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Letters to the Editor (Aug. 21, 2025)
System should protect
Editor:
I am a U.S. military veteran who has faced extraordinary difficulty in pursuing a service-connected disability claim for a rare hereditary neurological disorder. My experience underscores systemic obstacles that too often stand in the way of veterans with complex conditions — and highlights how new tools can finally help overcome them.
Many veterans develop symptoms during service that go unrecognized at the time, especially when the condition is rare, progressive, and difficult to diagnose. In my case, early signs — loss of balance, coordination problems, and unexplained falls — were either mis-attributed or not recorded in detail due to the limitations of the era’s record‑keeping.
Years later, when a formal diagnosis was made, I found myself battling a claims system that requires an extraordinary amount of precise, legally framed evidence to make the connection back to service.
VA policy and structural issues make this even harder. Treating VA doctors are forbidden from providing medical opinions linking a condition to service, and finding an outside specialist for a rare disorder can be impossible. The claims process is buried under layers of laws, regulations, and precedent cases that most veterans have never heard of — but which VA adjudicators often require us to cite in order to prevail.
This complexity can discourage veterans from even trying. For those with severe health problems, years of denials and re‑filings often result in giving up entirely.
Recently, I was able to assemble a complete, well‑supported claim only because modern AI research tools gave me the ability to find relevant statutes, medical literature, case law, and to build a full evidentiary timeline. These technologies made it possible to match the complexity of my situation with equally complex, structured arguments — something previously out of reach for most veterans without legal or medical professionals on their side.
My experience points to two truths: First, the VA system is not designed with rare or complex conditions in mind, and second, innovation can help fix that. Policymakers should act to simplify the process, ensure that evidence from treating doctors can be considered, and make it easier for veterans with uncommon conditions to prove their claims without navigating a legal maze.
The system should protect and serve those who served, not exhaust them into abandonment of their rightful benefits. With updated policies, willingness to hear complex cases fully, and the careful use of new technology, we can create a fairer and more humane process for all veterans.
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Duane Kimble
Belen
We have a role to play
Editor:
A group of local ministers recently submitted a letter to this publication decrying an event held to benefit Belen city workers in their wish to have a city employee appreciation luncheon later this year.
The event was Drag Bingo. The event entailed drag performers entertaining the sold-out crowd and performing lip-sync musical numbers in between bingo games.
If these ministers attended, they would have seen there was nothing promoting a particular lifestyle of behaviors. It appeared the attendees had a good time, enjoying the very talented performers, and I did not witness anyone offended or walking out. Perhaps this entertainment is not appealing to everyone ... so those individuals should not attend.
There are many events which some segments of our community could find not to their liking or contrary to their religious beliefs.
As an example, the yearly matanza, a celebration of all things pork, is offensive to my religious belief as a Jew, as well it would be, I’m certain, to my Muslim brothers and sisters. How do I deal with this? I simply don’t attend.
Just because some people in my community want to engage in eating pork, I don’t believe this will prove any more “detrimental to the traditional family environment” of Belen than a handful of professional performers lip-syncing to popular tunes.
Though our country was founded on values which recognize and celebrate our differences, it’s a work in progress. We’ve made some advances toward the ideal that “all people are created equal” and are deserving of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
We have a long way to go. I think we all have a role to play in realizing our ideals and promoting our pluralism, but abusing religion to create division and animosity is not the way forward.
Ron Lahti, M. Div
Belen
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