Leters to the editor, 09/07/2007 - Supreme Court, state won’t be same without Minzner

Supreme Court, state won’t be same without Minzner

I write to mourn the recent passing of New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Pamela Minzner. Her passing is not just a loss to the state judiciary, it is a loss to the entire state, which will miss her keen intellect and deep devotion to public service of the highest order. Justice Minzner was one of the kindest people I have ever met; she was the sort of person who would take the time to greet and listen to anyone and always did so with warmth and class. Her talents on the bench will be sorely missed. I join a great many New Mexicans in wishing her family well.

Brian Egolf
Santa Fe

Senator’s debt

Recently a police officer was laid to rest. He died supporting a motorcade for President George Bush, who came to New Mexico to do a fundraiser for Sen. Pete Domenici. Where was he at the tribute?

Was he out raising funds for his re-election? It’s time to retire the old goat.

His priority is his own re-election, not the people of New Mexico.

Art Houchins
Santa Fe

Don’t blame victim

Guns can be purchased freely at gun shows, estate sales, through trade papers and the Internet and by person-to-person sales.

These transactions usually follow no laws. Tina’s Range Gear, the sports store that was recently twice burglarized, sells guns subject to regulations of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Brady Bill. Even with background checks, it’s still possible that a gun can be involved in serious crime. That’s the responsibility of the buyer and not the dealer.

A car dealer can’t be held responsible for a reckless accident. More people are killed by cars in New Mexico than by guns.

Tina’s suffered a financial loss, but the greatest worry is how these stolen guns will be used.

If an owner of a store or residence were to “guarantee” that an intruder could not steal once they had gained entry, they could probably be sued by the criminal. It has happened. The burglary victim should not be condemned in the press.

John Buchen
Los Alamos

Sleepless in Santa Fe

I was shocked to read “Catching those elusive zzzs,” in the Aug. 31 Generation Next section that now even teenagers have insomnia. The reporter should have referred to the article “Exposure to pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field during waking affects human sleep EEG” (Huber et al., Neuroreport, 2000).

The advice to avoid exposure to computers and other electronics before sleep should be directed mainly at avoiding cell phone use. The new bio-initiative report recommends that future phones not work unless a headset or speaker phone mode are used.

I would also recommend unplugging all electronic devices at night because the power sources generate pulsed magnetic fields.

Subwoofers make magnetic fields with frequencies that overlap with EEG brain-wave frequencies. Virtually all electronic devices emit radio-frequency noise. They also release gases and shed dust containing known neurotoxins, so a big TV in a room with poor ventilation is a recipe for brain damage and neurodegenerative disease.

William J. Bruno, Ph.D.
Santa Fe

Where’s the beef?

Your small-business stories are what old-school journalists call fluff. Other than free publicity for the business, they provide little information. Here are some questions your last two stories could have answered: What does the antique dealer mean by affordable prices: $500, $600, $1,000? If the dealer doesn’t divulge such information, the reporter should say so. How does a novice collector spot a fake? And hasn’t antique buying gone high-tech, like on eBay?

Then, a couple of weeks back, you printed a story on a teachers supply store. I thought teachers got paid next to nothing. Why would they spend their own money on materials? Do they get reimbursed by schools? Please, inject some meat into your stories.

A.M. Hernández
Santa Fe