Yvette Herrell's Bad Start

In 2018, Democrat Xochitl Torres-Small beat Republican Yvette Herrell for the Congressional seat Republican Steve Pearce had long held.

Herrell and many Republicans screamed fraud. The unprecedented numbers of absentee ballots for Xochitl in her home county, Doña Ana, meant the count continued into the next day. Republicans still sneer at our county (without evidence) as if everyone knows elections here are corrupt.

Xochitl tried hard to represent all CD-2 citizens. Never extremely progressive, she angered some local progressives with moderate votes and statements on oil-and-gas, guns, immigration, and other issues, while working diligently on modest improvements. She angered Democrats by her long delay before advocating Mr. Trump’s obviously warranted impeachment, and angered Republicans by ultimately voting to impeach. How much of this was based on her own views and how much was compromise to mute conservative distrust, only she and her advisors know.

Probably the moderates and conservatives she won over outnumbered the progressives who stayed home, because 2020 wasn’t a year to stay home.

Nevertheless, In 2020, Herrell unseated Congresswoman Torres-Small.

Ironically, Republicans again yelled, “Fraud!” although they didn’t attack the local county clerk. They attacked the Capitol. Literally.

Had 2020 been an off-year, Torres-Small might well have won again. In CD-2, Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by 12%. Herrell prevailed by 8%. (Locally, Trump lost by 18%, Herrell by 22%.) Although Herrell won comfortably, Torres-Small outperformed the top of the ticket.

Herrell did NOT immediately try to represent all of her constituents, but hollered “Voter fraud!” despite the absence of evidence. Scores of court cases (in most of which fraud was not even alleged) rejected the claims. Trump’s own advisors and Trump-appointed judges rejected the claims. Herrell persisted. A Trump-inspired mob (which he betrayed by not joining them as promised) upped the pressure on Congressfolk by marching to and into the Capitol, overwhelming police and shouting about killing public officials. Both parties made a great show of returning to the House Chamber when it was safe and certifying the vote. Many Republicans who’d shouted fraud were chastened by the violence the repeated lies had inspired (and by Trump’s conduct), and voted to certify. Herrell persisted.

That is, when a significant number of extremist Republicans played to Trump’s base by voting against certification, Herrell did too. The violence made no difference to Herrell. Had these Republicans prevailed, voting for purely political reasons to overrule the people, with no supporting evidence, they’d have ended our cherished free elections. Instead of the people electing presidents, Republican office-holders would. That made no difference to Herrell. (In fairness, while Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley are constitutional lawyers who clearly knew better, Herrell may have believed Trump’s nonsense.)

One of Herrell’s closest political allies, whose support she said she cherished above others, was “Cowboys for Trump” founder Couy Griffin. Griffin said, “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat,” and that some Black athletes should “go back to Africa.” Griffin faces criminal charges for his part in sacking the Capitol.

Herrell did not immediately renounce Griffin after the 6 January violence. Only when powerful Republican donors were so appalled that they suspended donations to Republicans did Herrell criticize Griffin. She also deleted his endorsement video from her website.

Tea Party stalwart Herrell seems to have served notice that she will be an extremist who cares little for facts, science, or fair play. However, I’ve invited her to share her perspective on radio.

                                                – 30 --

 

[The above column appeared this morning, Sunday, 24 January 2021, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on the newspaper's website on the newspaper's website and KRWG’s website. A related radio commentary will air during the week on KRWG (90.7) and KTAL-LP. (101.5 – http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), and is available on demand on KRWG’s site.]

[After I sent in the column, I read in the Sun-News that in Monday’s meeting the Las Cruces City Council will consider a resolution condemning Representative Herrell’s vote against certification of the Presidential Election results in Arrizona and Pennsylvania. The meeting is at 1, airing both on U-Tube and on Channel 20, as well as from the City’s website. The resolution would have no legal force or impact, but would put the council on record defending democracy against any repetition of the Trump-Cruz-Herrell attack on it.

