The Reporter welcomes original, signed letters to the editor. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. They may be edited for clarity and space. Include address and phone number for verification purposes; these will not be published. Mail to Letters, Santa Fe Reporter, PO Box 2306, Santa Fe NM 87504, deliver to 132 E. Marcy St., fax to 505-988-5348 or e-mail (editor@sfreporter.com).
MISREPRESENTATION
I was appalled when I saw the front page of The Reporter that featured an article on teen suicide [Cover story, July 20:
]. I recognize that teen suicide is a tragic problem in New Mexico and it does need to be addressed. It is not appropriate, though, to place a distorted picture of Jenine Clifford on the front page of the paper. Jenine was a beautiful person. Although I was not one of her closest friends, I did go to school with her and I know that that picture does not represent who she was. Jenine's family will forever be healing from their loss. The family of St. Michael's High School is still healing from our loss. The community of Santa Fe is still healing from our loss. To see the image that you intended to represent Jenine or her "ghost" only makes our healing process harder. I realize that you used that image to get people to pay attention to the article, but our attention should not come at the cost of distorting the image of this beautiful young woman.
Melisa Panagakos
Student Body President
St. Michael's High School
Editor's Note: The cover image of last week's Reporter was not intended to depict Jenine Clifford.
FINAL COPY
I have just picked up the last copy of The Reporter that I will ever read as long as Julia Goldberg is editor. While your standards have been in decline for some time, your sensationalist and tasteless treatment of a local family's private tragedy was the last straw. Apparently, there is no limit as to how low you will stoop. The family clearly expressed its wishes that they did not want you to focus on them, but you ignored the wishes of this grief-stricken family and did the story anyway. Not only that, your cover illustration was hideous, exploitative, insensitive and tasteless. While youth suicide is a problem in New Mexico, I'm sure there are other New Mexican families or attempted suicide survivors who would have been willing to tell you their story. Your preying on this family clearly represents a revictimization and shows just how prurient and lacking in basic decency your paper has become, as well as its disregard of basic journalistic ethics.
Brad Whorton
Santa Fe
GHOST DANCE
Though I could write an entire dissertation about my own dance with suicide, there were a few points that struck me as I read
As a 40-year-old woman who has carried depression through most of my life, I can tell you it is as confounding for me that someone has never toyed with the idea as it is for someone to understand toying with it. It doesn't matter that you love us, or that our life seems "perfect," we can't just "snap out of it" or try to be "grateful" for what we have. It is a depth of despair that is beyond description, it is as external as it is internal, it fuels us and extinguishes us. It is a difficult job to try to dissuade us and I think most of us would relieve you of the guilt if we decide to step out despite your efforts.
In saying that, I applaud those who would do their best to be an open line of communication for the kids (and adults) who are really trying to come to terms with this type of suffering. A few things that have helped me along the way (and hopefully will help someone out there as well): that the very next moment could bring something unimagined and wonderful, that the pain can create something beautiful that touches another (art, poetry, music, dance), and as a fellow depressive said to me once, "what if we have to come back to this very moment again if we don't get through it this time." Yikes!
CM Edwards
Santa Fe
HOP TO IT
Your recent article about comparing local beers to out-of-state craft beers was extremely poor journalism [Outtakes, July 6:
]. First, as a professional brewer with over 23 years experience brewing and judging beers, I found the comments offensive, derisive, and in poor taste. As a professional beer judge, I would call into question the qualifications of the tasters involved whose comments were printed. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but they did a disservice to the brewing industry in New Mexico with their lack of tact, objectivity and experience. They did not interview anyone in-state but the owner of Santa Fe Brewing Company and neglected many other breweries in this state. I wrote a column for a bimonthly newspaper about the brewing scene in New Mexico for 10 years and never resorted to the unprofessional tactics so easily used by your staff. Please be informative, not prejudiced!
Brad Kraus
Santa Fe
ALL THAT JAZZ
I enjoyed your commentary about the Santa Fe Jazz and International Music Festival until I got to your opinion regarding Design Week [J Spot, July 13:
]. As a musician and music lover, I agree that the city of Santa Fe needs to support music programming. However, your attack on Design Week shocked and saddened me.
Perhaps in your world, sustainable living is a "specifically focused affair." Well, honey, you are living on the same planet that I am, and let me clue you, we are running out of the resources that you and I use everyday. Our careless lifestyle creates more waste that we process. I invite you to take some time to look into issues that affect all of life including: peak oil, global warming, overpopulation, topsoil depletion, deforestation, drought, ozone destruction, suburban sprawl, landfill shortages, species extinction, the toxic quality of air, water and food. Get my drift?
If you think that these issues don't affect every living being, please wake up and smell the methane. You are a member of the species that created and continues to add to this mess. Most of us live in houses, drive vehicles, shop in stores, work at jobs and enjoy jazz concerts at facilities that are all dependent on fossil fuels. We need to make serious changes in our lifestyles. Check out the film The End of Suburbia. It scratches the surface. Then, let me know if you still believe that a sustainable living conference like Design Week truly "appeals to a singular group, and that's all."
Kendall Arey
Santa Fe
NOT SO CHERRY
Jonanna's recent outburst [J Spot, July 20:
] pissed me off. Hey, J, ya gotta get out more often! That "collective fixation on very few [musical] genres" that drives you nuts is YOUR narrow perception, not the REAL music scene in Santa Fe. The fact that your sweet Cherry Tempo played Summer Bandstand undercuts your rant. So, I say, quit yer whiny-ass complaining and check out the Plaza music scene more often. Ya might find a breadth and depth of genres-as well as a lively, diverse crowd taking it in-to expand your horizons. There's more to Santa Fe music, J, than the bands you lap up at Backroad Pizza and the Cowgirl.
Michael F McCauley
Santa Fe
