, what is just. And when we claim that individuals must have rights, it’s because of the recognition that an individual is responsible for their own life. And rights are necessary because they have to be free to exercise that responsibility. Two more brief points. One, a group of people trying to live together must have an element of trust. And the greater the trust, the greater the success or productivity of standard of living, the greater life that the individuals will lead with respect to that trust. If that trust is eroded or questioned, called into question, then that takes precedence over many, many, many values of human existence. So trust is the key. And you have to trust someone because you believe they will behave, quote, virtuously, whatever you mean by that. Now, the final point. Earlier in your show, Kim, you mentioned the World Economic Forum, and you quoted the idea that you will own nothing and be happy about it. And I will only point out that when it comes to trust, And it comes to virtue and how we must live together. If you own nothing, what that means is you will not own your own life. That’s part of nothing that you own, the key part. That’s all that I will say. Thank you.
SPEAKER 21 : 54:19
Thank you, Dave.
SPEAKER 26 : 54:21
Wow, Kathy.
SPEAKER 21 : 54:21
Yeah. All of you guys, that was a masterclass in virtue and why it’s so important for a free government. I just love that. Greater freedom requires greater virtue. And appreciation creates all of our sense of responsibilities. So much goodness. I’m also reminded of Thomas Paine who said that society is produced by our wants and government is produced by our wickedness. And that seems to go back to this idea that we absolutely need a virtuous society in order to be in a free government.
SPEAKER 27 : 54:59
When Dave said this about trust, that is the foundation of all real successful relationships. Absolutely. And I was just thinking about Karen Gorday and all my friends out in Lakewood and Lakewood Citizens Alliance. And it’s not unique to Lakewood, but that trust was eroded. with the government because there was not transparency. And we see the same thing down at the state legislature. An example is the Senate Bill 135, which is sending to the ballot a question that will basically gut Tabor, Colorado’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights, under the guise of education. And I did testify against the bill because we had read it. We know what’s going on there. And I do not trust them. And one other thing is my father basically said with people. And trust is you lie to me once, shame on me. You lie to me once, shame on you. You lie to me twice, shame on me. Because that means that I went back for more. And it’s the same with government. We’ve got just a few seconds left. Kathy, it’s always great to have you here. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 21 : 56:16
Oh, thank you so much, Kim, too. This has just been a fabulous conversation.
SPEAKER 27 : 56:21
It really has. And I thank each of our Liberty Toastmasters. And join us. Learning to communicate better is part of this whole way to engage in this battle of ideas. It’s been attributed to Stalin that ideas are more powerful than guns. We wouldn’t let our enemies have guns. Why would we let them have ideas? And that’s why what we do engaging in this big battle of ideas is how we reclaim Colorado and preserve this great American idea. Our quote for the end of the show is from Thomas Paine. He said, I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm and whose conscience approves his conduct will pursue his principles unto death. So today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you. God bless America. Stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 13 : 57:45
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ Management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 02 : 58:07
It’s the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 27 : 58:12
I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations.
SPEAKER 02 : 58:20
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 27 : 58:25
With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it’s not.
SPEAKER 02 : 58:33
Today’s current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 27 : 58:36
I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
SPEAKER 02 : 58:45
Is it freedom or is it force? Let’s have a conversation.
SPEAKER 27 : 58:51
Indeed. Let’s have a conversation. And thank you so much for listening. You each are treasured. You’re valued. You have purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history. And thank you to the team. That’s Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Amanda, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Congratulations, Producer Joe. I know Liberty Toastmasters, you need… Two sets of extra hands on this, but you did it. Thank you.
SPEAKER 25 : 59:21
Thanks, Kim.
SPEAKER 27 : 59:23
And in studio with me is my friend Kathy Russell. She is the president of Liberty Toastmasters North. That was awesome.
SPEAKER 21 : 59:30
That was so awesome. And thank goodness for recording, because we can go back and listen again.
SPEAKER 27 : 59:36
Well, we can. And if you missed it, you can hear it. The first hour is rebroadcast on all KLC 560 platforms, 1 to 2 in the afternoon. Second hour, 10 to 11 at night. And you’ve noticed this with our new rollout of everything at the beginning of April. Zach has spent… thousands of hours on this website and our show recaps they’re time stamped and so and we normally have that posted by noon so you can also listen to that there because the podcast will be there but it is pretty remarkable what our little group is doing it’s amazing yeah you guys are like thomas paine spreading the word of freedom On every day, 6 to 8 a.m. for sure, Monday through Friday. So check out our website and join our community. We are just scratching the surface with our classes with Alan Thomas. Our next class is this evening on the first half of the Federalist Papers and how they’re relevant to today. And we honed in on the 745 time. And Alan and his wife, Keelan, they got little kids. kids to bed. And I’m actually finding that it’s a great way to top the day off is this class at 745. Have you been able to attend any of them yet?
