Cartoon reminds us to take breath, then think

Triple kudos to Ricardo Caté. His cartoon on the first page of the Opinion section of the Sunday New Mexican was the perfect way to remind us all to stop, cool down, take a deep breath and then proceed to ponder the fate of the obelisk on the Plaza.

James K. Gavin Santa Fe

Explain or change

With all the chaos around the statues, there are always other monuments, in their own way. Oñate Hall at the University of New Mexico to the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, the choice seems to be change it or explain it.

Allison Kulp Albuquerque

Wolves need a home

In 1985 I witnessed a wolf run across a dirt road, high in the Sierra Madre. It was a magnificent animal and moved with beautiful strength and power. Now wolves are so threatened that even in the wild they risk death from ranchers and the agencies that should protect them.

The wolf is having to contest ranchers and their cattle — with land overgrazed, streams broken down, patties everywhere — just to live. We justifiably speak of “decolonization” as a new perspective with the first peoples. But know that for millions of years wildlife were the original inhabitants before the human colonization of the Americas. If anything, the ranchers are the last in a line of colonizers. Decolonize the lands of New Mexico. Remove the cattle from wilderness lands and allow the wolf a home.

Brian O’Keefe Santa Fe

For a robust PRC

Two candidates ran for the District 3 seat on the Public Regulation Commission in the recent Democratic primary. One advocated to keep the current elected five-member commission and one advocated for the proposed constitutional amendment, which reduces the commission to only three members, all of whom will be appointed by the governor with the concurrence of the New Mexico Senate.

A few days before the election, the governor appointed three new members to the nine-member Spaceport Authority.

If we need nine people to oversee the spaceport, why so few for the PRC? Three PRC commissioners are far too few. Even five seems inadequate in view of the complexity of the task and enormous responsibility. It seems appropriate to me to have at least five members, perhaps with a mix of elected and appointed members, all of whom meet the necessary technological and economic expertise needed to make informed decisions. This commission is too important to leave to the luck of the draw and should not be a political football.

Edward Birnbaum Santa Fe

White House must go

It is time. This country can no longer bear the burden of its white supremacy present and past.

It is time. With the nonchalant killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis, this country has reached a tipping point. I call upon the immediate introduction of legislation to officially rename the White House to one of the variety of names it originally held, i.e. “President’s Palace,” “Presidential Mansion,” or “President’s House,” or a title appropriate for the lodging of the elected leader of our country that has no color basis that can be used further to suppress the great masses of citizens of color who reside in this great nation. Many states simply called their governors’ lodgings, the “Executive Mansion.”

It is time. As monuments to white supremacy continue to be relegated to the dustbin of history, it is time to act now to remove this last remaining vestige of white power and the “white establishment that has suppressed all peoples of color during the entire history of our country.

It is time.

Raymond McQueen Santa Fe

Free with admission

Go to a Trump rally and get a free case of Corona.

Steve Saylor Santa Fe

Think it through

I understand the initial enthusiasm of store owners for the idea of making much of downtown a pedestrian-only area, but consider:

◆ Parking is already inadequate, especially in the peak tourist months. How many parking spaces would be eliminated with this proposal?

◆ For many people, the ability to park near where they are going is a necessity imposed by physical limitations. Do they count?

◆ Traffic exiting the Sandoval Garage would only be able to go one way. What happens after an event at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, when hundreds of cars are trying to get out of a garage with limited exit options? At least now, two lanes of traffic can exit in two directions.

◆ Nonlocals will not be familiar with the proposed arrangement. What will cars do that go east on San Francisco and discover it is closed off, with nowhere to turn around?

Brian Weiss Santa Fe

Remembering Clyde

On May 19, Clyde Tomlin, age 101, died quietly at home. I was privileged to be his former neighbor for many years. Clyde, was the most courtly gentleman I’ve ever known.

Regardless of age he addressed everyone as “Miz” or “Mister.”

He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Although small in stature, he was a giant when it came to compassion. He worried about everyone in our world, particularly those in need.

One time on a vacation he got off a train in Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico. Being fluent in Spanish, he began a conversation with a man standing there. The man said to him, “Although Creel is a tourist town, people living here are very poor. Most of them don’t have enough warm clothing or shoes.”

As soon as Clyde returned to Santa Fe, he began buying clothing at rummage sales and resale shops. Every few years after he accumulated a sufficient amount of clothing he would make plans to go to Creel. He no longer drove so he needed to find someone with a large vehicle who was willing to drive. Often this involved numerous phone calls and false leads. He always overcame the logistics and managed to get there, even at age 99. In Creel he is a hero.

While still in his 90s, he celebrated his birthdays by inviting 40 or 50 people to his home. Everyone sat in a big circle around the living room. He then walked over to each person, introduced them, and explained how they became a part of his life. This group transcended all ethnicities, religion, income levels and age groups. Small children loved Clyde.

Clyde always had a leash in his hand with a little dog at the other end. After one dog passed away it was quickly replaced by another from the animal shelter. As Clyde got older so did his dogs. We would tell guests looking for our cul-de-sac, “If you see a white haired man walking a white haired dog, you are in the right place.”

His thoughtfulness never stopped. When he went under hospice care, Clyde asked his hospice worker to call me about his changed health situation. He wanted to cushion me before I heard about it from others or read his obit in the newspaper.

Years ago the Reader’s Digest had a column titled “The Most Unforgettable Person I Have Known.” For me, unquestionably, it was Clyde.

Barbara Hays Santa Fe