When Representation Turns Divisive

 A Closer Look at Racism in Pueblo’s City Council

The Responsibility of Representation

Unity Knows No Color

Elected officials hold a unique power - not only to legislate, but to shape the tone and trust of the communities they serve. Their words can heal division or deepen it. When that power is misused to promote racial resentment, it damages more than decorum - it undermines the very unity a city needs to function.

During a recent Pueblo City Council meeting, one member’s comments crossed that line.

The Statement That Sparked Concern

At the meeting, October 27, 2025, the council member began by referencing “ICE tactics happening nationwide” and went on to claim:

“There really is a war against brown and black people.”

He then asked listeners to imagine “immigrants from Sweden with zip ties on their children,” suggesting that outrage would occur only if the victims were white. The statement concluded with:

“It doesn’t matter that my family has been in the United States since the beginning of the state of New Mexico… It doesn’t really matter to an ICE agent.”

Why This Language Is Dangerous

While fair treatment by law enforcement is a legitimate concern, portraying it as a racial war is inaccurate, inflammatory, and divisive.

1. It divides residents by race, implying one group is under attack while another is complicit.

2. It dismisses shared civic challenges - Pueblo’s issues with poverty, drugs, and safety affect everyone - equally.

3. It silences disagreement, framing any pushback as racism rather than reasoned debate.

Using public office to inflame racial tensions rather than build understanding erodes the very trust voters place in their representatives.

Facts vs. Rhetoric

There is no credible evidence that ICE or local law enforcement is conducting “ICE tactics” or waging a campaign against specific racial groups. Such claims fuel fear and resentment, diverting attention from real solutions.

Comparing immigration enforcement to terrorism trivializes actual victims of extremist violence and poisons public discourse in a city already struggling with division.

A Pattern of Divisiveness

This comment fits into a broader national trend where public officials invoke identity politics to rally emotional support. Instead of focusing on safety, jobs, and accountability, they resort to racial framing that fractures communities.

Leaders are elected to solve problems - not to create new ones through reckless language.

A Message to the Council Member

Racism is not fought by dividing people into categories of “brown,” “black,” and “white.”

It is fought by standing up for the equal worth and dignity of every resident - by rejecting prejudice no matter who expresses it.

When an elected official insists that America is at “war against brown and black people,” they are not promoting justice; they are perpetuating the racial thinking they should be condemning.

Labeling others by skin color, assuming motives based on appearance, and implying collective guilt are racist behaviors - even when they come cloaked in moral outrage.

As a public servant, your duty is to unite Pueblo - not to inflame it with language that pits neighbor against neighbor.

Racism in any direction is unacceptable, and it must be confronted wherever it appears, including within the council chambers themselves.

True Anti-Racism: Equality, Not Revenge

Real anti-racism does not replace one hierarchy with another. It demands that no one be judged by their race, whether they are brown, black, or white.

It insists on truth over rhetoric, fairness over fear, and shared responsibility over victimhood.

If you truly wish to end racism, then stop speaking as though race determines morality, oppression, or justice.

Stop framing civic issues as ethnic conflicts. Start addressing citizens as citizens - equals under the law and equals in human worth.

Pueblo Needs Unity, Not Division

Pueblo is stronger than the politics of resentment.

The people of this city - of every color and background - want safety, accountability, and opportunity, not lectures that divide them by race.

If the council member who made these remarks truly wants to fight injustice, the path forward is simple:

Reject racial generalizations. Speak with respect. Lead by example.

That is what real anti-racism - and real leadership - looks like.