Herrell says the council should stick to city business, and that the resolution has no legal force. It doesn’t; but this IS city business, and the vote seems a fair warning to Herrell that she should emulate Xochi by making a sincere effort to represent all of her constituents. But Xochi genuinely cares about people, not rigid ideology. ]

[Meanwhile, Couy Griffin remains in a D.C. jail, yelling at jailers and enjoying solitary confinement because he refused to take a COVID test. ]

 

All that Annoying Noise Just Stopped!

Just as it feels great to play ball again after an injury heals, or breathe freely after a bad cold, Donald Trump, Josh Hawley, and Jacob Chansley have helped me appreciate being a U.S. citizen. Their vicious attacks on it remind me I kind of like our democracy, despite its flaws. People who normally ignore inaugurations found Joe Biden’s inauguration, replete with speeches, songs, prayers, and poetry, made them feel warm and grateful.

We’re recuperating from what historians will rank as the worst presidency in our history. To help that president, his supporters actually invaded and trashed the Capitol, something last done by the Brits in the War of 1812. For the first time, an outgoing president threw a hysterical tantrum and tried ugly and unlawful ways to overturn the people’s will. A sizeable minority of citizens supported those antidemocratic efforts.

If historians ever wonder, many people feel primarily relief right now. The constant, jarring noise has stopped. Governing the country may return to some rational norm. People may differ, in civil ways, over policies and ideas, without insulting opponents and their parents, wives, ethnicity and physical appearance. The fellow who departed Wednesday also threatened his own vice-president, his various hand-picked attorneys-general, political opponents, and Republican voting officials in Georgia and Pennsylvania, as well as Congress and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

We feel relief, and cautious hope.

While I’m not predicting any politician will be entirely truthful, we’ll hear significantly more truth from this White House. And Joe Biden won’t endanger our national security on impulse, or in a fit of pique.

Joe wasn’t my first choice. My country has made a lot of mistakes, and Joe’s been part of some of them. He speaks more moderately than I might like about reversing our increasing economic inequality and confronting global warming; but as Mr. Barker once said of his son-in-law, “I wasn’t chairman of the selection committee.” Still, Joe may accomplish more toward those goals than someone less capable of bringing along those who don’t yet get it.

I think we got lucky. An older, white male, a centrist, a personally decent fellow who also knows how government works, Joe seems a damned good choice for the healing and transition we need. He and Dr. Jill are real folks. He’s suffered. Biden’s decades in public life have produced some gaffes and odd locutions, and arguably plagiarism. But mostly he’s tried to do good work for his country, while listening to others and forging compromises. (Yeah, while I honor his heroic son, Beau, I wish he could have better controlled his troubled son, Hunter; but Joe probably wishes that too.)

Joe was brought up (with love) by a regular guy, a hard-working father who taught him values other than “Whatever you can do to cheat anyone and everyone for a buck, do it!” He played high school football as a split-end. I like that while he was elected president of his 45-member class, the priests wouldn’t let him run for school president because he had too many demerits.

President Biden will struggle mightily, and thoughtfully, to help us surmount this pandemic and our deep economic and social troubles. Very tough rows to hoe, particularly in our rancorously divided nation.

As the Rolling Stones put it, “You can’t always get what you want, but . . . you might just get what you need.” Which looks pretty damned good, just now.

                                     – 30 --

 

[The above column appeared this morning, Sunday, 24 January 2021, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on the newspaper's website and KRWG’s website. A related radio commentary will air during the week on KRWG (90.7) and KTAL-LP. (101.5 – http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), and is available on demand on KRWG’s site.]

[A friend who read the column in the Sun-News vividly expresses a different point of view:

When compared with a hog pen, a slovenly kept shack might be a welcome relief.  Trump, whom I first became aware of in the early 80s has been a blatant scoundrel for at least 40 years.  Biden has been a mixed fellow; a fellow that is inclined to decency but not ethically wedded to it.  His current roster indicates this duality.  He will let Wall Street prevail but with less fireworks.  What we have is a pause for Wall Street to prepare the next assault on the non billionaires in the world.  It is a tactical move and nothing more.

