At first, I liked the notion of a Peace Department as yin to the Pentagon’s yang. But, we have a peace department; it’s called the State Department. On the other hand, I wholly endorse the notion of returning the Defense Department’s original name: the War Department. mjh

ABQjournal: News Around N.M.

SILVER CITY— The Silver City Town Council has adopted a resolution calling for the federal government to form a U.S. Department of Peace.

The council voted 3-1 on Tuesday night in favor of the resolution, which asks Congress to establish a Cabinet-level department geared toward peaceful resolution of conflicts around the world.

The resolution encourages Sens. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.— whose congressional district includes Silver City— to sign on as sponsors of a measure introduced in Congress last year for a Department of Peace.

I strongly encourage you to read the opinion piece in today’s Albuquerque Journal by David Pfeffer, candidate for the Republican nomination to run against Jeff Bingaman. Does this guy seem like US Senate material to you?

Like many, Pfeffer dreams of a past moment in America where everything was perfect (for middle-class, middle-aged, and married white males). He yearns to turn the clock back to a time that may never have existed but surely is gone forever. Some vision for the future: look backwards.

A few things should be known by all grown-ups: change is inevitable; on average, there will be both positive and negative consequences to every change; just as you cannot stop change, you may not be able to make change only good. One problem is that what’s good to me may be bad to you and vice versa. If we all agree to accept some good with the bad, we make room for each other. When you insist your good is everything, you shut out other views.

I wish people who agree with Pfeffer would note: I’ve studied some history, I vote, I pay taxes, I obey almost all laws (and think absolutists are either liars or insufferable). I’m tired of those who only see black & white insisting that anyone who sees color is inferior/wrong; people who see nuance, subtlety and flexibility as flaws. I don’t go to church — I was raised to think for myself — but I don’t really mind if others go to church, so long as they don’t get too pushy with their self-claimed moral superiority. I believe I am a decent neighbor, colleague and citizen.

And yet, there is a group of my neighbors, colleagues and fellow citizens who feel I am “what’s wrong with America today” and feel they need to “take back America” from me.

Something for the us all to consider: if you can’t share, you may end up with nothing. mjh

ABQjournal: It’s Time to Take Our Country Back to Real Values By David Pfeffer, Republican Primary Candidate, U.S. Senate

All politics is local, as the saying goes. [mjh: Tip O’Neill is spinning in his grave.] …

I watched as my colleagues [in Santa Fe ] degraded the value of America and much of what being an American means. [mjh: note that only conservatives get to define “what being an American means.” My opinion doesn’t count.] …

… relegation of “family” to whatever you suppose that to be [mjh: yeah, where do people get the right to decide for themselves they are in a loving relationship! That’s for others to decide.]

Whatever happened to America? … And how did “Christian” become a dirty word? [mjh: David, I’m glad you asked — by being self-righteous and smugly sure theirs is the only truth.] …

I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I do know that enough is enough. I want my country back. [mjh: yeah, me, too.]
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See also mjh’s blog — This Week’s WTF

Country Lacking Real Values

WHAT HAVE you bleeding hearts done to my beautiful country?

mjh’s blog — This Week’s WTF

This includes the mealy-mouthed, two-faced liars that go by the name of Democrats.

mjh’s blog — ‘War’ on Christians Is Alleged

NEW MEXICO

1st District
Incumbent: Heather Wilson (R)
4th term (54 percent)
Outlook: Tossup

After months of begging, Democrats just recently succeeded in convincing their top recruit, state Attorney General Patricia Madrid, to enter the race. Madrid, a former judge, is a tough, steely campaigner with two statewide victories under her belt. And a woman has never run against Wilson, whose victories confound Democrats year after year. That could mean extra money for the Democrats from key fundraising groups such as EMILY’s List. Still, this is no guarantee of victory for the Democrats. Though she’s hardly warm and fuzzy, Wilson, the first female military academy graduate to serve in Congress, seems to connect with her Albuquerque-based district in many ways, even if she is to the right of most of her voters. She is also an incomparable fundraiser: She spent $3.4 million on her re-election last year and was sitting on $979,000 as of Dec. 31, compared to Madrid’s $431,000. Things could finally go the Democrats’ way in this district, which moderate Republicans have held since 1968 — particularly if 2006 turns out to be a Democratic year nationally. But the Democrats and Madrid have plenty of work to do.

