alibi online

Free Will AstrologyAlibi's Personals
 
 V.15 No.27 | July 6 - 12, 2006 

Letters

Heavy Hoofing

Dear Alibi,

[RE: Letters, “Round ’em Up,” et al.]

I'm getting tired of all these letters from friends of the cattle industry criticizing Forest Guardians.

I have seen the part of the Santa Fe River which Forest Guardians has replanted with native cottonwoods and willows and fenced off from cattle. Allowed to grow without heavy hoofing and grazing, the Bosque there is thriving as it once did when only buffalo and pronghorn roamed in widely spaced herds. On the other side of the fence, the banks of the river are barely alive. Forest Guardians knows the science of ecology and is a nonprofit. The cattle industry is in it for the money and is subsidized by the feds with cheap grazing fees. Drought and global warming make it even harder on the cows and the land.

Thankfully, there are watchdogs like Forest Guardians.

B.W. Thompson

Albuquerque

Public Comments
     

    Washington, Adams, Jefferson ...

    Dear Alibi,

    [RE: Letters, “Age of Aquarius?,” June 22-28]

    Letter writer Randall Sobien asks us to accept the so-called "fact" that our founding fathers of this country "had neither the intention nor desire for this to be a Christian nation." Unfortunately for him, the typical Alibi reader is not in elementary school.

    In 1620, Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower penned the Compact, which included the statement "for glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”

    As the number of settlers grew, it is noted that 106 of the 108 schools in America were founded on the Christian faith. Fifty, and perhaps 55, of the 55 men who framed the Constitution of the U.S. were professing Christians.

    John Adams, our second president, mused that every nation should take the Bible for their only law book and that every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. Samuel Adams, the "Father of the American Revolution," boldly asserted, "The right to freedom being the gift of the Almighty. ... The rights of the colonists as Christians … may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institutions of the Great Law Giver and head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament." In 1778, Ben Franklin wrote a letter to the Ministry of France which included the statements, "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men, and if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, it is probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

    These statements only scratch the surface of the sentiments of our founders. Not a Christian nation you say? Maybe these "howling fanatics" who wrote the Constitution were on to something.

    Donald L. Adams

    Rio Rancho

    Public Comments (3)
    • a bit of education  [ Thu Jul 6 2006 9:49 PM ]

      I am Randall Sobien, the same one that wrote the "Age of Aquarius" letter, and I figured I should clear up a couple things here.

      First off, considering the time span between the pilgrims and the American Revolution, calling the pilgrims our "founding fathers" would be a bit of a stretch.

      Next off, in most countries, America included, history taught in schools is going to be biased. Consider Vlad the Impaler (AKA "Dracula")... in his homeland, he is considered a national hero. The ugly truth about our pilgrims however is that they were radicals of the first order, not all that much different from the Muslim radicals we so fear today... and yes, among other things, they did force their women to wear veils. They were essentially being kicked from one end of Europe to the other until everyone got tired of them and sent them here.

      One interesting quirk I've noticed is that ultra-conservative parents will typically raise liberal kids... so they had a few generations to let the fanaticism die down, along with continuing contact with England to help calm things down. By the time of the Revolution, people here, while they had their own beliefs, saw the benefits of having a secular government system as opposed to one that answers to the church. Benjamin Franklin, while having his own beliefs, was one of the people fighting to make sure that America's government was secular. I also notice that you chose not to address my quote from our Treaty with Tripoli. That was written 6 years after the first Amendment became part of the Constitution... 1797 to be exact. It is credited to John Adams.

      You chose to comment on my level of education in American History. I strongly suggest you do some independent reading beyond what you learned in elementary school. You may start by doing an internet search on some quotes from the founding fathers on the subject of religion, and not just the ones on Christian web sites. I am not going to hold an extended flame war with you, but I have presented you with the facts. Whether you listen to them or hold your hands over your ears, going "I'm not listening! Lalalala!" is entirely up to you... but bear in mind that the difference between stupidity and ignorance lies in one's willingness to learn.

    • Apparently you didn't pay attention in school  [ Tue Jul 11 2006 11:25 PM ]

      If you read anything of the founding fathers, you would know that most were deists at best and John Adams, a Unitarian, not a christian, hated christianity as was evidenced in many letters that he left saying exactly that in no uncertain terms. This in fact only scratches the surface of what the founding fathers in fact felt about christianity. Very few were christian although many made small political pretence of christian.

    • Very true  [ Wed Jul 12 2006 10:43 PM ]

      Another good point. Thanks for mentioning it, Kate.

