SPEAK UP! !?!

500 YEARS ago a tyrannical pope burned at the stake, literally, a scientist, Giordano Bruno, for scientific heresy. Are we witnessing the 21st century version of this atrocity with the condemnation of a universally respected scientist, Anthony Fauci, by a tyrannical president, Donald Trump? SM

WHY ARE the Rio Rancho libraries still closed for browsing? We are now driving to Albuquerque where we are browsing and checking out books. We have found three delightful libraries so far, each one unique. Come on Rio Rancho, get your libraries open with safe practices that are being followed at other libraries. SW

... THE MAJORITY of parents, students, faculty and staff are against the renaming of Oñate High School in Las Cruces. The community voted 1,350 to approve the name change and 4,129 opposed, majority there; 435 students voted not to change the name, 119 voted to change it, majority again. Doesn’t matter, the LCPS board voted to change it anyway. Nobody is listening. PKC

SO SORRY to hear that Le Peep was closing. Maybe they will reconsider after this terrible virus is eradicated. Le Peep always had the best breakfast in town. We will miss a lot of people there especially Mark, Nana, Marina and Michelle. Best of luck to you. R&L TRUMP’S IMPULSE to hold a rally when faced with serious problems is like an old Mickey Rooney musical. When Mickey and friends brainstormed ways to get money for a serious problem, he would have an epiphany and exclaim “I know, let’s put on a show!” ... RP

AN UNINTENDED, but welcome, consequence of the COVID-19 virus pandemic: much less road traffic now. Too bad that city planners and traffic engineers seem to design many streets that are grossly clogged with traffic very soon after the pavement is in place. That’s poor planning for the future. JWGJ

I THINK it’s very suspicious that APD’s highly paid spokesperson retired when he got wind of the overtime investigation by the state auditor. I would hope that his retirement does not keep him from being prosecuted if he did something wrong. FG

STAUNCH, LOYAL, lifelong Republicans are organizing to do their best to see that President Trump is not re-elected. Groups such as The Lincoln Project, old Bushies The 43 Alumni, Republican Voters Against Trump and Defending Democracy Together founded by longtime conservative newspaper columnist Bill Kristol are all aggressively campaigning for their common goal. I hope Mr. Trump is paying attention. EJG

WE ARE all helpless to do much about the pandemic, except wear masks and maintain distance. Such small things to ask, yet inexplicably controversial. If there is even the smallest possibility that it would help stop the spread, doing it is the only intelligent decision. DS

MEMO TO city leaders: Willful defacing or destruction of public property is called vandalism. Unless our police immediately arrest these vandals before things escalate, the mobs will take over. Private citizens who see police inaction will start taking action themselves, and we will see the return of the vigilantes. Don’t let that happen. LFL

I’M WATCHING construction people building a center curb down Central in Nob Hill. If we had a city planning department, they would have thought about that when screwing up Central the last few years. Now the only people who can cross the intersections are 4x4s and drunks. MD

THE CONDITION of the American flag flying at the Valle Del Norte Community Center, 1812 Candelaria Road NW, is a disgrace. Called them three times to replace it and trim the tree next to the pole to prevent damaging a new flag. No results. If you’re not going to take care of the flag, don’t fly it. MC

... AS REPORTED in the June 24 Journal, (Judge Charles Brown) denied prosecutors’ request to revoke Fabian Gonzales’ (charged in the Victoria Martins killing) release because he allegedly violated the terms of that release. Brown (said) “other than the crime for which he’s charged, there is no evidence that he’s ever been a danger to any child anywhere at any time.” And we wonder why N.M. ranks at the bottom in the U.S. for child well-being . ... WC

IF RUIDOSO wants to attract more tourists, it needs more realistic prices. I was considering Ruidoso for a one-week New Mexico stay-cation, but the vacation rental owners were not discounting their properties. I went elsewhere. EC

MANY RECENT articles reference people being too scared of corona to seek medical care. What about the primary care providers at Optum, Lovelace and Presbyterian who are still closed because they claim it’s too dangerous to see patients in person? Perhaps they should share some of the responsibility. GM

CONGRATS NEW Mexico: Last in almost all categories and now first in “squealing” on your neighbors . ... HT

THE UPCOMING school (plan) gave no consideration to working parents and insufficient time for in-person learning. Online classes do not work for many children. DP NOW THE protesters want the police to protect them? I’m confused. JD

GOVERNOR, WITH the unfolding pandemic disasters in Arizona and especially Texas, some form of testing at major access points into N.M. should be considered. You have done a great job protecting the citizens of N.M. and I am distressed that the fine work could be undone by COVID-19 carriers from across the (state lines). PK

