Can you remember hearing Barack's words on election night: "I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you."

Well, we have all prevailed with the election of Barack Obama. The tears felt so good to shed! And now we must get to work because this democracy belongs to us. This world is in peril, and we must push our new government to place global warming at the center of the agenda.

I hope that Obama will attend the December United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland. His attendance would show the world how important global warming is and how committed we will be to climate and energy policy. It is connected to the war in Iraq, restoring foreign diplomacy, green-job creation, rebuilding cities and rural economies, environmental restoration, educating children and aligning ourselves with a healthy future. We will all need to adapt to the impacts of climate change.


Where's the outrage?

The biggest robbery in the history of our society and perhaps Western civilization has taken place. An entire country has been financially raped in broad daylight, and the most recently elected rapists are getting ready to do it again! And the citizens do nothing!

The politicians have learned to use fear and insecurity as the weapons to steal from the public and to reward corporate executives for being incompetent.

The corporations have worked hand-in-hand with elected politicians and their appointees to thoroughly debase the financial core of this country and the lives of American people. Now they're ready to do it again with General Motors. Both major parties are responsible for this chaos. Somehow, whatever is left of law and order in this country has to be brought to bear upon these most venal bearers of corruption.

It's too bad that here in New Mexico there is no ocean in which to dump tea.


Change of attitude

One assumes that Gregg Bemis has made his pile of dollars and is no longer concerned with Social Security, medical insurance, IRAs, pensions, job security and the education of his children. So he churlishly abandons the millions of less-affluent folks who do have to care about these matters, and still find time, decency and grace to help other Americans — but not to cancel their subscriptions.

A more constructive approach to demonstrating our disapproval of this columnist is for all those who feel this way to write to the paper stating that they find Bemis' attitude relentlessly selfish, and by demanding that The New Mexican obtain a more humane conservative columnist.


Capitalistic suicide

Of the many letters published about the Nov. 9 Gregg Bemis column, "United States of America: 1776-2008," none has noted that what he opined as our country's "obituary" are the very programs that, under President Franklin Roosevelt, absolutely saved American capitalism from itself, from the cupidity and greed of 12 years of Republican, uncontrolled, unregulated market self-indulgence.

Bemis' willful blindness is cosmic. The Republican Great Depression(s) — the one in the 1930s and this coming one! — both followed years and years of an avaricious, unregulated market. How the neo-cons can be so delusional is stunning. And it has always befuddled me that these same folks so hated President Bill Clinton, whose only consistency was his unwavering support of corporate and business interests; he gave them literally everything they wanted. Save us from such ignorant, virtually religious fervor.


Spread his word

Congratulations to Gregg Bemis for his outstanding commentaries and his excellent, impartial views on U.S. politics. We get great enjoyment by reading the "libs'" letters to the editor in answer to his columns. We hope he doesn't stop. We would like to see him syndicate his column and go national.

We encourage Bemis to keep up the good work and stay in there, not allowing the libs (seven out of 10 in Santa Fe) to get him down. Semper Fi!


Instrument of discord

Regarding the Nov. 14 letter, "Get the lead out": As a music educator, I take offense at Sarma Taylor's suggestion that we are putting any child at risk through the use of lead-contaminated band instruments. When I read her letter, I went to the Yamaha instrument Web site to read what a lead-free instrument means. It states that the change to lead-free solder is more out of concern for the environment and the employees who make the instruments (which I applaud), not for the minimal lead exposure to players.

So why would someone accuse entire school districts of poisoning children with lead? Ms. Taylor owns a music store that sells band instruments. One has to wonder if she only sells lead-free instruments in her store, or if she is using this forum for some free negative press. I find it all highly suspect.