SPEAKER 21 : 61:00
I haven’t. I’ve just been, yeah.
SPEAKER 27 : 61:02
You’ve been busy, I guess. But rest assured, when you’re ready, you can go back and listen to them.
SPEAKER 21 : 61:07
Yes, great.
SPEAKER 27 : 61:08
But I never thought I could be on the edge of my seat regarding the Federalist Papers, but… I am with Ellen’s class. So join us, and it’s not too late. You can go back and see the other classes. So join us at KimMonson.com. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com. The text line is 720-0647. And as you know, we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something’s a good idea, you should not have to force people to implement it. We focus on the issues. We’ll talk about the people. around those issues, but we really work to stay out of all the personality stuff. So let’s see here. Producer Joe, you’re now an old guy at 28 years old. What did you think about this subject that we talked about with our fellow Liberty Toastmasters that self-governance requires a virtuous citizenry? What’s your thoughts on all that after hearing all the guys talk?
SPEAKER 25 : 62:09
I would absolutely agree. And, you know, actually, funny enough, my family’s small talk is politics and religion. So we kind of touched a little bit on this last night. And one of the things that we ended up talking about that I found very interesting was the introduction of materialism. So when you just… want things for no necessary purpose and you just want stuff and experiences there is no centered thing around that you have many things that kind of pull you different ways and when that happens you end up lacking a virtuous uh Soul, if you would. And I thought that was very interesting when we were talking about it because it’s very apparent today. When we look at the internet and whatnot, people are just often showing off their stuff. And there’s no real value to it. But most of the things that do withstand the test of time, they were created with the means of a purpose. And I really started connecting that.
SPEAKER 27 : 63:25
That’s interesting, Joe. Kathy, this makes me think about the dignity of work, of purpose in life.
SPEAKER 21 : 63:36
Yes.
SPEAKER 27 : 63:37
And many of our young people have been taught through these government schools that instead of duty, responsibility, work, that, as Joe just said, experiences, travel. I know of many… Young women that would rather travel than be a mom. Yeah. And I think partly that’s been held up to them as something to do. Joe, you look like you were to say something.
SPEAKER 25 : 64:10
Yeah. And that’s that. I still feel like that’s a materialist thing because and my stepfather kind of touched on this. It’s because they want the experience, but for someone else. They want that experience and not someone else to have it. And that was a huge pinpoint into the left is often like that. I want this money so nobody else can have it. And that’s a problem. And that takes away the virtuosity that we have in America that we were established on.
SPEAKER 27 : 64:43
Well, that’s coveting. And that is really what socialism and communism is, is coveting other people’s stuff. The American idea is, and we’ve really gotten away from this, and many young people, many people look at the rich guy, and they have been taught that they got there because they pillaged somebody else that they, well, I guess that would be the Vandal, not the Visigoth. There you go. But I was thinking about you and I, Joe, because every morning at 5.30, you and I talk about what’s going to happen on the show. And as I was walking in… I think we have a good working relationship where you don’t think I’m taking advantage of you. Now, you are employed by Crawford. I pay money to Crawford to buy my airtime, and so this is part of it. But I think that you know that I care deeply about you, your family, and that I want you to be successful. We want to be successful, and we want to provide – a value here for people to get their brains around these issues so trading value for value i’m not trying to to pillage you and that’s what good employers are is they want to provide a good product or service like all of my sponsors and in doing so make a living make a profit treat their people right and that is i think the american idea joe and then i’ll go to you kathy
SPEAKER 25 : 66:19
You’re absolutely right. And here’s, I think, the biggest problem of it all, though, is unfortunately the business is the middleman in this game. So the business wants to treat their employees with respect and care and make sure they’re taken care of. But what if the government is standing on the business’s neck saying, hey, rules and regulations, these are the things you have to do now. It falls down the line.
SPEAKER 27 : 66:49
You nailed it. So then we go back to government must be in its proper role. It must be small so that individuals can make that trade of value, value for value, which is true capitalism. Our kids have been taught that capitalism is bad. What’s bad is cronyism. And that is where big business and big government get in bed with each other. And then they can create rules and regulations to keep the entrepreneur and the creators out. And that’s why these discussions are so important. Kathy.
SPEAKER 21 : 67:19
Yeah. Joan, when you were talking about this, I was thinking about a book called The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeff Rosen. It was really about the virtues of the founders. And he noted how the term pursuit of happiness has changed over time. In the founders’ time, it was really the pursuit of happiness meant virtues in order to flourish. In the 60s, the definition of happiness changed to the pursuit of hedonism, instant gratification, without looking towards a more flourishing future, without looking at the wider consequences. And I thought that was absolutely right on with what’s happened in our culture, that we went from pursuit of virtue to pursuit of happiness.
