Mail letters to Letters, Santa Fe Reporter, PO Box 2306, Santa Fe NM 87504, deliver them to 132 E. Marcy St., fax them to 988-5348, e-mail them to editor@sfreporter.com, or use our online form.
SMOKE OUT
I just finished reading your article on Will Adams, co-owner of WilLee's Bar & Restaurant [Outtakes, July 12:
]. He states, "There's a lot of confusion around" the new smoke-free law. Then again, he is confused, by serving lunch (huge sign out front) if his establishment is considered a restaurant or not. What's the confusion???
Santa Fe's City Council voted to make Santa Fe smoke-free and it is the law now. He was not at the Council meeting to oppose. Maybe he was confused?
We have lots of cities and states that are smoke-free, and I am glad Santa Fe has joined them. Come on WilLee's, take the smoking outside; yes, 25 feet.
Debbie Vigil
Santa Fe
NO NUKES
It is obvious why nuclear power is not on Gore's list of solutions to global warming-waste and safety [Outtakes, July 5:
]. Instead of greenhouse gases, what nukes generate is massive amounts of radioactive waste for which we have no plan for disposal. Regarding safety, we've been lucky so far here in the US with a handful of near-cataclysmic meltdowns; the people of Chernobyl were not so lucky. Unfortunately the "safety" of nukes is predicated on some impossibilities: on humans never making mistakes and on the earth's surface not being riddled with constantly shifting faultlines.
So what's blocking development of safe and green power sources?
Greed.
Sun and wind can't be owned like an oil field or a nuke plant. There's no corporate financial incentive to grease the political wheels for development of cleaner and safer energy sources. But WE have the power to grease those wheels. Democracy wasn't designed to be passive. We have the responsibility to make our voices heard. Call your reps in support of green energy. Call PNM to support their wind power program.
There are a lot of options on Gore's list for how we can work together to save our planet. Nuclear power just isn't one of them.
Wendy Flick
The Pond Foundation
Santa Fe
EMPTY CREEK?
I am writing in response to a personal attack written by "Sophie Creek" last week in SFR's letters to the editor [Letters, July 12:
]. Your readers should know that there never was a "Sophie Creek" to attend, much less graduate, from Southwestern College (SWC) as claimed. This person discredits me personally while passively dishonoring others. Leadership positions are often targets for discontent. However, I believe it is important, given the press SWC has had lately, to clarify some points made by "Sophie" as well as former board members in SFR's featured article [Cover story, June 21:
].
SWC is unique in its commitment to academic excellence, experiential education and the honoring of the spiritual dimension. The field of counseling is unique in its intent to serve people who are often vulnerable and seeking professional help. It is the responsibility and commitment of myself and indeed ALL faculty at SWC to train, mentor, challenge and sometimes redirect students to assure the high standard of skills and trust the profession requires. Professional fitness is taken very seriously at SWC and concerns are addressed not by "intimidated consensus" as "Sophie" claims…but in academic council with due process.
Most educational systems have been designed to disseminate information didactically, teaching primarily to the mind. SWC has its underpinnings in the works of the transcendentalists, Rudolf Steiner, John Dewey and many spiritual traditions that believe education must bring conscious awareness and practice to all dimensions: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Most colleges that include spirituality are tied to a single religion. Southwestern College is ecumenical. Students are encouraged to engage in a spiritual practice of their choice. Students who come to SWC are interested in experiencing personal transformation, spiritual connection and a rigorous academic training that prepares them for licensure.
An ex-board member used the word "cult" recklessly to misinform and frighten people. The word "cult," the (root) of "culture," defines a mutual system of viewing reality. SWC's course, Psychology of Consciousness, studies how systems of reality are created and shared. When a system of reality does not understand or agree with another, fear and conflict occur. This dynamic leads to power struggles between individuals, groups and nations. Peace can prevail only when respect is practiced with a willingness to bridge differences. This ex-board member said, "I had nothing in common with the school," and made statements about a rumored "mass suicide" that were totally unfounded. His statements, as well as those of "Sophie," demonstrate aggression, a lack of understanding and a lack of desire to bridge. They do nothing to promote well-being.
SWC celebrates a new Board of Trustees as well as the appointment of Dr. James Michael Nolan as president. SWC continues to grow and offer one of the most innovative and creative programs of its kind.
In closing I'd like to say that we all have Light-that is, the Nature of our Souls. We all have Shadow-that is, the Nature of our personalities. Life itself can be viewed as a spiritual practice. Thank God every minute gives us another opportunity to practice.
Katherine Ninos
Santa Fe
Editor's Note: SFR did check, with the author of the original letter, name and city of origin prior to publication via e-mail and was satisfied, at the time, as to the veracity of both. Subsequent to Southwestern's concerns regarding the authorship of the letter in question, SFR attempted, and failed, to re-contact the letter's author. SFR does not allow for anonymous or pseudonymous letters and regrets the possible unintentional publication of a letter that may have made use of the latter device.
SHINE ON
If it's hard to make the cut at Southwestern College-as student, faculty or board member-that's as it should be. Thousands of clients trustingly place their psyches in its graduates hands, maybe tens of thousands, someday hundreds of thousands. A degree from Southwestern really has to mean something more than passing grades, and its leadership carries heavy responsibility. I know how easy it is to blame your own failure on the nearest strong female in sight, but let's hope that someday passes out of vogue. Shine on, Katherine Ninos! Too many women aren't comfortable with their power and we allow bogus criticism to shut us up or chase us off. I hope one day to be as strong as I know you to be. I am so proud of you!
Teresa (Tre) Roberts
Former SWC Employee
High Point, NC
CORRECTION:
SFR reported that Planning Commissioner Bob Werner had submitted a letter of resignation to Mayor David Coss [Outtakes, July 12:
]. Werner told SFR that he was submitting a letter to Coss but, due to a miscommunication, SFR falsely reported that Werner's letter was a notice of resignation. The letter was, in fact, a notice to Coss that Werner did not intend to resign. Werner subsequently retained his seat on the Planning Commission after Coss abandoned efforts to remove him and three other commissioners with a City Council vote. SFR regrets the error.
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. Please include address and phone number for verification purposes; these will not be published.