     

    The Apes We Are

    Dear Alibi,

    Looks like the chimpanzees are back on proofreading duty at the Alibi. In the June 15-21 issue, “Innards” tells us we can find Ortiz y Pino's column on page 16. Instead, page 16 treats us to a full page of ads with no Ortiz or Pino to be found in the paper anywhere. I didn't see an acknowledgment in the next issue, but I did see the date misrepresented on page 3 as May 22-28 instead of June 22-28. Also, I guess you really liked the crossword puzzle in that issue, because we got the very same one all over again in the June 29-July 5 issue. Then on page 10 of that paper, we find that the NSA has evidently changed its name: It's always been the National Security Agency but apparently the Alibi likes National Security “Administration” better. Time for a little more Red Bull in the editorial office!

    Jim Crowther

    Albuquerque

    Public Comments
       

      Credit Where It’s Due

      Dear Alibi,

      In Jim Scarantino's critique [The Real Side, “Patsy's Patsies,” June 22-28] of Attorney General Madrid's treatment of Robert Vigil, he should at least have given her credit for consistency. According to a front-page article in the Albuquerque Journal on Sept. 21, 2005, her office was given an audit in 1999 that alleged Vigil's office used a contractor to filter government money to a former deputy. She referred the matter to DA Henry Valdez, saying she didn't have the resources to pursue the case. I presume this audit report was the basis for the pleas of Gov. Johnson and the "missing" memo Jim made reference to. In fairness, perhaps she now has more "resources" than she had back in 1999.

      William Benton

      Albuquerque

      Public Comments
         

        Lucky Number Seven

        Dear Alibi,

        Thank you for running the Albuquerque Radio Control Club Scale Air Show as a “Lucky 7” event. We had a very large number of calls from people asking Ray for directions to the field. Your newspaper has a substantial following of people interested in such outdoor activities. We had more than 1,000 guests exposed to our enjoyable and educational hobby.

        Thank you again for your coverage.

        Chuck Andraka

        ARCC Board Member

        Public Comments
           

          Heart and Soul

          Dear Alibi,

          I have a theory. My theory exposes the true root of homophobia.

          Take your most virulent homophobic. Remove from his heart and soul everything cultural that justifies his hatred of homosexuals, all the Bible quotes, all the laws that despise and prohibit homosexual behavior.

          At the core of the homophobic soul, what do we find? What primal emotion is the foundation for homophobia?

          Repulsion.

          Greg Leichner

          Placitas

          Letters should be sent with the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number via e-mail to letters@alibi.com. They can also be faxed to (505) 256-9651. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium; we regret that owing to the volume of correspondence we cannot reply to every letter.

          Public Comments (1)
          • Heart and Soul  [ Mon Jul 10 2006 1:10 PM ]

            Mr. Leichner's 'Theory' can't pass the tests of proving an hypothesis. But, his statements pass all of the requirements of a personal opinion.

            Also, laws can't despise homosexual behavior, but they were put in place by governing bodies who themselves despise this type of behavior and wanted to prohibit it; for various heart felt, well intentioned [most of them] reasons.

            Observing actions can give one clues as to why people behave a certain way, and enough observations can give you statistical probabilities. However, as my statistics professors used to say: you can make statistics say anything you want; it's all in how you apply it and then in how you present it. Mr. Leichner, it is my suggestion that you stop believing everything you see & read, especially if it seems to agree with your own opinions all of the time, and start thinking for yourself.

            And 'Repulsion' is what is known as a Positional Attitude.

           
          Join our mailing list for exclusive info, the week's events and free stuff!
           

          • Select sidebar boxes to add below. You can also click and drag to rearrange the boxes; minimize, maximize and close using the little icons on each box. To re-add a box you closed, return to this menu.
          • Because you are not logged in, any changes you make to these boxes will vanish as soon as you click to another page. If you log in, the boxes will stick.
          • alibi.com
          • Latest Posts
          • Most Active Stories
          • Latest User Posts
          • Highest-Rated Posts
          • Most Active Users
          • Web Exclusives
          • Latest User Blogs
          • Latest Chowtown Reviews
          • Recent Rocksquawk Discussions
          • Recent Classifieds
          • This Week's Alibi Picks
          • Albuquerque
          • Duke City Fix
          • Albuquerque Beer Scene
          • What's Wrong With This Picture?
          • Reddit Albuquerque
          • ABQ Journal Metro
          • ABQrising
          • ABQ Journal Latest News
          • Del.icio.us Albuquerque
          • NM and the West
          • New Mexico FBIHOP
          • Democracy for New Mexico
          • Only in New Mexico
          • Mario Burgos
          • Democracy for New Mexico
          • High Country News
          • El Grito
          • NM Politics with Joe Monahan
          • Stephen W. Terrell's Web Log
          • The Net Is Vast and Infinite
          • Slashdot
          • Freedom to Tinker
          • Is there a feed that should be on this list? Tell us about it.
            NM Sol Splash Reggae Fest
            NM Sol Splash Reggae Fest6.29.2013