Property Rights, Gratitude, and the Danger of School-Based Health Clinics

On August 22, 2022, Kim Monson welcomes Douglas County Commissioner George Teal to discuss a zoning amendment that expands freedom for home-based businesses, explores the importance of gratitude and good manners with Liberty Toastmasters co-founder Brad Beck, and sounds the alarm on school-based health clinics with parent advocate Jen Gibbons and Dr. Rachel Corbett of Roots Medical.

Expanding Freedom for Home-Based Businesses

Start listening at 16:00 – Hour 1

George Teal, Douglas County Commissioner, explains a proposed zoning amendment that would allow rural property owners to run businesses from their properties, not just on them. The distinction matters for contractors, plumbers, and electricians who store equipment in outbuildings but perform work off-site. Current regulations create an absurd situation where residents can operate a business on their property but face penalties for simply parking their work trailer in their own barn.

The amendment addresses properties of 4.5 to 9 acres in rural residential zones. Teal emphasizes that existing controls limit outbuildings to 3,000 square feet and require all equipment to be stored inside. The measure reduces government overreach while respecting the entrepreneurial spirit that defines Douglas County. A vote on the amendment takes place at the county commissioner meeting.

“This is about freedom and liberty. This is about the ability of small businesses, home-based businesses, to be able to earn a living, folks to achieve that American dream from their own simple, humble abodes.”

George Teal, Douglas County Commissioner

The Lost Art of Saying Thank You

Start listening at 32:00 – Hour 1

Brad Beck, co-founder of Liberty Toastmasters, shares his essay “Thank You Takes Training,” exploring how gratitude requires deliberate cultivation. Beck reveals that his father advised him to save handwritten thank-you notes from customers, wisdom that proved invaluable during difficult business periods. Reading those notes provided encouragement to persevere when challenges mounted.

Beck argues that modern society has abandoned the etiquette standards that once defined civil interaction. Writing thank-you notes, opening doors, and simple courtesies require practice and intentionality. He connects this to his work at the Optimist Club of Erie, Colorado, where the Optimist Creed reminds members to “think only the best, to work for only the best, and to expect only the best.” The conversation touches on how radical feminism attacked good manners by dismissing gentlemanly behavior as patronizing rather than respectful.

“It’s not in our nature to say thank you all the time. So we are constantly reminding children, reminding ourselves to say thank you, to say please. You know, I’ve opened doors for both men and women, and people say thank you all the time. Every once in a while somebody says, I can open the door myself.”

Brad Beck, Liberty Toastmasters Co-Founder

Roots Medical Expands to Pediatrics

Start listening at 60:00 – Hour 2

Dr. Rachel Corbett of Roots Medical provides a health update, noting that mainstream media is finally acknowledging COVID misinformation that independent voices identified early. She discusses N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a supplement that supports cell membrane health and showed remarkable results in COVID treatment. The FDA’s recent attempts to remove NAC from the market despite five decades of safe use raises questions about regulatory capture by pharmaceutical interests.

Corbett announces that Roots Medical is adding a pediatrician to round out family care options. She also mentions that Colorado Healthcare Providers for Freedom is building a directory of like-minded medical professionals for patients seeking alternatives to mainstream healthcare approaches.

“It’s all of our institutions, really. I mean, there’s Michael Kulldorff, who is the head epidemiologist of Harvard, does a great talk about the cult of evidence-based medicine. So it’s not even just, you know, certain people. I think it’s our institutions that we really need to take a close look at.”

Dr. Rachel Corbett, Roots Medical

School-Based Health Clinics Bypass Parental Authority

Start listening at 69:00 – Hour 2

Jen Gibbons of the Cherry Creek Parents Advocacy Network raises alarm about school-based health clinics now operating in the district. Bond money funded construction of two facilities, with a third planned using educational dollars despite claims of severe underfunding. These clinics, operated in partnership with a company called Stride, offer services including sexual and reproductive health education to students as young as 12 without parental consent, under Colorado House Bill 19-1120.

The clinics are freestanding buildings on school property open to the community, raising security concerns about non-students accessing campus. Gibbons points out that Cherry Creek spends lavishly on administration, employing 10 people at six-figure salaries just for “equity, culture and community engagement,” while less than half of third graders read at grade level. The district’s priorities have drifted far from academics toward identity politics and healthcare provision that should remain parental responsibilities.

“According to House Bill 19-1120, for mental health care, a child 12 or above can receive help without parental consent. And then there’s a state statute that says a minor can even consent to their own abortion.”

Jen Gibbons, Cherry Creek Parents Advocacy Network