Reformed, Dec. 31: “Bigger Than School”
Huzzah
Seth Biderman, this is the column I've been waiting for my entire teaching career. Thank you. Of course, I wouldn't have "gotten it," really, until recently; time served (as it would be) makes for a kind of openness to one's own limitations, an openness for which the naïve first years of teaching don't allow.
The pressures we feel as educators, to be all things for all students—in a world that is less and less for them, and that is more and more comfortable putting the onus on the institution of school to fill in overwhelming gaps in humanity, compassion and collaboration—are myriad and overwhelming. But if we can keep our perspective realistic, healthy, limited but not limiting, we can do our small good and still live with ourselves at the end of the day. Many, many thanks. Best of luck on what comes post-SFR for you.
Jennifer Guerin
SFReporter.com
Cover, Dec. 17: “Which Milk?”
Gratitude
Thank you for your article that draws attention to the ethical and moral issues arising from the practices of New Mexico conventional dairies, i.e. factory farms. Damage to the health of cows, workers, consumers and our environment is evident. And, praise be to you for the information about the dairies that do use healthy, sustainable, humane practices.
A key rationalization appears to be that it is not feasible to protect the environment and still produce cheap food. My lifelong response to this attitude has been to "buy organic," even though I have always been on a very limited budget. I hope I am at least big enough to help by voting with my dollar. I suspect a $1.2 billion per year industry when it deceives us by pretending it cannot afford safe, healthy procedures.
How to prompt the New Mexico Livestock Board to conduct monthly inspections of each dairy, plus investigations of reported offenses and formidable penalties for the guilty?
These precious animals gift us with nourishment. The workers sacrifice for our convenience. The least we can do is respect them with decent care. Thank you again for your curiousity and courage.
Joann Sullivan
Glorieta
News, Jan. 7: “Move Over”
Weigh the Benefits
We desperately need well-priced rental housing here. People need to get over the fact that the land used to be Ecoversity; it's gone and it isn't coming back.
People are constantly complaining that there is nowhere for young people to live because rents are too high (not that you have to be young to want a decently priced rental) and that people move because it's cheaper to live in Albuquerque. Here is something that can put a dent in that problem. It will be sad if this proposal is defeated.
Regina Klapper
SFReporter.com
Cover, Jan. 7: “Snail’s Pace”
Forgotten
This article omits The Loan Fund, another nonprofit microlender in New Mexico. The Loan Fund is the largest recipient of funding from the New Mexico Small Business Investment Corporation, with an $11 million line of credit to provide affordable loans to small businesses and nonprofits in the state that typically are unable to qualify for credit from banks or credit unions.
Matthew Loehman
SFReporter.com
Progressive Blame
New Mexico is unsuccessful for many reasons, some of which are due to the yearly passage by the New Mexico Legislature of bills pushed by the progressive wing. These bills have one thing in common: They are intended to punish businesses in the name of achieving equity for others.
Out-of-state businesses simply do not move here. Businesses can operate anywhere in the world, and they locate where they are better received.
Sigmund Silber
SFReporter.com
Music, Jan. 7: “Yar Right”
Puleeze
I love how you make statements like "solidifies their rep as one of the best new bands to come out of Santa Fe since forever." Alex De Vore, you been in Santa Fe a minute, dude. Get over yourself.
Marco Ordonez
SFReporter.com
News, Dec. 31: “Spelling Relief”
Poppycock
I don't know if you're aware of the large body of research—I'm guessing not—that suggests medical marijuana has little or no value as a treatment for the vast majority of users. I was just reading the summary of a recent psychopharmacology symposium that concluded medical marijuana was in fact a ruse to get around existing law. Cannabidiol [a compound in pot] may have promise for two rare genetic subtypes of epilepsy (let's hope so), but apparently cannabis chemists are busy breeding it out of their products in favor of higher THC concentrations.
I suppose if you interview only cannabis advocates these issues wouldn't get too much play. So you might want to consult Science-Based Medicine blog with its two-part piece on "Medical Marijuana: The New Herbalism."
Scott McMillin
Santa Fe
Special, Dec. 17: “Ugly Sweaters”
Rape Jokes Hurt
I hope this is one of hundreds of letters you receive about page 39. I was totally disgusted to see a jovial fellow with two-thumbs up with a cartoon balloon saying, "Who roofied the eggnog? THIS GUY!"
Roofies, the rape drug! Does SFR think that roofies are fun or funny? Even if this comment was an unintended pro-rape remark or an item that slipped through the cracks of editing, this is a rape-promoting meme. Drugging someone into unconsciousness is a crime; raping an unconscious body must not be portrayed as a fad. It is sociopathic behavior.
New York magazine described roofies directly as a crime. "Public understanding of illicit, nonconsensual drugging hasn't changed meaningfully in more than a decade. To start, the terminology is the same: Roofie as a noun and verb (as in, "I got roofied last night," or "He slipped her a roofie") is a slangy riff on the name of the most popular "date rape drug" circa 1999, rohypnol."
Both men and women are roofied, although women are the more frequent victims. We need media to help end rape, not make jokes about rape.
Carol Miller
Ojo Sarco
SFR will correct factual errors online and in print. Please let us know if we make a mistake, editor@sfreporter.com or 988-7530.
Mail letters to PO Box 2306, Santa Fe, NM 87504, deliver to 132 E Marcy St., or email them to editor@sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.