So for me, the task remains to encourage our local community and government to empower local control over the necessities of life.  To create a locally controlled full employment system, real estate and food systems.  Wall Street has always thrived on monopoly power over the necessities of life to preserve the ancient evil of slavery.  It’s the only way they can leverage their minuscule population into being slave owners. Those countries that are further along in this dilution of central power will be the prospering survivors.

So I suggest we use a “Biden” moment to move quickly ahead with establishing a thoroughly democratic local society.  ]

 

Rio Grande Sunset - ©2020 Peter Goodman

Further Reflections on 6January - and on Republican Abandonment of Trump

How might people of good will regard Republicans who are abandoning Trump?

Many Republicans believed deeply in Donald Trump, and still do, even after the insurrection.

In 2016, Trump made many Republicans uneasy. He was untrustworthy and amoral, and lacked political convictions or qualifications. Republican leaders said so. When they underestimated the danger, and failed to unite against him, he became their nominee. A few Republicans chose to retain their independence; but most Republican leaders fell silent about Trump’s defects, held their noses, and supported him. Their reasons (including ambition, money, and hopes he could implement policies they liked) outweighed truth, honesty, or even maintaining democracy. Some Trump associates and appointees figured they could improve or control him.

Trying to bend the law and the Constitution like pretzels to overrule voters is about as bad as it gets. Trump’s phone calls demanding that Georgia officials find him more votes were indictable crimes. Then he tried to pressure Republican Congressfolk to toss out the election results, and upped the pressure by inciting an angry mob to go threaten them. Even had the mob stayed lawful, this is not how any president should act – or ever has.

Many Republicans say: “He’s our guy, and we’re not finished. Look out, Joe!” People who were once patriots may violently attack the Inauguration of our elected president.

Others concede the violence was wrong, but say Trump isn’t responsible because he didn’t say, “Sack the Capitol!” and that he’s right about election fraud.

Some say Trump was wrong and should be punished (or removed under Amendment 25), adding, “I never signed up for this!” Even some who work with him say, “We miscalculated. He really is a fascist.”

Repeating Trump’s wacky election lies (rejected by courts, state legislatures, and even Trump’s advisors) helps convince folks that anything they do against the government that cheated them is justified.

Meanwhile, for cynical politician McConnell, impeachment could conveniently eliminate the party’s Trump problem.

It’s easy to feel superior, listening to Republicans confess error and appreciating their distancing themselves from Donald, while remembering how long it took them.

It’s harder, but important, to question ourselves. Suppose a charismatic conman arose on the left, greedy and dangerously unstable, but promising he could reverse our horrible economic inequality, confront global warming, ensure health care for everyone, and talk Congress into a reasonable immigration policy. These are goals I’ve long wished politicians would get serious about.

How much would I risk misrule or look away while he removed bricks from the foundation of our democracy to get us on the right track toward solving such issues? Would I stay silent when he curtailed the freedoms of folks I think spout nonsense, if he was cutting down on poverty and injustice?

Doesn’t that undermine my righteous indignation at nonviolent Republicans who collaborated with Trump?

But talking with Trumpists is frustrating. Their belief in election fraud survives no matter what. So does their faith that although identifiable Trumpists are on video and have been arrested, antifa infiltrators damaged the Capitol. Forced to face the ugliness of 6 January, they toss a “Hail Mary” by proclaiming that during some largely peaceful protests against racism, protesters destroyed buildings too.

I’d prefer a thoughtful exchange of ideas and evidence, open to the possibility we might each learn something. Political discourse ain’t a football game. If we treat it as one, we all lose.

                                                        - 30 -

 

[The above column appeared this morning, Sunday, 17 January 2021, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on the newspaper's website and KRWG’s website. A related radio commentary will air during the week on KRWG (90.7) and KTAL-LP. (101.5 – http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), and will be available on demand on KRWG’s site.]

©2020 Peter Goodman

[What we saw 6Jan was vicious, unprecedented, and dangerous. Why it was permitted is under investigation. Donald Trump and some Congressional Republicans helped make it happen, at least with their words. Whether or not a couple of them also helped with “reconnaisance” is under investigation. Some of the participants meant to harm or even kill the nation’s elected leaders. A repeat, perhaps with actual shooting of Congressfolk, would create dangerous chaos in the government, intimidate elected leaders from doing their jobs, and symbolize the weakness Donald Trump helped create in our nation, although he is far from the only contributor to it.