Patricia Madrid For Congress

Congress.org
New Mexico Rankings
State Delegation Average Score: 28.96 State Rank: 2

Senate:
Name Rank in State Score Rank in Senate
Sen. Domenici (R-NM) 1 69.25 6
Sen. Bingaman (D-NM) 2 33.56 44

House:
Name Rank in State Score Rank in House
Rep. Pearce (R-NM-2) 1 17.75 145
Rep. Wilson (R-NM-1) 2 17.63 147
Rep. Udall (D-NM-3) 3 6.62 384

Congress.org

The Wilderness Society (WS) is meeting in Albuquerque this week. It is something of a big deal to have a top-tier national group as our guests. Not only will they have considerable economic impact in a short time, the presence of the Wilderness Society is another indicator of New Mexico’s importance to national issues. Further, it may be a step towards the WS establishing a New Mexico office, which it does not have currently — more economic impact and national importance for NM. The local press may overlook this.

New Mexico is one of the biggest states for the “extractive industries” (think root canal without medication or stitches). And here at the End Times (for oil), the junkies are ready to knock each other’s filling out for another hit. Having trashed New Mexico in the northwest and southeast, the profiteers thirst for more and will seek out any parcel, including your backyard or grave.

An yet, yin to all that yang, we are the birthplace of designated Wilderness, in the Gila (in 1964; that same year, Pecos, San Pedro Parks, Wheeler Peak, White Mountain Wildernesses were also designated — together, a bit more than 50% of the state’s designated Wilderness acres, but the giant Gila is itself over 1/3rd of our Wilderness). We are a people who love the land as is, who feel ourselves to be connected to this place. We are home to vast areas not yet destroyed nor fully protected but on someone’s short list. At the moment, we’re holding the line on Otero and Via Vidal.

You might anticipate that there is a personal side to this story. I’m not a member of the Wilderness Society (or, possibly, any group that tracks membership). I am a lover of wild things. One of those, mi esposa, Merri, connects me to the WS. The President of the Wilderness Society is Bill Meadows. Merri has know Bill and his wife Sally for more than 30 years — he was her first boss and gave her a membership in the Sierra Club. Their roots are strong and deep.

So, we joined a group of at least 30 people for a wonderful dinner last night. Staff and board members are from around the country; many have never been to New Mexico before; most won’t be here more than a few days.

Several people asked me what I do. I’m sure they were puzzled by the long pause and hesitant response. What do I do? I read the paper and blog for a few hours (that response came later from the wit of the staircase).

I spoke at length with one hard-working staffer. She will spend 47 hours in New Mexico and not get beyond Old Town or the airport. I exhorted her to walk down the block to Tingley Beach and the Bio Park. No time this time. I mean no harsh criticism of her, but that’s sad/crazy. No matter how hard-working one is, there has to be a half hour slack/stretch. At the least, find a high point and turn 360 degrees to see the grand bowl we live in everyday.

Still, this is a short working trip for a hard-working group that will meet from 7am to 5pm Thursday, then on to a social event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, which for any such group is also work for the cause, from 6pm to 10pm. Then back up before dawn for more meetings.

Most of the group has more time and so they can actually enjoy the fruit of their labors, from the premier urban wilderness of the Sandias (1978) to New Mexico’s newest wilderness, Ojito (in 2005 — the first in NM since Cebolla and West Malpais in 1987). We all know that it doesn’t even take days to fall in love with New Mexico — one long vista, one moment of light & shadow is all it takes. If the damn wind doesn’t spoil everything. mjh

You may already be familiar with my wilderness blog: Ah, Wilderness!. I also have Travels with Mark & Merri, plus photos in many places, including Slideshows (see The Wilderness of My Soul).

If you don’t have a subscription to www.abqjournal.com, you may want to endure a stupid ad for the opportunity to read two guest columns today. On the Right, we have Sally Mayer and to her Far Right, Don Harris. You gotta love a fair-and-balanced debate between two Right Wingers. Especially when you get to read Harris’ concerns about totalitarianism. I’m fairly sure Harris would vote to replace the Bill of Rights with the Ten Commandments, so his concerns about totalitarianism are either laughable or terrifying. Meanwhile, it’s funny to read Mayer’s use of the word progressive without quotes or other signs she is holding her nose. Funniest of all is that these two are in near agreement on major aspects of animal control legislation. Perhaps this is a new tactic of the Radical Right to continue to monopolize the media by feigning disagreement. Or is it possible the Radical Right isn’t a monolith that crushes all dissent? Nah. mjh

PS: We love and care for our two cats and one dog, all rescued and neutered. But we object to being required to plant a bug on each of them (especially the 17 year old who barely goes beyond the perimeter of the house). There must be a cheaper and less invasive technique. Oh, I know, let’s require collars and tags!

ABQjournal: Proposed Ordinance Treats Animals Like People By Don Harris, City Council District 9

a proposal that is as breathtakingly radical as it is totalitarian.

ABQjournal: Misinformation Skews Debate on New City Animal Regs By Sally Mayer, City Council District 7

a balanced and progressive approach

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Duke City Fix » TONIGHT — City Council votes on “HEART”