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Thursday, September 30, 2004

Letters to the Editor


    Don't Stick Head In Sand Over DWI
    THIS IS IN RESPONSE to Celestino Martirez's letter to the editor (Mountain View Telegraph, Sept. 23).
    I'm Sonja and Jerry Britton's sister-in-law. Before they were killed by drunk drivers in 1991 and 1995, I had two nephews from New Mexico. Now, none are left standing.
    I watch as mothers and dads, wives, kids, the many impacted go on the rest of their years here without their kids, husbands, etc. The effects of their deaths span generations as the child grows up without his father, and as you stick your head in the sand in denial, Mr. Martirez, the carnage goes on.
    Kudos to Sonja and all who work against drunk driving and in validation of life! It seems a thankless job, as some will perpetually deny that drinking and driving is a cause of unending grief and unspeakable loss.
    Mr. Martirez, don't you get it? I quote you: "She (Sonja) is not seeing enough lives destroyed to suit her ..." Well, she's seen too many lives destroyed, including her son's and her brother's son's.
    To others, I pray you find help for your addiction. Any who choose not to drink and drive make our world a safer place.
    The women, men and high schoolers volunteering with MADD absolutely make a difference if one person's eyes are opened. I salute you all.
    JAN INGRAM
    Moriarty
    Scripted Debates A Bipartisan Sham
    A VERY IMPORTANT part of our political process, the debates, are about to arrive. Or are they? What was once a vital part of a voter's decision-making has become a tightly controlled, heavily scripted, bipartisan sham, not debates. We should not allow this to happen.
    Debates used to be where voters would move to one candidate or the other, where undecideds may decide. Debates are where some of our greatest (and some not-so-great) leaders were discovered. Recall the historically revered Lincoln-Douglas debates, or the history-changing Kennedy-Nixon debates. Who doesn't remember vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bensten telling his opponent Dan Quayle, "Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy"?
    Today we are assured that no history-making moments will occur during the debates. Back in 1988 the leaders of the Democrats and Republicans formed a corporation called the Commission on Presidential Debates and wrested control away from the then-sponsors of the debates, the League of Women Voters. When this happened debate was effectively neutered. Now every minor detail is negotiated, candidates are not allowed to directly address each other, questions are posed in advance so answers can be rehearsed, and third-party candidates are intentionally excluded. Is this honest debate, or is it, as Walter Cronkite declared, "unconscionable fraud"?
    We as free Americans should demand honest and open debates. We deserve to hear the beliefs and opinions of those who would lead us, and not just from the two major parties. We deserve to hear from every viable presidential candidate if we are to truly understand and evaluate the various ideas and positions regarding the many events that effect our lives today. I ask everyone to join the movement for a return to meaningful debates by signing the petition at www.opendebates.org. In a free society, open debates should not be too much to ask for.
    BENJAMIN MORIN
    Edgewood
    MADD Criticism Is Misdirected
    REGARDING CELESTINO Martirez's letter about MADD (Mountain View Telegraph, Sept. 23):
    Obviously Mr. Martirez does not tune in to the radio or television newscasts or read the newspapers on a daily basis. I believe New Mexico ranks third in the nation for DWI deaths. Between 1999 and 2002, 801 lives were taken by drunk drivers. The number of people injured in accidents caused by drunk drivers was three times that many.
    Sonja Britton is a very civic-minded individual who is not only involved in the MADD organization, but has also a member of the Moriarty Zoning Commission and Torrance County DWI Council for eight years. She is also chairman of the board for the DWI Memorial of Perpetual Tears. Sonja has given her time as a member of the Torrance County Zoning Commission, as a 4-H Club leader, has held office on the State Board of Cosmetology, was a member of the City Art Council, and was one of the founders of the youth organization Drug Free Tres in Moriarty schools.
    Mr. Martirez should spend as much of his time starting up and leading the programs he suggested in his letter, i.e., teaching people to drive to get a license and making a real effort for safe roadways.
    Sonja is not upset because arrests are down, but because we have so many needless deaths caused by drunk drivers. I believe her goal is for people to drink responsibly or have a sober family member or friend to drive them instead of their getting behind the wheel of an automobile.
    Apparently Mr. Martirez has never lost a loved one to a drunk driver, and I pray he never shall. He should be grateful we have people like Sonja trying to minimize the needless deaths and property damage on our roads and highways.
    BETTY BIRCH
    Moriarty
    Party Needs To Find a New Name
    WHICH POLITICAL PARTY strives to deprive citizens the right to vote for candidate Nader in New Mexico and other states? It's the same party that shudders at responsible legislation to keep dogs and dead men off the voting roll. Doesn't sound too democratic to me.
    CRAIG SPRINGER
    Edgewood