Letters to the Editor

Not everyone wants growth in Los Lunas

Editor:

After reading the August 2020 edition of the Los Lunas Village News (newsletter), I have a question. In the fourth paragraph, there is a statement that the plans “are an important way for the community members to let the government know how they want to see their village grow and develop.” The assumption is that all of us want to see the village grow.

Am I the only citizen of Los Lunas who isn’t pleased with the growth? Is anyone else unhappy with a village that has grown beyond the place we moved to because we loved the village size 15 or 20 years ago?

Are we happy with growth that exceeds the resources and structure to allow comfortable travel around the community? Have our local businesses been intact and able to continue prospering?

Could we consider in the village planning that not all of us consider economic growth to the be the highest priority for our community? As it closes local businesses, brings traffic that is worse than in some larger cities, appears to increase crime, we have challenges that we do not enjoy facing, including the loss of the friendly, caring environment from the past.

May we ask the planning committee to consider this possibility in their planning and not to assume that every citizen desires growth?

Joyce Stone

Los Lunas

The virus is reality

Editor:

Let’s start with a simple truth then go on to the virus: Democracies thrive on truth and with truth tellers. Fascism thrives on lies and with liars. And the danger today, far too many people accept fascist illusions over democratic realities.

Now, a comparison in how two different nations reacted to the announcement of the upcoming pandemic early this year, the COVID-19 viruses and the nation’s continuing reactions and results.

First, the reaction of Vietnam, a densely-populated socialist nation of 95 million, a nation whose prior experience with the swine flu and the Sars virus urged a national preparation for any new virus. On day one, the prime minister ordered the full mobilization (some said overreaction) of the nation’s Ministry of Health and the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology (the nation’s best medical and science minds) to take charge of the nation’s response, backed by the full power of the government, the same national response being ordered in all 58 of the nation’s provinces.

Now, latest updates. As of Aug. 21, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 1,007 cases of COVID-19. However, 542 of the affected patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Vietnam has also recorded 25 deaths due to the pandemic (numbers confirmed by international agencies). Also remember, Vietnam has a 600 mile border with China. Oh yeah, the government’s principals did not politicize the response — period.

Second, on the same day that Vietnam ordered the full mobilization against the virus, President Trump called the COVID-19 virus a “hoax,” instantly politicizing the U.S. response and the deadly politicization continues to the present. In fact, the nation’s responsible medical and virus research agencies were and continue to be under the direction of politics, with the totally unqualified Pence put in charge of the nation’s response. The result … there has been 5,921,451 reported cases of the virus and 181,421 deaths attributed to the virus.

Why such a difference, and the same difference is also present within many other nations, some democratic and some authoritarian. Why does the U.S. have the worst and most deadly virus response on the planet?

Two reasons are apparent: lack of a national leadership and ignorance; ignorance by letting 50 states and the territories react without a national control/response.

One could rightly consider the virus and the nation’s response as a deadly attack on the common defense of U.S. citizens, destructive of the general welfare and upsetting the domestic tranquility — words found in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, the ultimate law of the nation.

One last repeat and it is still horrible — 181,421 mostly needless deaths, and the need for a new criminal charge for our nation’s politicization of its virus response — premeditated negligent homicides in the first degree.

A person can find most any nation’s update by Googling the nation’s name along with “virus update.”

Terry Mehaffey

Los Lunas