SPEAKER 25 : 68:07
Joe? Well, that is… kind of apparent in my eyes because we look at internet like that instant it’s designed for an instant dopamine rush as you scroll you go oh i like that i like that i like and it’s designed for that instant gratification of exactly happiness by a chemical in your brain instead interesting very interesting okay
SPEAKER 27 : 68:32
It’s a great topic. Great topic. And I hadn’t thought of that. That’s Pursuit of Hedonism. That is another nugget. This show is just full of golden nuggets on things. But, okay, did I get to Word of the Day yet? I don’t think I did. Okay, but Visigoth, we use that because a conversation with Mike Rollick yesterday, he was talking about vandals of Visigoths in Rome, and Visigoths were the western tribe of the Goths, and that was the word of the day, Visigoth, V-I-S-I-G-O-T-H. And when they took over Rome, they didn’t vandalize everything. there were things i think they realized why destroy everything but they had things that they specifically wanted and so that’s what they focused on do i have that right would you say joe they wanted uh land uh land titles and money because they felt like the um
SPEAKER 25 : 69:31
the leader of Rome did not upheld his end of the bargain with their tribe. And so they were trying to make sure they got that. Okay, I got it.
SPEAKER 27 : 69:41
So if you can use the word of the day, Visigoth, in a sentence today, you get extra points. So go for it. Our quote of the day is from Thomas Paine. He was born in 1737, died in 1809. He was foundational to The Revolution and the Founding of America. And he said this, I prefer peace, but if trouble must come, let it come in my time so that my children can live in peace. And that goes back to a virtuous society passing something good and better on to the next generation, Kathy.
SPEAKER 21 : 70:14
Yeah, this is such a beautiful time to be alive because so many people are engaged in this conversation more and more and more. So I’m totally confident about the future.
SPEAKER 27 : 70:23
And it is an exciting time because we are in this big battle of ideas.
SPEAKER 16 : 70:28
Yes.
SPEAKER 27 : 70:29
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SPEAKER 28 : 71:38
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SPEAKER 22 : 73:02
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SPEAKER 27 : 73:38
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is kimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. I want to say thank you to our goal sponsor, Laramie Energy, because it’s reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant power from oil, natural gas, and coal that powers our lives, fuels our hopes and dreams. and empowers us to change our own personal climate. And Laramie Energy is also a goal sponsor of our new Kim Monson community and Kim Monson Newsroom. And I so appreciate Bob Boswell and the whole team over there at Laramie Energy. And if you’re having any challenges with your own personal climate, reach out to Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. That number is 303-995-1400. Kathy, I talked to, or I guess it was text message with Ben Williams, Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. And he said that they had been called out by, maybe it was a second opinion or whatever, but this person had called them out and the competitor had said that they needed a new HVAC system that would cost as much as $35,000. And they called Ben’s Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. And Ben Jr. took a look at it, and he just cleaned some of the things that needed to be cleaned, and it was fine. So they saved them $35,000. Oh, my gosh. So get a second opinion. It is worth it. And that number, again, is 303-995-1650. I also, this is so exciting. Education of our children is so important and centennial families. And even if you’re not in centennial, there’s a new private school opening this fall built with your family in mind. It is Excalibur classical Academy serving kindergarten through third grade and offers 100% scholarship tuition for all students. It’s a classical Christian education that blends strong academics with joyful learning through phonics, math, music, art, and meaningful stories. They’re creating a community where children are known. supported, and challenged to grow in mind and character and where parents are respected. Enrollment is open now. Make sure you get a spot because it is limited. And that website is Excalibur, E-X-C-A-L-I-B-U-R, classicalacademy.org. I have on the line with me Stephen Varilla, and I know he has run for Congress, and he was referred to me by a very trusted friend. And she said that they’d had this very important discussion about politics in Colorado, and that I should really have a conversation with him. So Stephen Varilla, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 06 : 76:12
Oh, thank you, Kim. How’s it going?
SPEAKER 27 : 76:14
It is going well. So for people that don’t know you, Stephen, tell us a little bit about you.
SPEAKER 06 : 76:20
Yeah, no, definitely. So I served in the military. I did two tours in Iraq for Operation Iraq Freedom. I was a scout gunner for 15 months in the surge, came home for about seven or eight, and then I went back for another 12, finished my bachelor’s at CSU Pueblo, did my master’s in clinical social work, and then after that just got involved in the community, served on a couple of different boards in Pueblo County, served on the State Board of Education for a little bit, and I ran for Congress.
SPEAKER 08 : 76:49
Okay.
SPEAKER 27 : 76:51
Pueblo, I have to tell you, Stephen, I really love Pueblo. I’ve gotten to know many of the folks at the Center for American Values, which is located there on the Riverwalk. It’s one of the nonprofits that I support here on the show on a regular basis because they’re focused on these foundational principles of honor, integrity, and patriotism. The center’s co-founded by Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix and Brad Padula, and I encourage people to visit the center regularly. and support them. That website is AmericanValueCenter.org. So I’ve come to really love Pueblo, Stephen Varilla.
