Hickenlooper has to get on top of the teen shooting tinderbox before it ignites. It's not enough to say 'I don't have all the facts' -- say you're getting them, and will help. Take a lesson from Representative DeGette, who has called for policy changes in the Police Department and an open and thorough investigation.

Hick should support an independent, but local, investigation. What Federal Bush/Ashcroft Justice Department probe (called for by some in Denver) could be a better arbiter for the community than the right local effort?