GENDER NEUTRAL
Patricia Sauthoff is sad that we don't have images of Hillary Clinton "bent over a sewing machine" and "knitting socks for Bill," and she equates such needlework with "femininity" [
Visual Arts, Jan. 2: "Waste Not, Want Not"
].
During Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, Hillary said, "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession, which I entered before my husband was in public life."
She was crucified by the media and did a lot of backpedaling (you can find Hillary Clinton chocolate chip cookie recipes all over the Internet), but I was delighted, as were many women for whom "femininity" was not about the choice of avocation, but rather the indefinable qualities of womanliness that we bring to whatever we do. Most of life's activities are, frankly, gender neutral-there is nothing inherently feminine about cooking or nursing or weaving, nor inherently masculine about science or law or fixing the roof (one of my specialties). With great respect to the wonderful traditions of textile-making, and to the sublime joys of gender difference, women are not "neutered" (as Ms. Sauthoff laments) when we venture beyond the limits of other centuries' definitions of our place and our nature.
MARY-CHARLOTTE DOMANDI
SANTA FE
SHOP LOCAL
Thank you, Santa Fe Reporter, for featuring great gift suggestions [
] in lots of price ranges from our locally owned, independent merchants! With crowded malls, bad weather and local traffic jams in parking lots, we at the Santa Fe Alliance know how tempting it can be to go online to find all your holiday shopping needs fulfilled.
Remember, Santa Feans, for every dollar you spend at a local merchant, 45 cents stays right in our community while only 13 cents stays in our community when you go to a chain or big-box store. Buy Local First! Your community will thank you.
VICKI POZZEBON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
SANTA FE ALLIANCE
SANTA FE
THE CITY DANGEROUS
As I sip my cappuccino I must bring pen in hand re: "Grace Under Pressure" Dave Maass' piece [
Cover story, Dec. 19: "Top 10 Stories of 2007"
] on the SFPD's case summaries. Let's go to Exhibit No. 3, "Property Crime Prevention." What's missing is advice on how we as citizens can protect ourselves. Perhaps someone in the community should write a true survival insider's guide that really reveals the "hard truth" to living here in Santa Fe.
One that exposes the "hip-hype-hype-hey" of Santa Fe Fantasy overkill which tends to create a rather dumbstruck mindset. The reality is this place is highly dangerous and the "Santa Fe Fantasy" is deeply deceptive. All newcomers need to be made aware of that.
I recently came here from Europe. I rented a room on Camino Lado. The roommate and landlady both assured me it was a safe and secure place to live. A week later a thief entered the house with a key and stole all my things.
Strangely, the landlady refused to change the locks.
What is this?! That old engraving, "Thou shalt not steal"-is that obsolete? Just "entitlement" here with no work ethic? The thieves are not just "drug addicts"-we have organized crime here. Bling-bling.
CAROLYNE HALL
SANTA FE
CLEAN IS HEALTHY
Because of innovation, computers that were once the size of a room can now be held in the palm of your hand. Yet, today's vehicles are virtually no different than the Model T Ford and fuel economy has stagnated since the 1980s [
Outtakes, Dec. 12: "Dirty Detour"
]. Without policy that requires manufacturers to decrease pollution from cars, trucks and SUVs, they won't do it.
In addition we know that by improving the efficiency of vehicles New Mexico will save lives by reducing pollutants that can aggravate chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disease, damage lung tissue, lead to premature death and may even contribute to cancer.
Late last month, New Mexico took an important step forward by adopting the Clean Cars Program. But because of a power struggle between the Legislature and the Environmental Improvement Board, New Mexico may continue to receive hand-me-down vehicles too dirty to sell in 12 other states.
Rep. [Jim] Trujillo and other opponents should stop litigating and start innovating.
JOHN FOGARTY, MD,
NEW MEXICO PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
SANTA FE
EXAGGERATION
I don't fault the Santa Fe Reporter at all for using a misleading statistic when it comes from such an authoritative source [
"Winners & Losers, Dec. 12: "New Mexico productivity"
], but Gerry Bradley from the NM Labor Department should know better.
Yes, theoretically, the impact of a "snow day" could be one workday's worth of the state's GDP…given a TREMENDOUS BLIZZARD of biblical proportions that managed to cover the entire state in several feet of snow.
Several businesses (particularly in northern New Mexico, where we're used to this sort of thing) remain open even when schools and government offices close, thereby generating (albeit diminished) economic activity. An impact of the magnitude Mr. Bradley implies would require a truly earthshaking natural disaster…now far be it for me to say that such a thing is impossible; if global warming keeps up, all bets are off. But I can't think of any snowstorm in recorded weather history that
completely paralyzed
the entire state, from Raton all the way down to the boot heel.
The economic impact of snow days is great I'm sure, but one doesn't need to exaggerate statistics to make that point.
ANDY HOPKINS
SANTA FE
KEEP DIGGING
Thank you for having the courage and sensibility to report on the oil drilling situation here! Your recent very comprehensive article, "Mother Frackers" [
] is right on the money, showing how insidious the behavior of Tecton is, and how devastated things could become around here if Tecton gets its way. (My wife and I have lived near the Galisteo Basin since 1994 and, of course, are very nervous about this.)
Our daily paper prefers to address just about any news but this! Most upsetting: Our own county commissioners and, yes, governor, seem to have an agenda regarding oil drilling that is not in accord with the best interests of the local citizens or taxpayers (and we pay plenty of taxes to live in this county and this state!) Now there are secret meetings? The press is not allowed to be present? This is a very serious matter! Certainly it's all about the money.
Thanks for keeping us informed and supporting what is right for the PUBLIC of Santa Fe County!
FRITZ IRELAND
SANTA FE