SPEAKER 06 : 77:26
Oh, it is a beautiful community. It’s one of the, I tell people it is a community that we have a lot of opportunity to really mimic off of, especially when it comes to Colorado GOP politics. Cause I look at the old idea of the Democrats in the late eighties, when Colorado was a real strong Republican state. One of the things Democrats used to believe they could win statewide. If you could flip Pueblo or pick up enough votes in Pueblo and just pick up enough votes in Adams County, you’d be able to kind of pick up some statewide races. And one of that was targeting Hispanic voters. And I always tell people Pueblo is a really good area to see where you can build some of that groundwork and ideology across the state because Hispanic voters are truly GOP voters based on values.
SPEAKER 27 : 78:15
However, many are, well, I think the Democrats have looked at them as a, steady voting bloc, although President Trump, that changed in his races where he was able to garner more Hispanic support, correct?
SPEAKER 06 : 78:34
He was, and you know, one of the biggest things that he was able to really push was, and actually he won Pueblo County the last election, interestingly enough, and then he won it to this first cycle that he ran when all the other Democrats were or they ran at the same time we’re elected, but Trump was actually able to pick up Pueblo and it was really pushed on the idea of, he talked about kitchen table issues. And it’s one of the things that we miss as Republicans today, especially with our candidates when they’re outdoor knocking, we’re very focused right now in internal politics on based on factions. But if we really focused on ideas like education. Health care, public safety, jobs, wages, housing, affordability, just basically gas prices. Those are the things that Hispanic voters are really talking about. When I ran for state Senate, the first time I jumped in, it was here in Public County. I think it was like an eight point D district. We lost by 1,200 votes, but we did it the old-fashioned way. We knocked every door. We weren’t expected to even come that close. And what it was was just knocking the door and talking to people, and you would hear them. They would say, well, you know, I’m upset. The union jobs are gone. How do I get set up for my future and my children? Education choice, that was a big question that was out there, and I think that’s what we’re missing right now.
SPEAKER 27 : 79:58
What I’ve seen, Stephen Varilla, is politicians on both sides of the aisle say one thing and do something different. I think the Democrats are very good. When I look at the legislation as president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, as we look at the legislation down at the statehouse, What these radical activist Democrats are doing there is different with what they’re saying to the public. I also see that with some of the Republicans as well. But I think the Democrats are very good at messaging to these kitchen table issues, but they don’t really deliver on these. In fact, it is policy that is creating all of these issues regarding the education of our children, gas prices. uh, affordability, quality of life. Uh, but they’re very good at messaging to it. They create the problem and then they message to say that they’re going to solve it. Steven.
SPEAKER 06 : 81:01
That’s very true. And it’s actually from their standpoint, it’s a, it’s kind of reminds me of if you ever read Saul Linsky, it’s the old story of where you create chaos, you know, you can have opportunity and they basically have done that. They’ve created their own chaos and then they, they kind of fear monger and develop their own opportunity. But one of the things that I could tell you that we haven’t done very well on the GOP side that we could start doing that this is going to be our future is if we start messaging and actually when we have candidates. We really teach and train them because right now, a lot of our candidates aren’t very polished. We’re finding candidates that are one extreme to the other. They’re not looking like the districts they’re running for. And that’s where the Democrats have been able to get there. You know, I remember, you know, I, I joked around and as a couple of years ago when I was running at a lady say, well, what kind of Republican are you? Cause you know, right away they jump into the faction of the party. Are you one of our activists, grassroots, or you’re going to be one of our moderates? And I joked and I said, I’m a Vince Lombardi Republican. We’re winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing, because if we don’t win, we don’t legislate. So I think is we have to find candidates that could win. We can’t really, you know, this, you know, falter on them for not voting the way we want, if we’re not willing to teach and train them. One of the most important things is looking at our basic ideas of less government, lower taxes, and more individual freedoms. If we teach candidates that, and that’s their message, that’s the change. That’s how we get them in place.
SPEAKER 27 : 82:35
Totally agree. We’re going to continue the discussion with Stephen Varela. And in studio with me is Kathy Russell. And he’s probably really singing your tune, right? Because were you always, were you ever registered as a Democrat?
SPEAKER 21 : 82:51
Never. I was independent, but I always voted Democrat because I believe their rhetoric.
SPEAKER 27 : 82:56
Aha. And that’s why the messaging is so important. So we’re going to continue the discussion with Stephen Varilla. This all happens because of our sponsors. And one of those is Radiant Painting and Lighting.
