Letters to the Editor (April 25, 2024)

Vote very carefully 

Editor: 

The 2024 election cycle in the U.S.A. is critical for the survival of democracy and for the restoration of the U.S. Constitution. New Mexico is not a big factor since the population is less that 1 percent of the total and our five electoral votes are likewise less that 1 percent of the 535 total. 

The population of Valencia County is less that 1 percent of the state total, and we are represented by New Mexico House of Representative Districts 7, 8, 49 and 69 and Senate Districts 29, 30 and 39. But the local “down ticket” elections really matter here. 

The choice each election in the U.S.A. is binary: Not voting blue all the time or not voting at all is a surrender to the fascists and racists and the Republican Party. 

Fascism, per political polymath Mark Green, is defined by “one-man rule, based on big lies, nationalist fervor, xenophobia, hatred of marginal groups, displays of militarism, incitement to violence, media manipulation and persistent lawlessness.” 

All of these activities are promoted in the recently re-published “Mandate For Leadership” book from The Heritage Foundation [est. 1973] and their “Project 2025” organization, an out-in-the-open scheme to steer the U.S.A. toward far-right autocracy (dictatorship). 

Project 2025 encourages Republicans to: intentionally spread disinformation; overreach executive power; weaken checks and balances; dismantle all protections against unchecked corporate power; quash criticism or dissent; promote marginalizing and restricting hard-won rights protections of minorities, specifically LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, women, and people of color; eviscerate the many guardrails in place that aim to defend the endangered environment; end attempts to enhance equity & racial justice throughout the government and shut down agencies that track progress on this front; end efforts to tackle issues such as climate change, and politicize the research produced to back the project’s views on environmental policy, the evils of ‘transgenderism’, and women’s health; politicize independent institutions; initiate corruption of elections; and stoke violence in daily life and as populist protest. 

Project 2025 has already caused legislative attempts to defund the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security. So far in 2024, 11 states have introduced or taken new action on bills to roll back child labor protections. 

You do not want further destruction of your rights. Vote very carefully in the upcoming elections. 

G.E. Nordell 

Rio Communities 

  

Thankful for generosity 

Editor: 

As I was on my way to the grocery store last week, I couldn’t remember exactly what I needed to buy.  

I know I needed cereal, milk and coffee, but I knew there was more. I just couldn’t remember. I guess that’s why I should always have a grocery list. When I got to Walmart, I picked up what I remembered I needed, and more items that I thought I couldn’t leave without.  

The problem was that I didn’t have enough money to pay for my entire purchase. I was a few dollars short, but I needed everything in my shopping cart. It wasn’t like I was buying clothes or candy. It was food I needed to survive, and essentials like toothpaste and toilet paper.  

As I stood there, embarrassed beyond belief, thinking of what I could put away so I could leave the store, a very friendly and generous lady came up behind me and handed me a $5 bill.  

She left before I could thank her, much less ask for her name. If you’re reading this, please know how much I appreciate you and your kindness.  

Kate Sanchez 

Belen