SPEAK UP! !?!

EVERYONE SAYS the registration process is easy. It is. Then I received notification to schedule a vaccination time. When trying to schedule an appointment close to home, I was given an appointment at the Walgreens at 12th Street and I-40. I live in Rio Rancho. What happened to local distribution? KM

AS I watch the impeachment testimony, I know in my heart that if the craven Republican senators do not convict Donald Trump, that dishonorable vote will doom any hope the United States has to ever unify again. This is heart-wrenching and there is no possible defense for Trump’s treachery. MB

WHY ARE we attempting to impeach a private citizen? Donald Trump is no long(er) our president. Washington is doing the same thing and expecting different results — definition of insanity. Our nation needs to move forward, unite and show compassion to one another. Let’s stop the hate. JES

SO WHICH is it? Is marijuana a pharmaceutical drug used to treat a variety of medical conditions, or is it a toy that any adult can use for fun? In my book, it cannot be both. DJO

OUR MAYOR is fairly young, looks younger than he is, and acts even younger than that. At a time when our city needs mature, serious-minded leadership, this fellow childishly seems bent on distorting even the name of our city, just to appear hip. “Albuquerque” has centuries of history within it. But our boyish mayor seems enamored with trying to rebrand that esteemed legacy name as “Burque,” a word which few but self-important hipsters think is cool . ... CW

PRESIDENT BIDEN said during his campaign he will not legalize recreational marijuana nationally because he is concerned it’s a “gateway” drug. ... He needs more data, as do we all. He got this one right . ... JM

MIKE GALLAGHER reported exceptionally well on the woeful state of our elders stuck in nursing homes during this pandemic . ... They cannot have visitors, nor ... even visit with their fellow residents. Basically they have been in solitary confinement, sitting alone in their rooms. Liberal lawyers like to bring suit about prison inmates being held in solitary confinement. But they are silent about the plight of these honorable seniors. SD

I RECENTLY was able to get the COVID vaccine and hope everyone else does, too, when it’s available to them. As an essential worker, I have been worried I could have COVID and spread it to others many, many times because although I always wear a mask and masks help save lives, they aren’t perfect. After the shot I had sore muscles ... but they were gone by the third day . ... EB A $10K fine to Calvary and Legacy churches is nothing compared to the cost of one person needing care in an ICU unit. Shame on them. LA

I THINK this quote from Abraham Lincoln is more pertinent now than when he spoke it years ago: “You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich, You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down and You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.” Maybe our young people need to enroll in some history classes before destroying our country. MAL

HEY REPUBLICANS, don’t let that sexist, egocentric, moneygrubbing liar lead the GOP for another four years and get the nomination in 2024. There are plenty of good American politicians in your party that will make good leaders. Dump Trump. CG

NOT ALL of Trump’s base were part of the Jan. 6 riot. But anyone who supports Trump in any way bears some responsibility in enabling his dangerous behavior. MY