Letters to the Editor (Sept. 16)

It’s an unfair mandate

Editor:

The government has declared that unless you are vaccinated against COVID-19 (or happen to be young enough) you will not be allowed to enter this year’s New Mexico State Fair.

“You can’t come to the state fair, you’re unvaccinated.”

Now, if the government said …

“You can’t come to the state fair, you’re Black.”

“You can’t come to the state fair, you’re a woman.”

“You can’t come to the state fair, you’re gay.”

“You can’t come to the state fair, you’re Muslim.”

“You can’t come to the state fair, you’re an undocumented immigrant.”

… it would be branded as bigoted, denounced as discriminatory, and possibly accused of enacting a policy that does not make sense.

Now, I’m not saying that government discrimination based on vaccination status is the same as government discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or immigration status.

I’m saying I would like the government that is discriminating based on vaccination status to explain why discrimination based on vaccinated status is different, and why this type of discrimination makes sense.

The unvaccinated are a minority in New Mexico. The ban on the unvaccinated at the New Mexico State Fair treats the unvaccinated unfavorably based on their vaccination status.

The ban therefore discriminates against the unvaccinated minority. If we believe that discrimination is bad, shouldn’t we ask our government to explain why it is OK for it to discriminate at the gates of the State Fair?

 

Jonathan Gardner, Los Lunas

 

Everyone or no one

Editor:

The New Mexico Democrats act against the citizens of New Mexico again! (Recently) the two Democrat senators from New Mexico, Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, voted against an amendment to a Senate Budget Resolution that says illegal immigrants must be tested for COVID-19.

In other words, Heinrich and Lujan approve of untested and COVID-19-infected illegals coming across our border. It doesn’t matter to these two elitists that this is a super-spreader of COVID-19.

Wait a minute, aren’t we constantly told by Gov. Lujan Grisham, the Biden administration, various Democrat mayors and governors that all citizens of this country should be vaccinated, tested, masked, quarantined or there will be consequences?

Threats of all kinds have been floated around everywhere; i.e. proof of vaccination or testing before being admitted to a restaurant or place of business; be vaccinated or lose your job, etc. The scare tactics are rampant!

So apparently, according to the ruling Democrats, it is OK for illegal immigrants to come into our country and spread this horrific virus around to our citizens. In the meantime, if you’re a citizen of this country, you are mandated to follow all the rules and regulations, or else!

The open-border policy of the Biden administration is getting America into deep trouble on all levels, but the acceptance of illegals spreading the virus is one that could be fixed quickly if the Democrats had the will to do so. But hey, let them all in; it just means more votes for the Democrats, which is the most important point. Never mind the health of our own citizens.

With important elections coming up, will the people of New Mexico continue to vote for the politicians who implement bad policy for the citizens of New Mexico? Or will they wake up and bring in people who will do what’s best for the citizens of New Mexico and the country, no matter what political party?

 

Donna Crawford, Los Lunas