Santa fe: 3rd world country
Posted 12-11-2008 at 09:20 PM by grace gratz
THIS LETTER TO THE EDITOR WAS PUBLISHED IN THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN ON DEC 2, 2008:
Third World County[sic]
A reference was made to New Mexicans "living in a Third World Country" by a visitor to my dance class. I was quite insulted! Then last night, I heard gunshots twice. After the second blast, I called the sheriff's office. Today we heard three gunshots in rapid sequence. Again we called the sheriff.
It's happened before, and we always report it. However, this leads me to question myself. Maybe we do live in the Third World, where people fire bullets in residential neighborhoods with impunity. What's even more disheartening is that only we seem to report this barbaric behavior. Apparently, our neighbors are used to this, and worse yet, condone random shooting as acceptable behavior. So the question is, do we in south Santa Fe County live in the Third World? You be the judge.
Diane Polaco. Santa Fe.
POLICE REPORT FROM THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN DEC. 11, 2008 [PARTIAL]:
1. A man and a woman reported two men came to their home in the 1900 block of Hopi Road on Tuesday and got into a fight with the man. The woman pointed an unloaded pistol at the two men, one of which attacked her, took the gun away and used it to hit the man.
2. An Albuquerque man was shot in the thigh in the 1400 block of Clark Road on Wednesday at about 8:30 a.m.
3. A man reported someone broke into his locker at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center...and stole his bag which included his car keys. When he left the center he found his vehicle was stolen.
4. Leo A., 43, was arrested and charged with DWI Tuesday...Deputies found an open bottle of liquor in the car, and A had a blood-level alcohol content of .15, nearly twice the legal limit.*
*An average of one or more motorists per day are stopped in Santa Fe with blood level alcohol of .15 to .22--usually they have no license or insurance. For a city with a population of approx. 70,000 this might not seem a big deal except for the fact that Santa Fe advertises itself and is widely--albeit mistakenly--believed to be one of the finer communities in the U.S.
If you come to visit bring pepper spray, keep all doors locked, leave no valuables in your cra or motel/hotel room: do not go out after dark.
AND THIS IS ACCEPTED AS "NORMAL" WELCOME TO THE WILD WILD WEST!!
Third World County[sic]
A reference was made to New Mexicans "living in a Third World Country" by a visitor to my dance class. I was quite insulted! Then last night, I heard gunshots twice. After the second blast, I called the sheriff's office. Today we heard three gunshots in rapid sequence. Again we called the sheriff.
It's happened before, and we always report it. However, this leads me to question myself. Maybe we do live in the Third World, where people fire bullets in residential neighborhoods with impunity. What's even more disheartening is that only we seem to report this barbaric behavior. Apparently, our neighbors are used to this, and worse yet, condone random shooting as acceptable behavior. So the question is, do we in south Santa Fe County live in the Third World? You be the judge.
Diane Polaco. Santa Fe.
POLICE REPORT FROM THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN DEC. 11, 2008 [PARTIAL]:
1. A man and a woman reported two men came to their home in the 1900 block of Hopi Road on Tuesday and got into a fight with the man. The woman pointed an unloaded pistol at the two men, one of which attacked her, took the gun away and used it to hit the man.
2. An Albuquerque man was shot in the thigh in the 1400 block of Clark Road on Wednesday at about 8:30 a.m.
3. A man reported someone broke into his locker at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center...and stole his bag which included his car keys. When he left the center he found his vehicle was stolen.
4. Leo A., 43, was arrested and charged with DWI Tuesday...Deputies found an open bottle of liquor in the car, and A had a blood-level alcohol content of .15, nearly twice the legal limit.*
*An average of one or more motorists per day are stopped in Santa Fe with blood level alcohol of .15 to .22--usually they have no license or insurance. For a city with a population of approx. 70,000 this might not seem a big deal except for the fact that Santa Fe advertises itself and is widely--albeit mistakenly--believed to be one of the finer communities in the U.S.
If you come to visit bring pepper spray, keep all doors locked, leave no valuables in your cra or motel/hotel room: do not go out after dark.
AND THIS IS ACCEPTED AS "NORMAL" WELCOME TO THE WILD WILD WEST!!
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P.S. To date we find no public or governmental discussion about how to deal with this lawlessness--nor even an admission of it. However there is much discussion about saving Tibet, prairie dogs, wolves, and mountain lions in and near Santa Fe..and keeping street lights dim so as not to interfere with stargazers...or robbers hiding in the shadows..even in the finest neighborhoods.Posted 12-11-2008 at 09:25 PM by grace gratz
