Letter to the editor

Local terrorism
To Editor:

Headlines that fill today’s news seem to have a revolving theme: terrorism. The biggest form of terrorism is when a fellow American chooses to take to the road after having a few drinks which results in the loss of precious life. Recently in our community we have seen the devastation that’s caused when a drunken driver takes to the road. At what was thought to be the height of transient and drunken driving cases, Gallup was referred to as Drunk Town, USA. Is that the reputation we want this beautiful town to endure? What do we need to do as a community to stop this tragedy from striking again?

The judiciary is the system of courts which interprets and applies the facts of law. That doesn’t mean interpreting the law to their liking. Judges should be held accountable for lives lost when a drunken driver is let go. Background checks are required for most jobs. Why isn’t the background checks of these politicians made public so an informed decision can be made to put the most qualified person in office? These politicians are put into office based on a popularity contest. This isn’t high school, this is reality where one wrong decision is the difference between life and death. Sadly, this was proven with the recent DUI crash of a repeat offender. Public officials seem corrupt and only serve those that help advance their careers. Is the advancement of a career really worth the lives lost? We need to seriously think about who’s in office.

When a drunken driver knowingly takes to the road, causes a crash which results in fatalities, they’re slapped with vehicular homicide. Shouldn’t it be considered murder?

When an officer is involved in a chase and the perpetrator uses his vehicle to strike the officer’s vehicle, the suspect charged with attempted murder. Shouldn’t the same go for drunken drivers? For the first three misdemeanor offenses culprits are merely slapped with fines and maybe jail time if prosecuted to the fullest extent. Is that justice for an attempted murder? The first offense should be considered a felony. Maybe then people will stop driving after a few. Those that allow others to drive should be charged with accessory to commit murder, maybe then others will take a stand against drunken driving. Contact your state representatives and demand a change in the laws that sentence DUI offenders.

The tragedy that comes with the ignorant, invincible thinking that most teenagers grow out of is outrageous. An evolutionary gap has shown its ugly face in our community, and these so called “adults” are causing this tragedy. These imbeciles are why the legal drinking age is 21. It‘s preposterous to hear a judge justify his actions by stating his work load is too demanding. There are physicians and nurses in the ER that have a demanding work load on top of trying to save those who are struck by these terrorists.

Maybe if they were punished the first time, the workload would not build up. It doesn’t take a genius to realize the consequences of getting behind the wheel when intoxicated.

Everyone in our community has dealt with the devastation of these terrorists. Wake up and take a stand!

They drink, they drive, we lose!

Jessica Mirabal,
Gallup

Sweat lodge ceremonies
To Editor:

While visiting in the Gallup area I read the article “Sweat lodge where 2 died lacked permit” in the Gallup Independent, and I saw that it was an opportunity to clarify some misconceptions about the “Native American” sweat lodge ceremony. This first requires a description of the context container of what a sweat lodge ceremony is and what the purpose is for. This ceremony is facilitated within the context of the natural order like time, cardinal directions and seasons, etc. It is not a “religious ritual” in the sense that it is not organized separately from the laws of nature as in man-made creed or doctrine. For example, when a person died in a sweat lodge in California some time ago, it was reported that they were there to become “enlightened” and that is how they put themselves in danger with the elements in nature. This means that a person focuses their thinking outside their body. Thus, a person is not completely aware of their biological and physiological body functions. They cannot respond to the danger signs in enough time. They do not know how the elements work in order to stay in harmony and balance in their bodies within the laws of nature.

In the case of the two who died in the sweat lodge while participating in the “Spiritual Warrior” Program at the Angel Valley Retreat Center, both the logistical and spiritual protocols were not followed. Rascal Gurus like James Arthur Ray are numerous and their violations appear blatant and dangerous for the general public.

Native American sweat lodge ceremonies are designed for tribal-specific purposes, and the main one is for cleansing and purification of the holistic self: air-spiritual; fire-mental; water-emotive; earth-physical; and, corn-social and economic wellbeing. The elements follow the laws of nature, not man-made European-American rituals. This is the reason why European people put themselves in danger when they do know how to correctly connect to creator through the laws of nature as understood in tribal languages that inter-connect within the natural order. Also, the construction of a sweat lodge has specifications with spiritual meaning that result in a healing process leading to a curing, not disaster. These deaths should be a warning to European-Americans who attempt to imitate American Indian ceremonies. They outlawed many of our tribal languages and our sacred ceremonies. Now they need to stop imitating us.

The growing world crisis shows their disrespect for the creator and the laws of nature. We exist within the natural order by having powerwithin to have powerwith others, not powerover nature.

Patricia Anne Davis,
Seattle, Wash.