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.
A SPIRIT OF CARE
Thank you to Zane Fischer for his amazing response to our piece at SITE Santa Fe and the call for support for Molly's ongoing recovery from oral cancer [Zane's World, Jan. 10: "
"]. Throughout this crisis, the support of our extended community here in Santa Fe has given us strength and guidance. It has grown our hearts and taught us about love and generosity of spirit. We pledge to pass this spirit of care and advocacy along. We offer our thanks to you out there who have contributed food, money, prayers and blog support (see Molly's whole journey at
). Special thanks to our local superheroes: Elizabeth Martin, David Gallegos, Rulan Tangen, JA Deane, Juliet Meyers, Alexis Brown, the staff at FACT, Bob Martin and many others.
Many of us in Santa Fe have no or little health insurance, and medical crisis is the No. 1 reason for personal bankruptcy in the US. We appeal to all of you who value this "creative city" to make sure to work toward caring for the individuals and communities that bring vitality to this city. We are working toward the creation of an emergency artist fund annual performance. Join us and keep posted on that:
.
Molly Sturges and Chris Jonas
Santa Fe
NOT THE "OTHER"
Re "
" [Cover story, Jan. 10]: I was pleasantly surprised to know there are 500 of "us" in Santa Fe. But then, why was one of your five profiled individuals someone who lives in Albuquerque? Moreover, I found the overall theme of the dossier disappointing because to try to "explain" or "reveal" our "experience" is just another way of perpetuating a concept of the "other," which really had me shaking my head. I am certain other people (of all ethnicities) probably were doing the same.
How about just featuring more black people in the paper on an ongoing basis, as members of the community, which we are?
And finally, it's pathetic, but I have to go all the way to Hair Brain salon in Albuquerque to get my hair done! Consider writing about THAT part of the "black experience" in Santa Fe!
Rozella Kennedy
Santa Fe
CLINE'S SOLUTION
A salute to Bonnie Cline for her proposals on dealing with illegal immigration [Letters, Nov. 29: "
"]. She urges that the US help Mexico create jobs so its low-income citizens can stay home, and also that heavy fines be levied on American employers who exploit cheap illegal labor to improve their bottom lines. Undocumented workers deserve our compassion, but we must face the fact that excessive immigration is the major cause of the runaway population growth in our nation. When I was a boy, there were 120 million Americans. Today, we are more than 300 million and are rapidly moving toward a half billion, ranking us with China and India as the most overpopulated major countries in the world. The soaring numbers of people here and across the planet are causing widespread poverty, depletion of natural resources, environmental degradation, global warming, extinction of other species and reduced quality of life. Ms. Cline's critics are delusional if they believe a finite planet can support an infinity of people. Promoting planned parenthood across the globe is an urgent challenge for 21st century humanity.
Robert Stearns
Santa Fe
ALL FOR PEACE
Santa Fe's First International Peace Conference in the capitol this May could be a tremendous success, providing Gov. Richardson invites his colleagues from the UN days to come to Santa Fe. Speakers include Arun Gandhi, MK Gandhi's grandson; Jody Williams, Nobel laureate for preventing the use of land mines; and Rigoberto Menchú Tum, Nobel Laureate for preventing indigenous genocide in Guatemala.
We need UN ambassadors as speakers, perhaps Tim Wirth, president of the United Nations Association of the United States; perhaps Knut Hammarskjöld, Dag's nephew; perhaps Kim Campbell, the first woman prime minister of Canada; many more.
Gov. Richardson's help would bring people from all over the world, and we could build a branch of the United Nations Peace University in Costa Rica here in Santa Fe, an idea I put forth in 1998. Agree? Please ask the governor to energize the Peace Conference by lending his imprimatur.
Stephen Fox
Santa Fe
FACE THE PROBLEM
Alcohol is a subsidy utilized by the government to make money. It's the reason the City Council, or any other political entity, won't/can't outlaw drinking in public places; that movida is also used by police to catch them after they leave a liquor establishment [Outtakes, Jan. 3: "
"], and:
1) Alcohol is one of America's favorite pastimes, and anyone has the right to enjoy it.
2) It's a large source of revenue for the tourist industry; try not selling alcohol to tourists, and they won't return.
3) The denial of the problem is the problem. It's mental attitude.
If you are a politician, alcohol is a money-maker on taxes, fees, court fines, lawyers, bondsmen, just so they can keep their job. Look at the expense a person is socked with in a DWI skirmish! Now the goody-two-shoes Council has the need to take their cars, too. Hence, alcohol is good for business!
Tax is not a dirty word. Victimization is more disgusting. Users of alcohol and its distributors should be charged a heavy excise tax; they'd be the most appropriate to pay for it. Keeping alcohol cheap is insisting on misery. This refers to people who have a drinking problem. People who use alcohol as art, like wine connoisseurs, can afford bad habits more readily and have all rights to it. If you aren't an alcohol artist, you pay double, anyway!
The craving for alcohol consumption does not go away by locking people up, taking away their cars, the use of ankle bracelets and breathalyzers, acquiring more police, nor posting their names and faces on front pages like the "10 Most Wanted." These are tools to make recovery less anticipatory! Breakthroughs in medicines, such as Acamprosate, greatly diminish cravings, which render alcohol ineffective.
I know there is a big rift in delivering the goods in health care. The government needs to be more realistic in its approach to the problem, which is cravings, instead of making money on gadgets that mask the problem. And, worst of all, victimization for profit.
The government needs to provide a lot more treatment clinics and centers for alcoholism and drug abuse. It's more productive than jail. You own so many buildings; put them to good use! Treat the victims since you aren't addressing the problem with frivolity. Lobby the Legislature for significant accomplishments…cravings don't disappear on a whim!
Samuel Denicio Perea de Sais
(Formerly Dennis S perea)
Santa Fe
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.
