The irony is thick as Aurora goes out of its way to make it clear here and across the globe that human rights, civil rights, justice and dignity will be afforded everyone who lives here and visits.
Aurora has been evolving to that place for decades, and it pretty much arrived years ago. It doesn’t mean that Colorado’s third-largest city hasn’t suffered from one of humanity’s longest-running scourges: bigotry. But as Aurora became more diverse culturally, educationally, racially and economically, the city has grown up to become a bastion of tolerance. Rather than avoid or ignore problems with racism and bigotry, Aurora has for decades taken them head on. When bigotry against blacks or Latinos has occurred, the city has created committees and panels to investigate it. Then these groups guide the community toward finding ways to understand each other, breaking down the usual sources of fear and trepidation. It works.
Not only do Aurora residents and visitors accept that the city is myriad cultures, languages, nationalities and more, they revel and capitalize on it. Aurora is home to endless ethnic and international shops, restaurants, churches, venues and more. This is a city that holds festivals to celebrate its vast and boisterous diversity. All are welcome here, and those aren’t empty words. So the irony is acute where a city like Aurora makes a huge show in telling the public that the growing sense of fear among minorities and immigrants can be tempered with being confident that we’ve got their backs. As repugnant episodes of racist, bigoted attacks and rhetoric spring up across the country, and even right here in Aurora, an increasing number of residents admit they’re at least nervous about changes that a President Trump era will bring. Many have made it clear they’re downright panicked.
It’s encouraging that other Colorado communities are joining Aurora to make clear that American Muslims should and will be treated like all and any other American. More communities are making it clear that racism and civil rights abuses against anyone because of their culture, race, sexual preference, birthplace, religion or language they speak at home won’t be tolerated no matter what a Trump Administration says or does, or what Trump’s supporters say or do.
This is a well-developed nation, and the system of government was created just for times like this, when the rights of some or all Americans are unsettled. Trump’s administration will be but one of three equal parts of the government, and Aurora can take comfort in knowing that the vast majority of state officials stand with Aurora on the issue of protecting the civil and human rights of all who live and visit here.
All of Aurora should be proud that its diverse elected and appointed leaders, Republicans, Democrats and neither of those, have agreed to stand in solidarity against any potential federal move that would jeopardize the constitutional rights of individuals. While there are many things leaders in Aurora disagree about, it’s telling that on this issue, dozens of officials have reached a virtual consensus. It may well be that Trump will back off of his past racist and bigoted rhetoric, and he will work to squelch the flash-fires of racism and bigotry his campaign has unleashed across the country. But even if he becomes indifferent to the problem or actively seeks to use the government against U.S. citizens and residents, Aurora and leaders like ours stand ready to protect what more than two centuries have created: liberty and justice for all.