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Vigilance isn’t paranoia

Letter from Bob Cross

Water – November 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine

Editors:

Regarding George Sibley’s column in the October edition:

Labeling your feelings as “paranoia” is simply too self-deprecating. Let me suggest that your observations are more properly classified as the vigilance of true patriotism. Remember that in Federalist No. 10, Madison was arguing that representative government is the remedy for “the violence of faction.”

You properly identify the fact that we have corrupted Madison’s remedy and it goes much deeper than Colorado Water Law.

Flowery language (“greatest good…”), that then masquerades as primary principle and deceptively validates assaults on the fundamental values so eloquently defined by Madison and his peers, can only be exposed by vigilant observers who also have the talent to organize and publish their observations. I think it was Edmund Burke who wrote that vigilance against such corruption is “our best wisdom and our first duty.”

Bob Cross

Northglenn