OPINION: Talk of the Town

Shooting of Kirtland airman will tarnish colonel’s legacy

Col. Mike Power’s farewell op-ed in the June 29 Sunday Journal was striking not for what it said, but for what it omitted. His self-congratulatory screed made no mention of the event that will define his tour in Albuquerque: The Feb. 22 shooting of Airman Brion Teel-Scott by military police that occurred on city streets and outside of the Air Force’s jurisdiction.

The bullets fired by military police officers in a civilian neighborhood did more than kill Mr. Teel-Scott — they destroyed the public’s trust in Kirtland Air Force Base. By failing to disclose even basic information about the incident, the Air Force made a troubling systemic failure worse with a disturbing lack of transparency. Power’s legacy is not one of partnership and progress, as he suggests, but of a catastrophic failure in command, discipline and public trust. The potential misconduct that gave rise to this event forms a legitimate basis for a congressional investigation and Power’s resignation.

No amount of administrative leave or vague “investigations are ongoing” language can justify shooting an airman in the back on a city street. In the military, commanders are held accountable for everything their units do or fail to do. Power still has time to give Mr. Teel-Scott’s family the closure they deserve and restore Albuquerque’s trust in Kirtland Air Force Base. He should accept personal responsibility for the killing by resigning.

Matt Cone

Albuquerque

Free speech is increasingly under attack in the U.S.

Even for Jeff Tucker, his op-ed in the June 29 Sunday Journal was chaotic and dangerous. He ran the gamut from, among other things, legal advice (one group should sue another), to political accusations (he says it is common practice of the New Mexico Democratic Party to pay agitators as if that were true), to religious opinion (questioning the archbishop of Santa Fe), to intelligence gathering (urging research into “repeat protesters”).

As to the latter, I wonder, do we name repeat protesters and then what? Does Tucker think free speech and free assembly should be limited to say, once a month? Once a year? Once a presidency? Ever?

All in all, his piece didn’t jibe with his conclusion that “The way to win people over is more free speech, not less.” As I was reading Mr. Tucker’s article, TV news reported that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis would retire after incurring Trump’s wrath by opposing the budget bill because of health coverage concerns. Our president doesn’t tolerate those who use speech unless it aligns 100% with his party line. That must make Tucker really mad if he thinks we need more free speech. Perhaps he will address that one day. Free speech is increasingly under attack, please, let’s talk about it in an honest and serious way.

Sandy Jacoby

Albuquerque

Protesters are there for America, not money

Wow! I seldom experience a moment of revelation while reading a newspaper column, but Jeff Tucker’s “Shouting down free speech not the way” did that for me. The revelation came when I read “I do wonder how many of the protesters were paid to raise hell.” He goes on the say that they must be paid because “I am seeing a lot of familiar faces at these anti-Trump … protests.”

What I realized is that Tucker has a whole column on free speech, but he doesn’t have any idea why anybody would actually exercise it, except to earn $50. Well, I’m one of those suspicious “familiar faces.” so I’ll do Tucker the kindness of explaining it to him. It’s not because my fentanyl habit has gotten so bad that than I’m willing to stand all day in the hot sun for two $20s and a $10 (well, not yet, anyway). It is because I love the United States of America. I love democracy. I love freedom. I love the Constitution, and I do not want to see all of that twisted into fascist autocracy. I do not want to see immigrants used as the excuse for converting the federal police into the Gestapo. I do not want to see trans people converted into scapegoats so that we can normalize bigotry and hatred.

I’ll extend an invitation to Jeff to climb out of his silo the next time there is a protest in Socorro and come down and talk to the “familiar faces.” Ask them how much they are being paid to stand on the sidewalk with a hand-made sign. Explain to them how important it is for the USA to dehumanize trans people. Listen to their answers.

Free speech. At this moment, the fate of our democracy depends on it.

Fred Phillips

Socorro

Immigrants play vital role in our country’s economy

There is a song known as “Dem Bones” that describes how the bones of the body are connected. It is popular in elementary schools as a way to teach simple anatomy to school children.

Just as the parts of the body are connected, so too are the various parts of the American economy. Immigrants are connected to jobs. Jobs are connected to products, taxes, housing and purchases.

President Trump has made deporting immigrants who entered the country illegally a cornerstone of his administration. He claims that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is removing criminals who threaten our lives and safety. However, daily we read of spouses and parents of U.S. military personnel being rounded up and high school athletes being arrested. Are these truly threats? In addition, ICE’s own statistics show us that Trump’s claims are not only false but also are hurting our economy.

Of the more than 56,000 ICE immigrant detainees on June 15, 72% had no criminal record, according to TRAC reports. However, due to the ICE arrest campaign, farm workers are not showing up for work, leaving crops rotting in the fields. In addition, workers are not showing up at food processing plants, limiting food availability. Also, the drop in immigrant employment has caused the Social Security Administration to predict that the drop in social security tax payments will cause the trust fund to be depleted two years sooner than expected.

The hip bone is connected to the thigh bone. Immigration is connected to food, prices and social security. Indiscriminate arrest of people thought to be immigrants is harming families and our economy. Is this really the direction we want the country to go?

Arthur Flicker

Albuquerque

State can come up with better plan for fairgrounds

The State Fair property recycle is likely a land grab that will make a large-scale eye sore adding to the city’s current problem of pulling Downtown out of its decades of decline.

A much better use of $850,000 of public money would be to expand the Gateway Recovery programs, identify the multitude of properties in the International District that are currently less expensive starter properties for affordable housing and continue to rehabilitate the International District into a comfortable, affordable living environment for the people who already live there.

And use some of this fund to focus on improving the State Fairgrounds that has been a well-loved community recreational playground for our city for many years. To duplicate this historic property and its important contribution to the health of our city would take a huge investment and officials would have to find another 240-acre site far from the city’s center.

Marty Stribling

Albuquerque