SPEAKER 23 : 83:08
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SPEAKER 19 : 83:36
The Kim Monson Show is expanding and augmenting our voice and reach. In addition to the Kim Monson Show broadcast, we have created the Kim Monson Newsroom and the Kim Monson Community. We call them the Three Presses, and they are foundational to free speech and engaging in responsible self-governance. Go to kimMonson.com, click on the Newsletter tab… and sign up for the weekly email newsletter and the Daily Digest. And join the Kim Monson community, which is a modern salon where you can contemplate, connect, and converse around the principles we cover daily. Sign up today at kimMonson.com.
SPEAKER 03 : 84:13
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SPEAKER 01 : 84:48
All Kim’s sponsors are in inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That’s Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 27 : 85:05
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. And each of us have unique goals for our lives. With over 25 years of experience and the credentials of an accredited investment fiduciary, Jody Henze, and her team at Mint Financial Strategies can help you create a plan built just for you. She’s done one for me. So whether you’re preparing for retirement, planning for education costs, or navigating major life transitions, Mint Financial Strategies will help you design a customized plan to help you invest confidently and move forward with clarity for your life. So give them a call today. The first call is complimentary. That number is 303-285-3080. Again, 303-285-3080 to embark on your journey to financial freedom. Kathy Russell, this is such an important discussion that we’re having with Stephen Varula.
SPEAKER 21 : 85:54
Oh, it really is, yeah. Yeah, I love how he’s just getting right into kitchen table issues.
SPEAKER 27 : 86:00
And he said something, Stephen, bringing you in here. You said that many of the candidates on the Republican side could use some polishing. And that’s why Liberty Toastmasters is so great. Brad Beck has so many candidates that reach out to him. He’s one of the co-founders of Liberty Toastmasters. People have said, I’m running for office and I need you to help me with the messaging. And that’s the thing about is we’ve got a training program on messaging. It’s called Liberty Toastmasters. And I would encourage people to to get involved now so that you’re ready to communicate when you decide to run for office. So that is so important. But Stephen, what I’ve seen on the Republican side is we have these consultants that run campaigns and obviously they’re not doing a very good job because the record’s not very good on winning campaigns. But I as I’ve looked at this, they it doesn’t seem to me like they care about winning because whether or not the candidate wins or lose loses or an issue, whether or not it is passed or not passed. They make money, and one of the first things that they say to a candidate on the Republican side is not, how can we win? It’s how much money can you raise? And on the Democrat side, I think that they focus on winning, whereas the consultants on the Republican side just look at how to make money off of the candidate or the issue. Is that too strong to say, Stephen Varroa? No.
SPEAKER 06 : 87:34
No, no, I don’t think so at all because one of the things that we have a very strong established consultant class in our party, and it makes sense when you look at it, maybe 10, 15, 20 years ago during the Bill Owens administration era when Dick Wadhams and them were very involved, that might have worked because we had a different type of a candidate then. That candidate was very wealthy, and I don’t mean anything – Negative when I say this because a very wealthy white businessman. Well, our party has changed today. We are the party of the working class. And if we’re going to engage the working class, that first call that a candidate has when they’re looking for someone to help run the campaign can be like, give me a list of 50 people that can write you a max out check. It needs to be more in the sense of, well, let’s look, how could we win? Here’s what it looks like. The money will come. Don’t worry. You’re going to knock the doors. And I’ll tell you a couple of years ago when I ran for Senate, it was very unheard of because I didn’t go to all those normal consultants. The way I ran my campaign then was very grassroots. I had more donors at $5, $10, $2, and $3 than I did any big major donors. And that’s one of the things that people really look for in that consulting class is they keep talking about, and nothing against some of these organizations, but they’ll say, use an organization like Advanced Colorado. You’re going to pay to play, basically. You’re going to pay this money. We’re going to teach you how to be a candidate. Then we’re going to connect you with all of our consultants. Then once you’re with our consultants, then they’re going to guarantee that you’re going to do okay. But it doesn’t work that way. You can’t run campaigns that way. It’s totally opposite. When you’re working with the working class candidate today, it’s got to be like, here’s what your district looks like. Here’s how you could win it. It’s a swing district. Yes, you’re the right candidate. Yes, you look like your district. Instead of running candidates, they’re out of touch. Because sometimes I’ve noticed that we’ll run a candidate that’s very, very wealthy, but there’s no way they’re going to win a district that is 28% Hispanic and that is a swing district and you need to win suburban moms over when they’re when they’re totally disconnected and they’re not willing to knock the door but they’re willing to pay the price to put a mailer out mailers just don’t win campaigns anymore
SPEAKER 27 : 89:56
I would say if you can, they could be a part of the campaign, but the hard work is really important. Now, Stephen, you mentioned you have these small donors, which is important. Peter Berneger with the Wisconsin Center for Election Justice has uncovered something that’s called smurfing. And it’s being done by both ActBlue and which is the Democrat fundraising machine, and WinRed, which is the Republicans. And what they do with that is somebody may make a small donation, and unbeknownst to them, then that information, their name and their donation, then is replicated in other campaigns. It could be throughout the country. And that money is probably given by a dark money donor, but they can’t get it into the campaign because of campaign finance rules, and they also don’t want to be known for that. So they are using this information from these donors, unbeknownst to them, and making it appear like candidates are getting a lot of small donations. And Peter… posted this four days ago regarding Phil Weiser. He said 21.2% of Weiser donor addresses failed USPS validation, the legitimate baselines 1% to 3%. And I’m just making that comment because you got those donations the hard way, and that is from each individual. But this whole smurfing thing, Peter’s shedding a lot of light on that, Steve Enverola.
