The shocking Aug. 26 headline "Mora County man gets 22nd DWI" was informative.

In addition to publishing the name and photo of the offender, please consider doing the same for others we deem culpable — the judges involved!


Everybody's covered

Regarding the Aug. 26 letter, "Competition needed": I respect Stan Bermann's opinion, but he can not generate his own set of facts. Not having health care insurance does not mean you cannot get health care. Under EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor), U.S. hospitals must provide health care to the injured and the pregnant. They must post signs in English and Spanish, and they must accept illegal immigrants. This unfunded federal mandate results in higher health costs for everyone else. Therefore, his assertion that thousands of people died because of not having health care is bogus.


Lauding La Fonda

The Santa Fe Underage Drinking Prevention Alliance applauds La Fonda Hotel's decision to control the number of people who can drink at its bars during Fiesta. This decision is an example of responsible community leadership. The decision sends the right message that Santa Fe does not depend upon alcohol to celebrate and to have a good time.

As societal norms regarding alcohol change, it is important that businesses, governments, families and individuals change how we think and behave about drinking. Each of us needs to rethink our relationship with and use of alcohol. La Fonda's policy change leads the way for each of us to celebrate our upcoming Fiesta in a responsible and safe manner.


Justice, not politics

In his Sept. 3 column, "Beware of successor-regime witch hunts," David Broder advises against investigating possible criminal behavior in the Bush-Cheney administration on the theory, apparently, that it isn't good politics. Former Vice President Dick Cheney makes a similar argument, defending himself against charges that he approved torture (a crime). He argues that torture worked in extracting information from detainees (prisoners), but the CIA interrogators involved said any useful information was obtained before the torture began.

Broder seems to suggest that impeachment is the only way to tame a renegade administration. Well, maybe not. Impeachment is a political act itself and has, arguably, not been fairly tested in modern times. Nixon resigned, Johnson decided not to run for re-election and Clinton's impeachment was frivolous. To the extent that Obama is continuing many of the Bush-era illegal policies, he should be impeached, but this would deny the voters a voice, and there is no popular call for impeachment.


Torturous decisions

Regarding Rich Lowry's Sept. 2 column, "Yes, harsh interrogations work": Lowry's right: Torture works, sometimes, and slot machines pay off, sometimes. The question is, who decides whom, when, why, where and how to torture? The question is, what is the magic number of potential casualties, where the "Torture Panel" decides it's OK to torture an individual?

Do we torture a teenager to find out who bought him the beer? What about the banker, or public servant, whom we suspect of embezzlement? What about the journalist who will not expose his source? What if we just tortured everyone? Think of how much valuable information law enforcement could gain if they could just torture us all into spilling our guts. Lowry's trying to make the case that the only valid argument against torture is that it never works. There are other arguments against torture. Yes, torture works, sometimes, but he's talking about a very, very ugly thing here.


Embrace diversity

Several readers want you to remove the editorial cartoon Mallard Fillmore. The strip has been described variously as "... sour, nasty, predictable, not funny, negative venom, trash." A few letter writers have asked where tolerance for free speech and diversity of thought and opinion has gone.

I could make the same arguments for removal about another cartoon, which doesn't appear on the editorial page, but is actually within the cartoon section of the paper where one would expect to find humor — not politically oriented editorial cartoons — and that is "La Cucaracha." If I were a thin-skinned, bigoted, intolerant, closed-minded racist, I might be offended by Lalo Alcaraz's obvious attacks on all things nonliberal and call for its immediate removal so my eyes are not violated by such bile. But I'm not like those other readers. I actually embrace tolerance, acceptance and diversity of thought. Peace.