TRUMP USES the term “kung flu,” which he thinks is so clever, to describe the illness caused by the currently circulating coronavirus. Critics say this is racist, but I am even more insulted by his attempt to make a joke of the pandemic which has killed more than 140,000 Americans and caused unprecedented suffering and hardship. As with so many other topics, the president is clueless. DJO

THE N.M. bill ... does not allow for a camera malfunctioning or insufficient time for an officer to turn on the camera if they arrive on scene and are immediately under fire. The people who passed this are not willing to govern without liability protection and they don’t make split-second decisions, literally under fire . ... We are not going to have any police protection if we don’t provide some protection for them. MEH

WITH THE lack of national leadership, New Mexico is fortunate to have strong and thoughtful leadership in our governor. Thanks to her, we are reopening safely and carefully and not recklessly endangering our most vulnerable citizens. Be safe, respect others by wearing a mask and social distancing. The lives you save may (be) your older family members. SR

CAN ANYONE tell me where I can have my vehicle tested for the virus? It appears that your car/truck can catch it because going through the Wendy’s drive-thru, cars are 6 feet apart. Seems pretty silly. MC

TO THE wannabe rancher in Valencia County riding the ditches in a 4-seater camo ATV trying to rid our valley of coyotes: That band of coyotes has been here longer than you. Ride around your property, day and night, shooting from your vehicle, to protect your cattle. Set all the traps/cameras you want, on your land. Permission from one neighbor doesn’t speak for all of us. I personally enjoy hearing them howl at night. MFK

THE U.S. was worried about the $15,000,000 debt for the Louisiana Purchase. The U.S. owes most of the money it makes to ourselves. We have to keep adding money into the system as the population grows to meet demand. States, corporations and families can’t make money, so they do have to worry about debt. Debt does not hurt our country, as long as we “own the Monopoly game,” so to speak. PR

LAST TIME I looked at the CYFD website there were 537 childcare centers open in New Mexico. Why can they have children attending childcare and preschool, but public school teachers are afraid to return to the classroom and teach students in person? TMP

... WHEN I’VE worked at the voting centers during the past elections, the County Clerk’s Office had set up an app where you were able to monitor the wait times at all of the convenience voting centers. If lines were too long you could check and go to a nearby voting center with shorter lines, hence shorter wait lines. Maybe Mayor Keller and Gov. Lujan Grisham should talk to the Bernalillo County clerk and utilize a similar system for COVID-19 screening. DD

HAVE SEEN many parades around ABQ celebrating birthdays, graduations etc. Grants has a car parade/protest and our governor threatens huge fine. Haven’t heard of one fine, arrest, charge or jail time for any of the violent protesters. Her pick ‘n’ choose punishment is only because the mayor (of Grants is no longer) a Democrat. CL

FULL-RATE video by cellphone, even using h.264 compression, cannot be reliably supported over a 3G connection because of bandwidth. Even 3G coverage has “holes” within Bernalillo County. Anyone looked at the real 4G coverage in the county? The sheriff should require a guarantee from phone salesmen. DRR

THE COUNTRY is in crisis and yet POTUS with his evangelical base has undertaken a major push — at our expense — to protect and restore monuments. All monuments and symbols — including crosses — represent the dominance of one group over another. Plant trees instead. Not divisive and helps the climate. BCW

WHEN ARE we going to see the governor showing off her jewelry she bought when everyone else was ordered to stay indoors? JK

“WHEN WE let only science be our guide we eliminate any debate and any input from nonscience experts.” Right. Ignorant and misinformed people deserve equal time. More than equal, because there’s more of them. GLC

THE ART bus project is alive and well. The center lane barrier work is progressing loudly, which tells me the project wasn’t thought out or it was, and was never intended to be finished. It’s a public works project and a Nob Hill business-killer . ... HS

WHY DOES New Mexico continue to use the Zia symbol? Isn’t this disrespectful of the Zia Pueblo? New Mexico politicians, where do you stand on this? JL

IF SOMEONE refuses to wear a mask during a deadly infectious disease pandemic, it’s probably safe to say that they don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom either. I don’t need Dr. Fauci to tell me to stay away from obvious super spreaders. MB

WITH THE left on a rampage to cleanse history, I am reminded of an old saying: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It’s funny how the same party that was complicit in most of the ills in history is trying to wash it away. MF

THE N.M. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Aug. 4 the lawsuit, filed in May, regarding state authority to enforce public health orders issued by the governor. However it can override Judge Raymond Romero’s decision to reopen indoor dining in just a few hours. Pretty amazing. AL