Accepting our differences
Dear editor, I participated in the Hands-Off rally in Gallup last Saturday and chatted with the middle-aged man next to me. I asked him if he had family who were Trump supporters. He said, yes, you have to love them from a distance. I said, I can't do that. I like their company. He looked at me for a moment, then quietly moved to another location.
Judith Andreica Grants
Uranium Mining
Dear Editor, I have had the privilege of living in West Central New Mexico for 40 years, the most recent 19 years in Grants. I was deeply moved by the State of Affairs column titled “The Hardest Questions Sit at the Foot of the Mountain” written by Mr. Diego Lopez and published in the April 2, 2025 edition of the Cibola Citizen. He has most elegantly articulated many of the thoughts, feelings, and concerns I too have regarding the rapidly growing energy needs of modern society, and the legacy of negative environmental impacts of uranium mining on our community.
The new reactors being developed today, such as small modular nuclear reactors are much safer than previous designs. Mining techniques have also advanced in safety and reduced environmental impacts. Some experts suggest that socalled “green” mining is feasible.
Our community, Grants and Cibola County, would greatly benefit by substantial long term economic development that is well planned and implemented. Some eighty years ago this region faced this issue. We have been given the opportunity to do so again. I believe we can do a better job of balancing economic development while protecting the environment.
I hope we who live here come together to take best advantage of this opportunity.
Harry Sheski Grants, NM
Old Enough to Serve, Old Enough to Vote
Dear Editor, I am a United States Army Veteran and just before my service contract ended, I was able to help a seventeen-year-old soldier just coming into Active Duty out of her AIT (school) training. It was when training this soldier that I realized that we, as a people, are failing the young men and women that are choosing to defend our country.
In the state of New Mexico, young adults can enlist in the National Guard at 16 and join the Reserves or Active Duty at 17, all with parental or guardian consent. We put our trust in these individuals to take the oath, wear the uniform, and prepare to defend our country, yet we do not put our trust in them to vote. I believe that this is something that should be changed.
If a 16- or 17-year-old is ready and willing to serve our nation, they deserve the right to help shape it. They should have the ability to vote for leaders and policies that guide the missions they are prepared to support. Voting is not just a privilege – it is a fundamental expression of the very democracy they are protecting.
The people of New Mexico have the power to give a voice to these young adults who are protecting our country and the people that live here, at least in state and local elections. Allowing young military members to vote opens their voices, gives them agency, and acknowledges the sacrifices they are already prepared to make. It makes sense that service and civic participation should go hand in hand, and we should be a state that recognizes this and respects it.
This is about honoring our young servicemembers with more than just thanks – it's about giving them the rights they are fighting to preserve. Let’s stand behind those who are already standing behind us.
Thank You, Shiloh Simonson