Ok, why... just why...

Man on crusade to expose Colorado's racist property records: 'This is so appalling!'

ESTES PARK, Colo. -- Battles over racism continue to rile the country. The latest is hitting Colorado where a longtime resident in a popular tourist town discovered several neighborhoods that only welcomed white people.

Now, there's an effort underway seeking homeowners to take a stand against their historically racist property records -- not only in Estes Park, but in dozens of other communities across Colorado.

"This is kind of like our Confederate statues in Estes Park, except these are statutes," John Meissner said. "These are subdivisions or neighborhoods where they have race-restrictive covenants in place."

Meissner said he's one of a handful of Estes Park residents who study the town's history. He stumbled on the race-restrictive covenants while researching Georgia Graves, an opera singer who once lived in a subdivision there.

"Just reading through, and it's six pages, and I was not really paying attention because it's always just words, words, words," Meissner said. "And then I said, 'Oh my gosh! This is so appalling! This is saying that, you know, only white people can buy property here."

The covenants founded what is now Stanley Heights. They placed restrictions on a property's appearance, size -- and race.

"None of said building sites or any part thereof shall at any time be used or occupied by, or sold, leased or given to any person or persons of any race except the white race. But this restriction shall not prohibit any of the occupants from having employees who are not of the white race," the covenants, dated from the early 1940s, read.

The neighborhood is aptly named for F.O. Sanley, who parceled out land in Estes Park in the 1940s.

Stanley is a community figure of pride. His statue sits in front of the Stanley Hotel, made famous in the 1980 horror film The Shining.

Meissner agreed that his work is essentially labeling Stanley a racist.

"Yeah, yeah," he said.

Meissner admitted he's stirring emotions in a way that's not settling well with other people in Estes Park.

"I came up here saying I don't care if i'm chased out of town. I really don't. Estes Park's history is going to be better when I leave than when I came," he said.

He's also calling for action. Even though old, race-restrictive covenants were deemed unconstitutional in a 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Meissner wants individual homeowners to take a stand against them since they still appear in property records.

With the help of an attorney, Meissner generated a document that homeowners can sign and file with the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder's Office.

"It's called an extinguishment of encumbrance," he said. "And so, this is like a little time capsule, for future historians to come across, and this will be connected to those restrictive deeds. So, they'll see those and then they'll see this, which says, OK, that was that generation, and now people are going on-record this generation and saying, 'I don't adhere to this, I abhor this, I don't at all agree with this.'"

Estes Park mayor Todd Jirsa agreed Meissner's efforts are worth it.

"We can't change that past, all we can do is help to rewrite the—our chapter of history in the future," he said. "That's all that we can do. And we should do that, and we should take a stand. People need to know where we stood on this issue."

Denver7 spoke with several people in Estes Park, including longtime homeowner Jim Mount, who believe race-restrictive covenants no longer have a place in their community.

"I know of nobody in this neighborhood, and I mean I know pretty much all the neighbors, I know of nobody who would support that today," Mount said.

Denver7 Investigates discovered race-restrictive covenants were fairly common across Colorado at a time when they were prevalent in other eastern states, too.

The process of locating every protective covenant across the state can be cumbersome. It differs from county to county. But in Jefferson County alone, Denver7 found race-restrictive covenants in 82 neighborhoods -- most dating back to the 1940s.

In Denver, the Polo Club neighborhood only welcomed white people.

Nonetheless, in Estes Park at least, Meissner hopes the community will take a stand alongside him.

"It sends a message outside of Estes Park [that] this is not who we are," he said. "We are inclusive, we are not exclusive."

Many of the covenants across Colorado remain on the books because many of the subdivisions were small -- as few as four homes in some cases. Chances are no one's reviewed them in decades.

How stupid. That guy needs to go by way of Samson the Elk.

Virtue-signalling...does this mean they need to put a rainbow sticker on their front door to indicate that they filed the above mentioned document Idiots.

Some jackasses aren't busy enough with life, and dream up this zhit.

Oh

Well, bless his heart.

It's called history, some of it isn't pretty. Are we going to go back to the dawn of time and right every wrong?

Some people need somebody to come to their door once a month and kick them square in the jimmy, when they’re withering on the ground let them know see you next month jack ass.

I don't see where it actually called for any apologies ?!?!

Time to pull old Stanley's statue down and rename his hotel. Can't leave any history for the snowflakes to trigger on.

I would support a covenant that prevented busy-body shitwits from living in my community. Otherwise it looks like the problem was solved in 1948.

Why does he want to change the paperwork? That doesn't change the fact that he lives in a house built by and for evil white racists. How can he possibly sleep at night?

Hope he's not using white sheets?

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
Why does he want to change the paperwork? That doesn't change the fact that he lives in a house built by and for evil white racists. How can he possibly sleep at night?

“Void” is, well, void.

How does one extinguish a void?

The voidness only extends to the offending provision. Are the owners to extinguish the entire scheme of covenants?

If so, I don’t think many will sign. They want their neighbors to not keep pigs, park cars on the lawn, etc.

If not, what’s the point?

Maybe they should burn the structures to the ground, salt the earth and never dwell on polluted ground again!

I hope he does not check into the Memorial Park that a lot of both sides of my family are interred at. A long time ago I saw the lot deed for my step-great-grandfather and it had a covenant in it that only white persons could be buried there.

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
I hope he does not check into the Memorial Park that a lot of both sides of my family are interred at. A long time ago I saw the lot deed for my step-great-grandfather and it had a covenant in it that only white persons could be buried there.

The worms care not the color of a dead man's skin. We are but meat.

Sand... someone needs to go pound it.

More in the 'Stupid on Steroids' theme. And for the record Estes Park, such nonsense does not make you look inclusive. It makes you look asinine.

The trouble with this brand of PC is that it requires the innocent to account for the guilty in the same way that Obama believes in collective salvation and condemnation. This brand of PC is a rising theology that requires people of a certain subset pay for what others did who share that subset characteristic. It is not individual accountability. It is collective. No one is safe once we accept this false principle. Imagine if our justice system adopted this principle. One man could be put in prison for what another did based solely on corresponding characteristics. There is no one pure enough to escape the consequences of others' sins.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
The trouble with this brand of PC is that it requires the innocent to account for the guilty in the same way that Obama believes in collective salvation and condemnation. This brand of PC is a rising theology that requires people of a certain subset pay for what others did who share that subset characteristic. It is not individual accountability. It is collective. No one is safe once we accept this false principle. Imagine if our justice system adopted this principle. One man could be put in prison for what another did based solely on corresponding characteristics. There is no one pure enough to escape the consequences of others' sins.

Well said, that is why I posted this nonsense.

James in Denver