QUIDNUNC: ACLU-less about real liberty theft

QUID HAS HEARD that the times, they are a changing at Colorado’s ACLU club. There was a day when all a reporter had to do was whisper a little something to these knee-jerks about local cop antics and, ka-boom, there was an instant controversy. That was then. Now, the ACLU is silent when the entire Colorado media comes a bangin’ on the door with juicy stories about Aurora cops arresting 40 innocent people during a public, roadside sweep to search for a possible bank robber. And the ACLU response? Zzzzzzzzzz. And then there’s the repeated phone calls from news types about red-light camera controversies in these parts and others, where Colorado residents are hauled into court to defend themselves from one-eyed, digital demons accusing them of stepping their cars over the line and other contrived atrocities. And what’s the predictable ACLU response to having those liberties squashed? Zzzzzzzzzzz. But when Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson sent out the red flag to TV news types this week about a “Gypsy” scam, watch out. The Colorado ACLU is now wide awake and warning Robinson and the rest of the world that pointing out that “Gypsies” have dark hair and dark eyes means that every Mexican and Latino immigrant and resident in Colorado has just been fingered as a potential criminal. Quid’s more concerned about the endless characterization of Gypsies as a race of congenital thieves, but whatever. Quid sleeps better tonight knowing that the ACLU is still here.

AND QUID HAS HEARD that it’s the middle-aged and hungry that are the real victims of discrimination along the eastern plains these days. Seems the Adams County Fair folks, always looking for a way to get more people to drive to the plains to watch prize pigs, are offering free pancakes to all seniors who attend this year’s Adams County Fair in Brighton on Aug. 2. Quid questions the wisdom of providing such a high-calorie, low-nutrient food product to a group of people who shouldn’t be eating it, especially when it’s today’s middle-aged “sandwich” generation footing the bill for most everything. Send Gramma to the Bouncy House and open up the Buck A Beer for Breakfast Tent and see how easy it is to pack the house.

AND QUID HAS HEARD that either gullibility knows no age boundaries, or Colorado’s elderly hipsters are ripe targets for scammers. Seems Xcel Energy is warning people that a scam being circulated on Twitter and on mobile phone texts about President Obama tax credits is just that, a scam. The ploy says there are “credits” available to pay utility bills, and then asks victims to supply banking information. It’s the type of phishing scam usually reserved to snag elderly types, who up to this point don’t tweet much. Looks like today’s generation may be technically superior to Generation BiFocal, but they’re clueless when it comes to old-fashioned crooks.

AND THAT’S ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS.