Angry (tongue-in-cheek!) rant by native (Denver, Pueblo: houses, camping, living in)

[downtownnola]

It seems as though the author of the article only thinks there are 2 states outside of Colorado and lumps them together although they are nothing alike (New York and California). Methinks someone needs to get out more.

[Aganusn]

Lol....Welcome to an ever changing social, political, and economic climate. Someone tell that dude to get over it.

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by new2colo

When I lived in Colorado, people who were "native" Coloradans made it VERY clear that they were "natives." They would announce it multiple times during a conversation whether the context of the conversation called for it or not. I would hear how everyone is Colorado was supposedly a transplant, but somehow I would run into multiple people each week claiming to be "native" Coloradans.

According to a recent New York Times article, 42 percent of current Coloradans were born in Colorado. I am from Nevada where only 25 percent of current Nevadans were born there. My birth state has 10 times the population that it did just over 50 years ago. To put that into context, if Colorado added 10 times the people it had in 1960, the state's population would be approaching 18,000,000. Despite this, I have yet to experience a fraction of the resentment in Nevada toward transplants that I did when I was in Colorado, even though the state has changed in many, many, many ways.

A couple of interesting notations in there. I have to admit, whether people are native or transplants isn't something that comes up in many of my casual conversations with people. That you interact with people announcing such status seems unusual to me. When I have bothered to ask, my experience has been the polar opposite on both the quantity of natives and of those natives, their declaration of such. Perhaps it is more of a geographic or demographic manifestation that has made my experience so different form yours.

Which also leads into total % as quoted by the NYT. Yes, in overall percentages, I'm sure that is true, but Colorado tends to have a geography that impacts those percentages. On the western slope, the native to transplant ratio is heavily titled towards the natives while along the front range you will most likely find the exact opposite with many more transplants and I'd surmise, a very large % of which have only come here in the last 15 years.

Another interesting issue within those percentages, as reported by the Denver Post a few years back, is the movement of people into the state along the front range has created a secondary migration of long time front range residents to the western slope areas. So the population trends have a couple of very distinctive traits to them that seem to irritate a percentage of the population regardless.

Growth can certainly be a double edged sword. Along with the crowd of people and increase in expenses comes opportunities and variety. In an urban environment, those can certainly be some good trade offs. In the more natural setting of Colorado, they can hold definite problems as people literally love the place to death. In my time here, I've seen private and off limit lands increase. Even on public lands, you can experience closures for recovery just because traffic is so intense. I've also seen one city change from having three newspapers and 5 hospitals to a single paper and two hospital systems yet the cost of living has spun up and continues to rise. I seen roads and infrastructure that was never designed to support the usage they currently have become clogged and dangerous. Yet we don't seem to be doing enough work to sustain the influx, never mind raise it.

Just IMO.

[rogers719]

As someone who recently relocated to Colorado I think this person has some anger issues, but good points as well. His points about respecting the land and the people we share it with are spot on. However, I think he completely dismisses the fact that many of these problems are caused by "natives" that have no respect as well.

The whole native thing really gets me.

First while I may not have grown up here I have read enough to know that Colorado was originally populated by native Americans. I'm guessing he probably doesn't fit that description and at some point his family came here as well. Only when they did it was part of the process that moved the true natives off of their land and isolated them to reservations.

Second if I chose to wear the Colorado state flag on my shirt then it is because I love the state that I have chosen to be my home. I guess by the same thought wearing american flags on shirts is not acceptable, after all we cant show pride in the place we live now can we. I think anyone that puts a bunch of stickers on their car is tacky personally, but it doesn't really effect me in a personal way.

Last, being a native does not mean you have any more right to be here than I do. I live in Colorado because I CHOSE to live in Colorado. I spent 3+ years of my life researching, planning, visiting, and finding a home and a job in order to make the move. I spent 10k+ of my personal savings for moving expenses. All to move to an area where I have no family and no friends. I have a job, I own property, I pay taxes, and Im not on government assistance which I guarantee is something that 100% of the "native" population cannot say. So if anyone thinks for a second that being born and managing to stay alive a few decades makes them any more Coloradan than me then I must respectfully disagree.

[JrzDefector]

Originally Posted by rogers719

As someone who recently relocated to Colorado I think this person has some anger issues, but good points as well. His points about respecting the land and the people we share it with are spot on. However, I think he completely dismisses the fact that many of these problems are caused by "natives" that have no respect as well.

The whole native thing really gets me.

