Denver Traffic Court Outrage Confirmed

On Saturday, June 30, 2007, I posted a blog about an incident of ethnic discrimination in Denver's Traffic Court. The report came via email. It claimed that a man's Anglo wife was told that "all non-English speaking persons with traffic violations would be taken care of first" because their interpreter "does not stay late." "They were also given payment terms" for their $35 fines for driving without a license or insurance, which were not offered to his wife who received a fine of $249 for speeding.

Besides what seemed to be unbelievable discrimination on the part of Denver's Traffic Court, there was another reason to be suspicious of the email's veracity. The email said this occurred on April 1, 2007. A check of a calendar showed this to be on a Sunday, when courts are not usually in session. I almost dismissed the email as an urban legend and sick April Fool's joke, except the email ended with the name and address of the man making the claim. That is rare in urban legend emails.

The address was the mailing address of a Denver country club. So, I decided to write a letter and send it via snail mail to verify the email. I promised to post the reply if one was received. Frankly, I didn't expect to receive one, but I did. Here it is, dated July 9, 2007, and it confirms the incident:

I received you (sic) letter over this past weekend and I thank you for your response.

Yes, the incident is true. I did, however, make a mistake on the date. The traffic court hearing was Thursday, March 29, 2007. I wrote the e mail on Sunday, April 1st. Thank your friend for catching the error in the date.

It is interesting that this letter I wrote has almost taken on a life of its own. I have received letters from individuals such as yours from all over the country.

This is a marvelous country and everyone is welcome. All that is asked is those coming to the United States do their respective parts as our ancestors did. Be accountable and responsible for your actions and participate by giving into the system that so graciously provides the freedoms we enjoy.

Best regards,
John DiNardo
14476 East Caley Ave
Aurora, CO 80016

So, there you have it. Blatant discrimination against native-born Americans is alive and well in the courts of Denver, Colorado. Are you as outraged as I am?