Back by popular demand

Readers spoke, and we listened. You have called, written and emailed how much you loved the Speak Up feature on the Editorial Page, and how much you miss it since it was dropped. We agree that, at 50 words each, it’s a great way to get a snapshot of what folks in our community are thinking about. What prompted us to discontinue publishing it was that while many readers say they loved to read it, not enough “spoke up” and provided pithy comments.

So here, with some Speak Ups submitted while the feature was on hiatus, is a challenge to our readers who love this feature — Speak Up is back and will appear on Thursdays as long as there is a healthy number of submissions. So, as the guidelines say:

If you want to gripe, grouse, whine or bellyache about a generic topic, submit your opinion at abqjournal.com/letters/speakup. The same goes if you want to dish out praise or thanks. Either way, you have to do it in 50 words or less. You can’t identify anyone you criticize. Keep it clean. No cursing, please. We don’t need your name, just initials. And it’s cheaper than therapy.

LET PRESIDENT Trump do his job. He is our president. We need to let him concentrate on jobs and everything we as Americans deserve. Our media and politicians need to show him respect; we are making our president look like a joke. I am Latino and did not vote for him, but I am an American, and he is my president now! — LB

I FOUND it interesting that your article “Trust this — 5 ways to tell if coworkers are unreliable” so aptly describes our new president. Interesting and scary. — CA

“HOLM’S VISION is of victory.” The woman needs two things: (1) STRONG glasses; (2) to visit an Employment Agency fast! I have watched my last Holm’s “fight.” — DF

I’VE NOTICED something about our country lately. Insanity is the new normal. — RDH

THE TULAROSA “downwinders.” One might want to check out the reports from the Trinity Test — including that the prevailing winds were out of the SW (Tularosa is 60 miles SE, protected by a mountain range). Additionally, the green glass created by the blast is within 1,200 feet of the blast site, so anyone picking up this “glass” would have been at ground zero. — JEH

SILICON VALLEY is complaining about the proposed illegal immigrant delay because they say they need foreigners to work in their businesses. The real problem seems to me to be that the educational system in the United States does not create enough quality students to fill these positions. — SS

IF YOU live in Hobbs and you need medical pot, you’re out of luck. All the oilfield Billy Bobs would rather “git drunk.” Pathetic. — MHD

AS A born-and-raised U.S. citizen, I am not feeling the love. Would the mayors of Santa Fe and Albuquerque please tell me what federal laws I may ignore or break and be assured the mayors and their city organizations will protect me and hide me from federal retaliation? — CS

SIX FOOTBALL coaches in 6 years? It seems like the Rio Grande High School administration is actively trying to shut the program down. Too bad for the kids. — KL

I’M SO mad that I could spit. Who decided to surround Alamosa Park with chains? What does that accomplish? To trip people so they can sue the city? So many people use that park. Let’s trip them. — MH

IT’S TIME for legislators to stop listening to the teacher’s union. Its leaders only want what is good for them, not students. Stop kowtowing to the union, whose leaders haven’t taught in an actual public school classroom in many years. — FC

I SAW in the paper that the governor signed a bill that covers the cost of the legislative session. As an N.M. educator, I find it very frustrating that the legislators find money to pay themselves but take money away from the schools again and force us to work without materials and face furloughs. Maybe they should face cutbacks! — CC

PROTESTERS UNITE! Do not let rabble rousers take over your protest. When they destroy public and private property, they show that they are just thugs and criminals. They don’t need to be what the news report is about. Do not let them distract from your mission. Do not let them tarnish what you stand for! — MMD

I KNOW erecting a wall on the border with our neighbor with whom we have close ties, and slamming the door on those in need of a safe place, is making America great again, but for some reason it just makes me feel narrow-minded and meanspirited. — JS