First while I may not have grown up here I have read enough to know that Colorado was originally populated by native Americans. I'm guessing he probably doesn't fit that description and at some point his family came here as well. Only when they did it was part of the process that moved the true natives off of their land and isolated them to reservations.

Second if I chose to wear the Colorado state flag on my shirt then it is because I love the state that I have chosen to be my home. I guess by the same thought wearing american flags on shirts is not acceptable, after all we cant show pride in the place we live now can we. I think anyone that puts a bunch of stickers on their car is tacky personally, but it doesn't really effect me in a personal way.

Last, being a native does not mean you have any more right to be here than I do. I live in Colorado because I CHOSE to live in Colorado. I spent 3+ years of my life researching, planning, visiting, and finding a home and a job in order to make the move. I spent 10k+ of my personal savings for moving expenses. All to move to an area where I have no family and no friends. I have a job, I own property, I pay taxes, and Im not on government assistance which I guarantee is something that 100% of the "native" population cannot say. So if anyone thinks for a second that being born and managing to stay alive a few decades makes them any more Coloradan than me then I must respectfully disagree.

Yes, I found the implication that it was only out-of-staters who litter rather amusing. Most of the other out-of-staters I know moved here because of the outdoors and are very conscious of their environmental impact when they go somewhere - I certainly am.

[CosmicWizard]

Think about it: Who is more likely to have a greater love and respect for Colorado?

* Someone who is here by an accident of birth

OR

* Someone who CONSCIOULSLY decided to live here, and probably spent a big wad of cash to make it happen

[Electrician4you]

Take the article, remove Colorado and replace it with any other state. It applies everywhere. California at one time was the same till a bunch of out of staters started flocking here. Same with anywhere USA. Anytime you have a influx of people from other areas with different ideas you're gonna have issues

[CosmicWizard]

Electrician4you wrote: Anytime you have a influx of people from other areas with different ideas you're gonna have issues

Agreed! And even without an influx of people from other areas with different ideas you're gonna have issues. Issues are what makes life interesting! Anyone expecting an issue-free life probably has not been on this planet very long, or maybe is just a v-e-r-y slow learner.

[NewYorkiforniainHouston]

Originally Posted by Electrician4you

Take the article, remove Colorado and replace it with any other state. It applies everywhere. California at one time was the same till a bunch of out of staters started flocking here. Same with anywhere USA. Anytime you have a influx of people from other areas with different ideas you're gonna have issues

^^this....take out the weed part and that could be a post about Houston^^

*leaves thread to go cut/paste that article*

just kidding
well, almost just kidding
??

[rumline]

I really liked #7. It takes a real man to threaten violence against children.

#s 9 and 10 we have a problem with here in Los Angeles also. Newsflash: walking along a mostly-level completely-paved path is not "hiking". And the littering is despicable. Most times I go hiking I come out with a 20gal bag full of other people's trash. The best was when a guy saw me picking up ancient trash that was obviously not mine. He came up to me and handed me his empty gatorade bottle. At least he didn't just throw it on the ground, but WTF???

Originally Posted by rogers719

However, I think he completely dismisses the fact that many of these problems are caused by "natives" that have no respect as well.

Originally Posted by JrzDefector

Yes, I found the implication that it was only out-of-staters who litter rather amusing. Most of the other out-of-staters I know moved here because of the outdoors and are very conscious of their environmental impact when they go somewhere - I certainly am.

I didn't take it as a thing only for out of towners. I saw it as promoting a culture of cleaning up after yourself, no matter who you are.

Originally Posted by rogers719

The whole native thing really gets me.

[...]

Last, being a native does not mean you have any more right to be here than I do. I live in Colorado because I CHOSE to live in Colorado. I spent 3+ years of my life researching, planning, visiting, and finding a home and a job in order to make the move. I spent 10k+ of my personal savings for moving expenses. All to move to an area where I have no family and no friends. I have a job, I own property, I pay taxes, and Im not on government assistance which I guarantee is something that 100% of the "native" population cannot say. So if anyone thinks for a second that being born and managing to stay alive a few decades makes them any more Coloradan than me then I must respectfully disagree.

Well said. When my wife and I move to Colorado, it'll be because Colorado fits who we are better than our native Los Angeles. If I liked LA better I'd save myself the hassle and expense of uprooting my family.

Speaking of El Lay, we have a huge "non-native" population. Much higher than Colorado. And you know what? Nobody here is reppin' "Native" stickers or giving newcomers attitude. For Colorado to claim to be so laid back, having hostility towards others because they weren't born in CO is pretty uptight. And pathetic.