A Chicago Pope, Baseball and Our Upcoming Panel

Pope Leo Mania consumed the world last week and reignited an old Windy City baseball rivalry at the same time.

When news broke that the new pope is from Chicago, a fierce battle between Cubs and White Sox fans erupted over which team he supports (Turns out it’s the White Sox). Regardless of whether Leo roots for the hapless, last place Sox or the Lovable Losers on the north side of town— and their one World Series win in the last 117 years— one thing is certain: The new pope will certainly have empathy for the suffering.

Baseball aside, Pope Leo said something recently that I found to be quite moving and spoke directly to my sincere belief that our society has a duty, whenever possible, to set aside personal and political differences from time to time to talk about things that affect us all. It happened during the pope’s remarks to journalists at the Vatican Monday:

“Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world. Disarmed and disarming communication allows us to share a different view of the world and to act in a manner consistent with our human dignity."

When I covered politics as a member of the Colorado Capitol Press Corps, I established good relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle by being disarming; approaching them with grace, humor and, above all, respect. It’s the same approach I’m taking as we plan the Back From Broken Foundation’s first event: “Shattering Stigma and Embracing Hope”, an addiction and mental health panel discussion that will take place Thursday June 12 in Denver inside the Lowry Foundation’s Eisenhower Chapel (Scroll down to the bottom for ticket information).

We’ll hear from folks on both sides of the political aisle how addiction and mental health has impacted their lives:

Yadira Caraveo: The former Colorado congresswoman, who is running to win back her seat, will talk openly about her recent mental health struggles and allegations from former staffers that have made headlines.

Kyra deGruy Kennedy: A progressive policy leader who will talk about her recovery from trauma and substance use. 

Jeff Hunt: A conservative radio host and policy advocate who will talk about the pain of witnessing a loved one struggle with addiction.

Adam Burg: A policy strategist and BFBF board member who will discuss his struggles and recovery from alcoholism.

These conversations will be deeply personal and revealing. For one night at least, we’re going to set aside the notion that people with different political beliefs can’t come together to talk about something important anymore.

We need to be able to have candid conversations about addiction and mental health because these issues affect each and every one of us. People in Denver struggle with drugs and alcohol, just like folks in Fort Morgan do. Addiction doesn’t give a damn about who you voted for or whether you have a D or an R after your name, it’ll kill ya all the same. I’ve been to hundreds of 12-step meetings and not once have I seen someone refuse help based on voting preferences. We’re only interested in getting better. We must come together on issues like addiction and mental health.

Maybe I’m naive to think that we can set aside our differences for one evening to have a robust and compassionate conversation about these issues. But I have faith. And I will sleep well at night knowing that I at least tried to answer Pope Leo’s call for disarming communication.

By the way, the White Sox have a winning record since the new pope was elected, so maybe that Leo’s on to something.

Panel discussion ticket info:

Get your tickets for the June 12 panel here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shattering-stigma-and-embracing-hope-tickets-1357783810929?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6cJ_nWYBXU-tC2VHc_WrMXZ1vZCTCec2GUAV7dwIgTPeXpGE8T3g_wo-mqNA_aem_HyKtNz7JTSVIUOSf1qgEGQ

If you can’t make it to this event, but would still like to support our ability to continue facilitating these kinds of recovery conversations, please consider making a one-time donation of $20, the cost of a ticket, sans service fees: https://www.thebfbf.org/donate