In 2021 I took a year gap and traveled all around the USA. In June 2021 I visited the State of Colorado. I visited a couple of cities and what I am about to shared, happened in Durango, Southern Colorado. We are going to name this person “Jack", he was the person who rented me the Airbnb room at his house.

Jack is a white American engineer working for the NASA in Durango, Colorado. The reason American tourists go to Durango is because it is a very beautiful Midwest city best known for Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The train that pass by, has run continuously since 1881 and is a popular attraction. But the reason I went there was because it was the closest large town to Mesa Verde National Park.

I flew from Denver to Durango and Jack asked me if I would like to be picked up, and I agreed and thought he was just being kind. He looked like a very decent man, but he was everything except a decent person.

When we got home it was already 6 pm, he offered me a cup of tea and we started talking. In 2021 I traveled a lot, I wanted to understand American culture, and I was fascinated to see how different was America from one State to another State. As a researcher one of the things I look for when traveling, is learning about history and human connection. I like to talk to locals and understand why people behave the way they do. So I started talking to Jack, I was very interested in his NASA job.

We had a very interesting conversation about his job and about that specific geographic area of America that has a lot of influence from the tribes that were present since the time when Colorado was Mexican. He explained me about the Temazcal rites how popular they were. Then the conversation switch and we started talking about our own believes.

Jack’s Property Airbnb where I stayed for 3 days

Jack told me he believed in New Age, and I asked him to explained that to me. I recalled him telling me that he believed everything that happens in this world was because it was supposed to happen, which sounded logical, nevertheless I was not expecting how the conversation started to change towards a deeper crazy path.

New Age movement is a range of spiritual practices and beliefs that grew very fast in the Western world since the 70’s. This movement is very popular alongside with Christianity in America specially in liberal States.

New Age is a form of Western esoteric practices where Ocultism, Spiritualism, New Though, Human Potencial Movement and Theosophy are mixed. They believe in the divinity of human being and the spiritual authority of the self. They have a strong focus on healing, unifying science with spirituality.

Jack told me that the good things that happened historically were as beneficial to Humanity as the bad. He explained me that there was not good or evil in this world and that negative events that happen are interpreted not as the result of evil, but as lessons designed to teach an individual and enable them to advance spiritually.

Like many Americans that reject Christianity in the U.S., I felt his resentment towards the christian religion and his vision of it as a dualism that was taught to control people. While he was talking it sounded to me like the extreme right at the time of Hitler.

I started asking him questions like: What about wars? He said they are not bad, they are supposed to happen and they helped humanity to grow in terms of science. How about serial killers? He said those people dying are supposed to die and there is no evil in it, I started to get a bit scared…and then I asked something that was completely unacceptable to me, I asked: “What about pedophiles?” his answered shocked me: “I feel a lot of empathy for them”

The neighborhood of the place I was staying at…

I did not know what to say in that moment, I felt I heard wrong so I asked:

Me: Empathy?, are you serious?

Him: Listen, there are a lot of people that judges MAP's (minor attracted person is another way to call pedophile and it implies empathy to this sexual attraction)

Me: Wait wait, so do you think it is right to molest and/or rape children?

Him: Children are always ready to accept love

Me: I can not believe you are telling me this! Not this kind of love you are thinking of!

Him: Calm down, have u seen those 14-15 years old girls that are way more experienced than a 30 year old one?

Me: Off course, and do you know why this is? Because a door that should not have been opened was opened in early years!

Him: Well, for me it is all relative

Me: What do you mean?

Him: I believe the age of consent should be 5 years old

Me: OMG what are you saying! Children do not understand sex, children should be children

Him: Children are the most developed humans you can ever think of..

Me: Have you ever met someone that has been raped or molested as a child? Because I have, and they have big trauma

Him: I have been abused myself while my parents were working in Africa

Me: I understand now. Have you ever been to therapy?

Him: I do not need that. And the fact that I feel attracted to children does not feel I am sick. People should let others mind their own business. Why are people so shocked about pedophiles and aren’t about other sexual attractions like gay or lesbian?

Me: So you do not think this is a crime?

Him: I honestly do not. In fact I am part of an online group that is under the umbrella of the Democrat party that wants MAP’s (Minor attracted person) get recognize as a sexual orientation in the LGTB community.

Me: Instead of having a political voice, I am sorry but you have to get therapy as soon as possible…

Him: I understand you concern and I do not expect you to understand it… (He starts getting angry and I decide to end the conversation and go the second floor where my room was)

Where is the term MAP’s coming from?

It was from an Old Dominion PHD University sociology and criminology professor Allyn Walker who gave an interview in which he asserted the need to destigmatize pedophiles by redefining them as “minor-attracted persons” (MAPs).

Allyn Walker is a non-binary transgender researcher and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University. Allyn identifies as "they” and is author of “A Long, Dark Shadow: Minor-Attracted People and Their pursuit of Dignity” published by the University of California. He/She/They stated that “we have a tendency of categorizing people with these attractions as evil or morally corrupt”.

In his/her/their book, Walker advocates for the inclusion of MAP’s as part of the larger LGBT community by approaching attraction to minors as an orientation, and stating that “the fact of children’s inability to consent to sex is irrelevant to the application of the term sexual orientation towards attractions to minors.” Walker recognizes the threat that pedophiles pose, while also focusing on “coping methods” and “strategies for non-offending” MAPs… I am sorry but what the hell!!

And if you do not believe that pedophilia has a political agenda, the Californian Democrat Congresswoman Katie Porter used her platform, stating that pedophilia is “an identity rather than descriptive of both a heinous condition and criminal act” alleging that a person should not described as criminal because of their identity, their sexual orientation, or their gender identity. You can verify this information yourself and watch her video on her twitter account.

Congresswoman from the Democrat Party Katie Porter

Now you might be wondered, what happened after?

I wanted to leave that house because I realized this person was mentally sick, the way he was talking, the way he was acting while we were talking about this. He was not able to look me in the eyes and he started moving his legs. It was already 11pm so I decided to find a place for the next day, but I did not find it. So i decided to stay for another 2 days but try not to engage in any conversation with this person. I was afraid actually. Next day I woke up very early to visit Mesa Verde National Park.

I came back at 8pm and when I came back, he was sitting in the living room and I felt very uncomfortable with the way he was looking at me, I said hi and went to prepare my bag upstairs, but before I prepared a tea. He was acting weird, I am sure he was high. I went upstairs and felt anxious because I had a bad feeling. After 30 minutes in my room, he knocked..

I said: “yes?”, He said: “can u open I need to tell you something” I did not want to open because I was afraid. In that moment I regretted having stayed. He said: “It is going to be fast, please open”. I opened and this freak told me: “I hope you are not going to get offended, but would u like to spend the night with me? I mean in my bed” I opened my eyes furious “What the hell are you saying?, what makes u think I was ever flirting with u? are you crazy?” He said: “I am so sorry, I just told myself I should at least try”…I slammed the door in his face and locked the door and asked him to go away and I was not able to sleep the whole night thinking he was going to climb to the second floor and break the window.

Next day I woke up angry waiting for an apology but he acted like normal. I left the worst review ever.

Natalia Cortes. Durango, Colorado. June 2021

my conversation WITH A PEDOPHILE IN COLORADO

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