A vote was cast by county commissioners to decide where we could and will live. I’m only curious that in this whole process, where were we, the residents of Purple Cliffs?

The final call may not be ours, but third-party advocacy groups and outspoken locals have no right to cast a vote on our best interest. That right is reserved exclusively for those who live this daily. Not to sound offensive or ungrateful, but we know where we would prefer to be. It splits us down the middle when our advocates work against our preferences.

Who better than one of us to ask and keep in the loop? An equal at the table of discussions would have been enough to pin this socioeconomic hand grenade. Now, lest I assume some absurd ideas that you think you can force therapy and rehabilitation on someone without it backfiring. Please, clarify what is direct engagement?

The collective trauma of Purple Cliffs is not a thing that can be understood, likewise it cannot be understood what, if any form of therapy, could be effective. There are some wounds that Father Time alone must mend.

Commissioners, your progress is our calamity. We have been at work for years, trudged through hardship and season, moved earth and stone. We have given body, blood and bone to this mountain. It is shameful to posture against all we have invested. We have no desire to restart. We would rather stay. Give us time.

Antonio Espinoza

Durango