SPEAKER 06 : 91:40
Yeah, no, no, that’s very unfortunate when that happens. And, you know, that’s where you’re always going to have the large donor that wants to purchase the election somehow is going to find a way to put the money in there. And that’s what hurts candidates as well and campaigns as well. And that’s where you get candidates that really curtail their message. To the donor class and says, hey, you know, this is really who I am. So it’s a real fine balance. And I think it’s what we see a lot with the Democrat Party is I’m glad you brought them up because they’ll run activists on the front end. But behind the activists is generally a large donor or corporation or an organization that is basically puppet mastering. And saying, Hey, you know, if you don’t vote the way I want you to vote, I have somebody ready to primary you or I’ll outlast you because you’re only going to be in there for a couple of terms. And it’s, it’s a fine line and a balance. And I think for us as Republicans are on the conservative side of the state, we’re missing those, any activists that’s even willing to run because they’re afraid of that. And it was, it’s really hard. You know, I, I joked when. Years ago, I was working with a candidate and I said, we’re not NASCAR. You know, you don’t need a jacket with every donor’s name on the back. You need to represent the people. And the way you represent the people is doing it the old-fashioned way and knocking doors. And I think that that’s not possible for a lot of districts, but it’s possible to hit the big metro, right? You know, Denver metro or Denver urban area, basically, is what’s going to tell you how a statewide race is going to go. And if we mobilize those areas, we can make a difference. And engaged, instead of building factions within the party, if we started building coalitions, just imagine the differences that we can have. Our instability right now with high turnover of higher upper leadership, that hurts us. And not having people in there that even understand how to, to engage with different groups, it hurts us as well. You know, I, I joke, I tell people we’re the big temp party and, and somebody asked me, cause you know, I’m Hispanic. They said, Varela, have you been in the big tent? I go, yeah, I was in there, but I was all alone. Cause sometimes it feels like that. You know, I feel like we’re too busy fighting outside the door and we haven’t even went back into tank yet to actually win an election. It’s almost like we’re on recess.
SPEAKER 27 : 94:08
So I like what you’re next question. Somebody told me that you had been a Democrat. Is that true?
SPEAKER 06 : 94:15
Yes. Yes, I was. Actually, I was a Democrat years ago. Actually, the Biden’s last election right after that, I came back over. I came over to the Republican Party. I was very active. You know, I worked and ran a. Um, a federal, um, outreach with them. And then I did a, I was on the Latino democratic forum. I was on their platform committee. I, I realized it’s interesting. And I was actually a union president at one time. I was actually the youngest federal elected union president. I was 29 years old and I represented the department of veterans affairs in Southern Colorado. And one of the things I’ll tell you was that party stopped representing my values. But I think there was a lot of people that felt like me. They were just too afraid to make the move. And it’s interesting. I always look back to Reagan’s famous quotes as the party left him. He didn’t leave the party. And it really felt that way for myself as a millennial that the party was leaving me because it started going. It was more focused on social issues. And I was a a veteran. My wife was a veteran. Her and I met in airborne school, jumping out of airplanes. She was a nurse at the time.
SPEAKER 27 : 95:27
Match made in heaven, huh, Stephen?
SPEAKER 06 : 95:30
Literally, right? You know, I always joke and tell people that she hit the ground before me and she was trying to catch me. She was chasing me. And she always says, it’s actually the opposite. Well, and go ahead. Oh, go ahead. Well, yeah, but that’s one of the things I noticed on that side was But one of the things I will tell you was that I seen how they started to win was their winning was just basically focusing on basic issues. And I said, man, if people with my values, my beliefs of less government, lower taxes, more individual freedoms, just started looking at what the Republican Party represents. People can follow and come over, and we really haven’t been messaging well as a GOP.
SPEAKER 27 : 96:19
So next question for you, Stephen. And as I watch the legislation down at the statehouse as president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, I am so frustrated with Republicans that say one thing, but for example, protecting Tabor. And then I see them have their names on bills that is taking money from Tabor. That is so frustrating to me. How would you address that?
