D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
July 2009
Lighting into Lightcap
We obtained our copy of Desert Exposure last week and immediately read most of it. For some reason, I had not read the last six or seven pages. I read those pages this evening and I was so disappointed. The hatred and bigotry in the writing of Henry Lightcap's Journal ("Prejudiced Against Bigots?," June) is beyond belief. The status of Desert Exposure is lowered by your publishing such ill-conceived words. Why? Why? We have often commented to you on the value of your paper, but there is no reason to promote such vicious writings.
There are comments on the news about increase in hate crimes and racism. Why do you condone and promote such hatred? Why lower the standards of the Desert Exposure when you have access to good writers such as Jeff Berg and others.
Ronald Cauthon
via email
While I often enjoy Henry Lightcap's musings, this time ("Pulp Fiction," May) he hit a nerve when he spoke about going paperless. I agree wholeheartedly with his belief that the companies asking you to change to electronic billing are trying to up their profits. But make no mistake, going paperless will help the environment.
Industrialized nations, with 20% of the world's population, use 87% of the world's printing and writing papers. Most of the world's paper supply comes from timber logged in regions with ecologically valuable, biologically diverse habitat. The virgin timber-based pulp and paper industry is the third-greatest industrial emitter of global warming pollution, and its carbon-dioxide emissions are projected to double by 2020. Kimberly-Clark, as an example, manufactures the vast majority of its disposable tissue products from freshly cut trees instead of from recycled fiber, contributing to the destruction of Canada's boreal forest.
When a business chooses to go green by reducing its use of paper with electronic billing and recycled paper products, everybody wins. It just goes back to common sense. That is, use only what we need from the earth and leave the rest.
Karla Larsen
San Diego (and Lake Roberts)
Columnist Henry Lightcap replies: It's true that the industrialized world, with just 20% of the global population, uses 87% of printing and writing paper. That's because they're industrialized and have printers and writing instruments. An industrialized nation requires more resources than a non-industrialized one because they make stuff.
In my experience, you don't see recycled paper being used in the office because it is more expensive than virgin paper, and it doesn't play nice with sensitive electronic printers. Most businesses and individuals shy away from the concept of paying more money for less performance.
I suppose if my toilet paper doesn't have recycled content, there's a reason like higher costs or less performance. As a compassionate conservative, however, I promise to not use Kimberly Clark tissue products any more. What's the environmental position on corn cobs in the outhouse?
The Joy of Polo
I was very excited and overjoyed to read the article "Playing on the Ponies" in the May issue. I'm also a player of polo in New Mexico. I played for New Mexico State University while in college and have played on many of the fields and arenas in Southern New Mexico. Yvonne Golston has helped me learn the sport of polo and I have played in numerous games with her. I now live and work as the 4-H agent in Catron County and am very lucky to be able to play the only sport I have ever loved, here where I live.
I did notice a mistake, though, that I wanted to bring to your attention. El Caso Ranch is not owned by Chuck Rogers; he is a large part of the polo and cattle operation, helping with polo in the summer and working cattle around the ranch. The owners of El Caso are Buzz and Beverly Esterling. Buzz' family homesteaded El Caso when New Mexico was just taking hold and continues to keep the sprint of the West alive, with a little polo mixed in. Buzz began playing polo while at the New Mexico Military Institute when they still had an active horse program, and he and Beverly were very instrumental in getting the NMSU polo team up and running.
I thought the article was very well written and you guys did a very good job of spreading the joy of polo. Thank you for your inclusion of this great sport in your paper.
John R. Allen
Reserve
Editor's note: Our apologies for the erroneous ranch ownership. Also, readers who want to contact Yvonne Golston about polo should note that her phone number is (505) 920–3046; the non-575 area code was omitted at the end of our article.
A Gold Lone Star
David, your articles are always terrific, but this time your Continental Divide article ("The Best Little Rebellion in Texas," June) was really superb. It started my day with a very good laugh. I don't know how you do it, but don't stop. It's so nice to know that we can be sure of a good read when the first of the month comes.
Micheline Lafortune
Las Cruces
Really Clicking
Welcome to my PC! I just found you while visiting family in Grant County. The paper was the last one in a newspaper bin outside of La Familia restaurant, and the beautiful piece of artwork, specifically the saddle (May), caught my eye. I am living in California and now have time to delve into the history of my home and that of my ancestors. I am so glad to have found you, as you seem to be covering all the areas of my interest, especially art and history.
Diane Diaz
Via email
Editor's note: What a nice way to remind readers, near and far, that the complete content of every new issue — plus searchable back issues — can be found online at www.desertexposure.com. So if that rack or bin is empty, don't despair — give us a click.
Absolutely the Final Word on the "Tea Party" Tax Protests
Editor's note: With these two additional emails commenting on our comments about the "Tea Party" gatherings, taxes and the deficit — which engendered a blizzard of letters (Editor's Notebook, May, and Letters, June) — we close the book on this topic — we promise!
We cannot raise enough money to pay for our programs! We need true believers such as yerself to contribute all that you can. No worries, we will tax the shit out of the rich. Even though the Chinese laugh at our National Debt, we will print more paper money. All houses on Bonita will be excluded from foreclosure. Such is the way fascism works. Gotta love you, David. . .
Sean Peters
Finally, this email arrived even as editor David Fryxell was on the air
with Q92.9 talk-show host (and Tea Party attendee) Mike Rowse, who was kind
enough to offer a chance to explain and discuss that controversial editorial.
We bend our usual policy against publishing anonymous letters — the writer signed only an email address, no name — because
this correspondence, reprinted here in its entirety, so pithily sums up some
folks' opinion:
Get bent.
Correction: Last month's Desert Diary "Postcards from the Edge" caption misstated the date the Trinity site is open; it's the first Saturday in April.
Let us hear from you! Write Desert Exposure Letters, PO Box 191, Silver City, NM 88062, fax 534-4134 or email letters@desertexposure.com Letters are subject to editing for style and length, and must be in response to content that has appeared in our pages. Deadline for the next issue is the 18th of the month.