Letters to the Editor

Silence says volumes

Editor:

The 2024-25 school year is in session and so is Title IX.

As of Aug. 1, the Biden-Harris administration began enforcing the Title IX rules and regulations, which will do the following: 1) will allow males who claim transgender status to enter women’s bathrooms and locker-rooms; 2) receive women’s scholarships; 3) live in women’s dorm rooms in schools that receive public funds; 4) students and faculty must use the “preferred pronouns” of transgender-identifying individuals; 5) prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender-identity instead of biological sex, obliterating the legal distinction between men and women; 6) transgender-identifying individuals are now empowered to sue schools for harassment if they dare oppose transgender ideology; 7) if any female student is uncomfortable with and vocally opposes sharing private spaces with biological males, she is now guilty of discrimination under the new rules; 8) in cases of sexual assault, law enforcement will not be involved, allowing university officials to act as judge, jury and executioner.

As Americans, is this really what we want in our schools? Title IX re-write is implemented by the Biden-Harris administration, but I don’t see any of our Democrats in New Mexico opposing this radical, far-reaching transformation of our education system.

Where is our congressional delegation and our governor on this matter? Oh wait, they’re all Democrats! Their silence says volumes.

This is an issue that will never be mentioned in any Democrat campaign. The less you know, the better.

If you have daughters and granddaughters in school, perhaps a change in New Mexico’s “blue-state status” would be a god-send. A vote for a Democrat president would continue this egregious, radical Title IX rule. The opportunity awaits you on Nov. 5, 2024.

Donna Crawford

Tomé

Water issues complex

Editor:

We’ve all heard the saying “water is life.” But what are we doing to protect it?

With another year of fire and flooding, we find ourselves wondering when our elected officials will start treating the water crisis with the seriousness it deserves.

We are a group of individuals from across the state — from northern New Mexico to the Frontera down south, from ancestral homelands of Haak’u (Acoma) to the Bootheel and over to the eastern plains — who have a direct relationship with water.

Some of us are acequia stewards and farmers, whose ancestors taught us how to tend our lands for centuries. Some of us are conservationists, devoted to protecting our state’s crown jewels for our plants, animals and people. Some of us are nonprofit leaders and everyday citizens who are working to prepare for challenges that threaten our rural towns and cities.

Though we are separated by geography, we are coming together with one voice and a simple message: water issues can’t wait any longer.

For too long, water issues have been kicked to the next 30 or 60 day session. As scientists sound the alarm, our state gets hotter and dryer, with more extreme weather events. Each year that passes, we wonder when our voices will be heard in Santa Fe and when water will be made a priority - especially for people closest to the land who rely on water to nourish our crops and feed our families.

We understand water issues can be complex. But we don’t have the luxury of giving up. That’s why each of us are working to address our water challenges. All we ask is for our leaders to do the same.

We appreciate the incremental progress being made to restore budget and staffing levels at our natural resource agencies, and for the dedicated state employees who focus on water issues. We are grateful for funding that helps acequia stewards, agricultural communities, and for watershed restoration and municipal water systems. Unfortunately, these efforts are not enough to meet the crisis we face; we need to think bigger, act bolder and move with greater speed.

Everything that we do — economically, culturally, spiritually — has a basis in water. Our communities need help now. Our rivers are running dry. Our groundwater is disappearing. Our water quality is being threatened. Our policies are outdated and our infrastructure is chronically underfunded. And now, wildfires, floods and extreme drought are threatening to change the Land of Enchantment as we know it.

We envision this as an emergency moment, and we need our state leaders to as well. We stand ready to roll up our sleeves and see this work carried out on the ground. There is a way to address every one of our water challenges, but we are going to have to challenge ourselves with some radical changes.

Water affects every New Mexican, but it is not getting the attention it deserves. That must change, starting now. Water can’t wait.

Ladona Clayton

Clovis

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