I appreciated our caring, level-headed Boulder Police Commissioner Redfearn’s response to the awful attack, and local journalism outfit the Boulder Reporting Lab’s coverage.

“This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in downtown Boulder on Pearl Street,” Redfearn said. “And this act is unacceptable.”

My name is Waylon. I’m the founder of Elephant. We’ve been around 22 years. I live in Boulder, born n’raised. We just suffered a hate crime from a mad man. A survivor of the Holocaust was among those grievously harmed.

It’s been powerful being in downtown Boulder and in public parks the last few days, and feeling our community heartbreak and resilience and sanity and caring, all.

Boulder, however, is a kind, caring, resilient, generally grounded and sane and loving place. We will not bend to the winds of hate, though many here have been captured by RFKland conspiracy theories.

We are not a headline, nor front page news. We are a community, and we are saddened, heartbroken, angry. But that sadness and heartbreak extends to what Trump is doing to our country, our democracy, too.

Love stands tall and open and brave, and offers healing in the face of greed, speed, hate, and lies.

I was downtown on West side some time after the attack happened, as confusion and panic was rippling through–they evacuated the Trident cafe where I was, and apparently were searching for bombs on the East end of the Pearl Street Mall, with the evacuation area extended to the Trident

Yesterday, today, the community has gathered and gone about its lives as we do. Our hearts are full and heavy with sadness and care for one another. We are strong in our love.

May we can mend and heal together, and make sure we are safe, not use this as an excuse to hurt and harass others. Seeing the underqualified, drama- and hate-loving Trumpian FBI Director Kash Patel on the case is not comforting. Some seek to exploit tragedy, not protect and come together and heal.

PS: Don’t get it twisted: Boulder is farrrr from perfect. No one here would claim to be totally happy with the state of Boulder. And yet we’re generally grateful to be here in caring community.

But these days I’ve felt so much love in the heartbreak and community care and sanity—and I wanted to share that we are heartbroken, but we will not break.

PPS: Someone asked how we can all help. I think all of us just have to subscribe to journalism (vs misinformation and conspiracy theories and hate), invest in kindness and caring locally and worldwide, and try to be more eco responsible in any way we can. That’s me. What are your ideas?