I write in regard to your March 5 editorial where you state you are against Rio Arriba County Commissioner James Martinez proposing that Rio Arriba is anti-abortion in a formal proclamation.
First let me address your history. The “Puritans” came here because of religious persecution. Our country was founded on Judeo Christian principles to the chagrin of some, but this is who we are as a country.
The issue of separation of church and state has been so misunderstood. In the first amendment it states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In other words the government cannot tell you what to believe and cannot establish a church. It has nothing to do with separating you from your beliefs.
I agree it is a waste of time to argue abortion, however if you are going to cite statistics I would like to offer some that are correct. You stated “about 99 percent of his constituents will never ask themselves if they should have an abortion…”
Last year in the battle over HB 51, the abortion bill, Governor Lujan Grisham asked the public to call her office and let her know what their position was. In a two week period over 25,000 calls came pouring into her office. The findings of this poll were that over 98 percent of those who called were opposed to abortion.
How do I know? I made the Inspection of Public Records Act request and have that document.
Shortly after Gov. Lujan Grisham and her pro-abortion counterparts stood for a photo opportunity as they presented her 10,000 signatures. Within one week we attempted to present once again over 22,000 signatures (more than 2-1 ratio) from those who oppose abortion. She was nowhere to be found. However, they were delivered to her. Again we have those documents.
Commissioner Martinez is simply responding to his constituency. He is attempting to correctly represent those who elected him. Unlike our Governor who is repeatedly told by New Mexicans that we do not want abortion in our land yet, insists and is guilty of what you have accused Commissioner Martinez of doing, forcing her will on us. Commissioner Martinez is yielding to the will of the people. More elected officials would do well to follow his example as a public servant.
In the Declaration of Independence it states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Notice that Life was listed first as they were listed in the order of importance.
I along with most New Mexicans support Commissioner James Martinez.
Ethel Maharg
Executive Director
Right to Life Committee of New Mexico
(Editor’s note: we don’t doubt 22,000 people gave their opinion about abortion. We still believe 99 percent of them will never be in the position to ask themselves if they should have one. That was the point.)