Reader: Real Coloradans Don't Use the N-Word

To say that we received an enormous response to our post featuring an angry Denver Craigslist post is far from an understatement. The anonymous author's "Beginner's Guide for New Coloradans" featured plenty of arguments with which many if not most readers agreed. But his assertion that "real Coloradans...use the 'N'...

By Michael Roberts

August 3, 2015

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To say that we received an enormous response to our post featuring an angry Denver Craigslist post is far from an understatement.

The anonymous author's "Beginner's Guide for New Coloradans" featured plenty of arguments with which many if not most readers agreed.

But his assertion that "real Coloradans...use the 'N' word when it's called for" offended plenty of folks for whom the writer definitely wasn't speaking.

Here's a statement that represents the dozens upon dozens on a similar theme.

Rene Ford writes:

I have lived in Colorado over 25 years and never was it acceptable to use the N word. And even though I moved here, my friends that were born in Colorado and are real Coloradans never used the N word. That was a stupid comment and ignorant.

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts. For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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