SPEAKER 06 : 96:46
That is very frustrating. And you know where that comes down from is our lack of party leadership. If we had a better party leadership structure and, If we were actually engaged as the party leadership with the elected officials, if we were constantly ensuring to see how they were voting, if we had organizations prior and after, and I know there’s a lot of these other organizations like the one you’re a part of, but if the infrastructure, the machine that put them there started holding them accountable better, I think we would start seeing more Republicans because they would vote your way or any of our way with our values. One of the things that happens is they get up there to the Capitol and they forget who put them there. And then once the doors close, it’s almost like they all become one group of people and they don’t want to be disliked, right? Because one of the first things I always joke and say, the minute somebody gets elected, the first thing you start doing is running for reelection. And some of these folks, when they get there, they forget who put them there. You know, I don’t know if you ever met Steve Durham. He, uh, he’s been around for a long time in politics and Steve served on the board with me on the state board of education. And there was a vote that came up and I told Steve, I go, you know, I’m kind of conflicted on this vote because, you know, and he looked at me, he said, Steven, the Democrats are not going to vote for you. When you go home to your district, they’ll never vote for you. You vote the way the people who put you here want you to vote. You represent them. And that was it. As a young elected official who didn’t understand anything, that advice helped me so much. But we’re missing that in our statehouse. For especially for the Republican Party, we’re missing that. We’re missing the leadership in there to say you vote the way your district told you to vote. You vote the way the people who wanted you to who put you here want you to vote because our messages will put them there. They don’t have to waver because those Democrats in the statehouse and the Democrats in Denver aren’t going to go down to, you know, where if no county to elect them.
SPEAKER 27 : 98:52
So, Stephen, last point, this is fascinating. When we say that you need to remember the people that put you there, the other thing is the messaging has to be what you just said, less government, these things of a virtuous society. So, for example, if there is a vote and it would be a vote that would give somebody some special something or other. But the principled vote is to vote no on that. I think the representative, city council person, whomever it is, says, I understand that you see the benefit on this. However, I voted no on this because it’s picking winners and losers. I voted no on this giving this money to somebody because it was taking money from our Tabor cap. We need to have that kind of messaging and that foundation, Stephen Varilla.
SPEAKER 06 : 99:53
Yes, we do. And they can’t be afraid. They, you know, fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. They have to choose to be courageous because right now, and I, and I say this to any of them that I meet, we’re in the minority. You don’t have to curtail to the Democrats. Being in the minority is a really unique position. Right now, you have the pulpit to say, this is why I voted this way. These are our values. Less government, lower taxes, more individual freedoms. When the vote comes up and it’s to put government in the household or government to tell you how to raise your children, that is the moment that you should get in front of a TV camera and say, Yes, we didn’t win today, but I’m with the party that will protect your children, that will protect your families, that will keep government, that will not take your money away. We are missing an opportunity right now because we have too many people that are candidates. We don’t need a litigators. We need legislators, people that are willing to legislate for their districts, willing to fight for their communities. we have to get back to that and it has to be taught you know we can’t expect the candidate just to wake up and say it we need to have some formal foundation whether it’s a party platform or an organizational platform that is going to tell them how to get there but then the other part that happens is when you have that consulting class somewhere along the line those candidates get corrupted and that consultant might also be a lobbyist for an association That is telling them that, hey, you got to vote this way or I can’t raise that money for you next election. We have to build an infrastructure back within the party and we have to bring people back to the basics to understand. It’s very simple. Less government, lower taxes and more individual freedoms.
SPEAKER 27 : 101:40
Okay. Stephen, we’re out of time. Kathy, this has been fascinating. Yvonne has said that you’re spot on. She says courage, courage, courage. That’s very important. And then Stephen, we had another listener that wants to know, they have a candidate that they would like to connect with you. What’s the best way for this candidate to connect with you? And I guess if you don’t want to give out your phone number, we can do that offline as well.
SPEAKER 06 : 102:08
Yes, that’s perfectly fine. We can do that offline.
SPEAKER 27 : 102:10
Okay, we will do that. And Stephen Varula, thank you so much.
SPEAKER 06 : 102:15
Thank you. I appreciate you for having me.
SPEAKER 27 : 102:17
And, yeah, this is really fascinating, Kathy Russell.
SPEAKER 21 : 102:21
Yeah, I love what he said about fear is reaction and courage is decision.
SPEAKER 27 : 102:25
I love that, too. We’re just about out of time. One more segment, so stay with us. And these discussions happen because of our sponsors. If you’ve been injured, talk to John Bozen and Bozen Law.
SPEAKER 26 : 102:37
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SPEAKER 24 : 103:19
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SPEAKER 20 : 104:02
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SPEAKER 04 : 104:46
With all the chaos and confusion in our world, how can you plant yourself on a foundation based on truth and clarity? The Kim Monson Show is here to help. Kim examines news, politics and opinion through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom and shares human interest stories that will inspire you and make you smile. Tune in to The Kim Monson Show each weekday, 6 to 8 a.m., with encores 1 to 2 p.m. and 10 to 11 p.m. on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website, and the KLZ app. Shows can also be found at kimMonson.com, Spotify, and iTunes.
