Editor,
I just read Sen. John Grubesic's proposal to memorialize cockfighting as the official disgrace of New Mexico.
Talk about a slap in the face. Not only are the claims inaccurate, they are verbatim of those from the out-of-state special interest groups that have been coming to New Mexico for years attempting to change our traditions. Here in New Mexico, we're used to it.
We understand that our traditions are unique, and we don't expect out-of-state opinions to agree with ours. We would, however, expect that those elected by us and paid by our hard-earned tax dollars would be on our side and respect and support our cultural rights.
Could it be that we have elected officials that hate the very culture that makes New Mexico different? Cockfighting has been a legal tradition in New Mexico under two different governments, and now because it is not politically correct or socially acceptable behavior in downtown Los Angeles they would have us criminalized?
What tradition will they attack next? Matanzas? How about rodeos? Perhaps we should have no traditions at all - after all, we wouldn't want to offend the residents of San Francisco, now would we?
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
But then, I wonder if maybe the tone of our skin would be enough to offend their more evolved sensitivity? Maybe we should take the "Mexico" out of New Mexico and just call this state "New"? I wonder if that would be enough for the out-of-state busybodies to leave us alone and concern themselves with their own affairs? Or, we could ignore out-of-state influence and as voters, concentrate on the real disgrace here - the fact that some elected government officials are wasting time and resources - not to mention our hard-earned tax dollars - to lobby for out-of-state special interest groups.
Meanwhile, our crime rate soars, our public schools plummet, the prisons are filled with drug addicts and you can't drive down the street without noticing the litter and graffiti. That, fellow citizens, is the disgrace of New Mexico - not the proud traditions taught to us by our grandfathers.
Charley Van Hoozen
Daily Lobo reader