SPEAKER 27 : 105:26
And welcome back to the Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. In studio with me is my friend Kathy Russell, president of Liberty Toastmasters North.
SPEAKER 21 : 105:35
Yeah, great conversation today, Kim.
SPEAKER 27 : 105:37
Great conversations. On the line with me is Paula Sarles. She is the president of the USMC Memorial Foundation. She is a Marine, and she is also a Gold Star wife. Paula Sarles, welcome to the show. Well, thank you for having me, Kim. It’s great to be here. And an important event on Memorial Day out at the Marine Memorial at 6th and Colfax. Tell us about that.
SPEAKER 15 : 106:03
Yes. Our annual Memorial Day ceremony is at 2 o’clock sharp at the Memorial at 16899 West Colfax. And our guest speaker is Billy Gallegos. He’s in the Rams. And it’ll be a great time to meet him and interact with some wonderful EVOs out there. And he’s got at least one EVO team of Edwin. I’m not sure if they’re still or not, but if they’re, it’s a great opportunity. Okay. I love veterans that come out, and it’s a good time to say thanks for your service.
SPEAKER 27 : 106:53
Okay. And Paula, the connection is coming in and out. At 145, what happens before the event?
SPEAKER 15 : 107:04
Well, we swear in some new recruits, and that’s really fun to see these young people getting ready to head off to boot camp. And a good time to wish them well.
SPEAKER 27 : 107:16
And then the event starts at 2 p.m. And this is at the Marine Memorial 6th and Colfax. And that will be 145 on Monday, which it should be a beautiful day, Memorial Day. And Paula, it is so important that on Memorial Day that we all stop and reflect and say thank you in our hearts to those that gave their lives for our liberty, which is our responsible exercise of freedom.
SPEAKER 15 : 107:41
Exactly right, and that’s what the day is all about. So we hope people will take a few minutes and come out and share the day with us.
SPEAKER 27 : 107:48
And that is, you can get more information at usmcmemorialfoundation.org. That is usmcmemorialfoundation.org. I will see you on Monday. Paula Sarles. Okay, wonderful. Thank you, Kim. And I will be parking in the parking lot to the south of the Marine Memorial, which just happens to be the parking lot for Little Richies, which is another great sponsor of the show. They have locations in Parker and in Golden, and they are… You have wonderful, Italian food is my favorite food. And they have the best calzones that I’ve ever had. And so I will be picking one of those up at the golden location of Little Richie’s. And Kathy Russell, it’s always a delight to have you in studio. It’s been quite the day.
SPEAKER 21 : 108:31
It has been quite the day. And I still wish people could see your gesticulations. You are just so theatrical. It’s really fun.
SPEAKER 27 : 108:39
Well, yes. But it is good that we’re only on audio, quite frankly, because at 6 a.m. So doing the climate conversation. And having Grace do my makeup, it was really a treat. But it took at least an hour for her to do her magic to make that happen. And so I said to Zach, I said, you know, there’s other radio hosts that are doing video. What do you think about that? He said, Kim, you’re on at 6 a.m. in the morning. They have makeup and hair people. I’m like, right. We’re going to stay on audio. That’s what we’re going to do. So, Kathy, your final thought on all of this. We’ve got about a minute and a half left.
SPEAKER 21 : 109:20
Oh, well, I just so enjoyed that conversation. And I think the big take home for me is that greater freedom requires greater virtue from the citizens.
SPEAKER 27 : 109:30
And what that means, I think, in virtue is that you don’t use government to take money from one person and give it to another. Oh, yeah. That’s crazy. And so we need to make sure our elected representatives know that. And we need to remind them that they are representatives of we the people. So words matter. It’s not elected officials. It’s elected representatives. And it’s not the Democratic Party. It’s the Democrat Party because they’ve been taken over by radical activists. The word democratic has a fond meaning. sound in to to people and there’s nothing democratic about taking stuff from one person to give to another and we see republicans do that as well exactly and we need to shed light on that and transparency is important and transparency is very important for truth as dave walden said there has to be trust in these relationships in order for us to have a virtuous society absolutely So Liberty Toastmasters, you can get more information by going to Toastmasters International, the website. Plug in Liberty and Liberty Toastmasters and you’ll get the information. Liberty North meets the second and fourth Wednesdays, 10 o’clock in Longmont. And Liberty Denver, the first and third Saturdays, 10 o’clock at the Independence Institute. Love to have guests. And take that step forward. for you to become a better communicator. Liberty Toastmasters can help you do that. And our quote for the end of the show is from Thomas Paine. And this is from The Crisis, number one, written in 1776. He said, “‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm and whose conscience approves his conduct will pursue his principles unto death.” So, my friends, today be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 18 : 111:50
to live in freedom talking about
SPEAKER 13 : 112:11
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