©2020 Peter Goodman

So how can I not condemn in strong words any Republican who hesitates at all to see and say that the sacking of the Capitol was wrong and unpatriotic, that Mr. Trump and his allies encouraged it, that it was what it seemed (not violence by “Antifa infiltrators” who don’t show up on the video somehow), and that no part of entering the Capitol damaging thngs and shouting for the heads of elected leaders is okay?

©2020 Peter Goodman

I suppose because we still have to talk to each other, if we are to find a way out and strengthen the nation again by solving some of the partisanship. Because although I lunched last week (outdoors) with a staunch Republican who is appalled by Mr. Trump and the 6Jan events, I have also talked, by phone, Facebook, and radio interviews, with people who say the violence was wrong but offer numerous excuses and qualifications. They – and presumably many “Q-Anon” followers – honestly believe, as firmly and probably more deeply, a lot of things that seem to be contradicted by the available evidence. If we cannot talk with each other, we are in deep shit.

©2020 Peter Goodman

That’s not to excuse racism and ethnic hatred, or willful stupidity. However, these folk ain’t going away. Many are, in nonpolitical aspects of their lives, good people. Yeah, I think much of what they believe they’ve been conned into believing, for reasons we, and ultimately they, need to understand. And they likely think the same of me.]

[One acquaintance emailed me this morning that although he liked the column I should stop using “Trumpist” and “Republican” interchangeably. I agree. One could say that, until recently, they unfortunately did seem synonymous; but there were Republicans, mostly not currently holding office, who saw and criticized what was going on. By Republicans, I mean those who are members of that party or very strongly aligned with its political positions. By Trumpists I mean folks who primarily follow, agree with, or are inspired by
Mr. Trump, and have refused even now to see the serious and dangerous problems he presents for the nation. (Surveys suggest that the former, “traditional Republicans,” are upwards of 50% of the party’s members, and the Trumpists a very loud one-quarter.) I do distinguish between them. I’m also a lot more sympathetic to individuals, not in leadership positions, than to the successful politicians who so visibly calculate what helps their stature and power and make decisions that may, mostly by happenstance, also be good for the people. ]

[I do wonder if we’ll eventually learn that Q-Anon is getting funds from some nation unfriendly to the U.S. Sure would be a brilliant move for ‘em!]

 [This column assumes a negative answer to a relevant question: if, as I do, one believes that an economic system fairer to the little guy, a law-enforcement system better for Blacks, cops, and all of us, and universal health care are very important goals, along with mitigating the horror global warming will visit on our grandkids and even on some of us, are urgent and achievable, why not (in the hypothetical situation given) give up some democracy to accomplish those?   In a later column, though, I should tackle that one.]

Reflections on the Failed Coup

Let’s call things by their names: Wednesday we witnessed a failed coup attempt.

Joe Biden won the Presidency by seven million votes and 306-232 in the electoral college, which isn’t even close. Scores of courts rejected a slew of silly challenges to the voting process. Trump and others tried to circumvent the process to keep Trump in office.

Trump’s conduct is no surprise. Republicans nominated, and we elected, a narcissistic and incompetent man who had routinely disregarded laws, contractual obligations, and ethical norms, while surviving by telling more and bigger lies.

As president, Trump told an astonishing number of lies, and was rarely in the same zip code as the truth. He repeatedly put his own interests ahead of the nation’s.

Defeated, Trump rejected reality, shouted blatant lies, and tried to bully/cajole other Republicans into violating their oaths of office and vetoing their citizens’ ballots. That his followers threatened severe harm to some Republican voting officials didn’t matter. Nor did law or tradition.

Trump urged senators and representatives to toss out election results, and told his mob to “be strong” and “take back our country.” Wednesday, Trump said he’d be with them, marching on the Capitol. His son encouraged the mob by threatening Congressfolk that “We’re coming for you, and we’re going to enjoy it.” (Craven as his father, Junior didn’t join the march.) The mob duly marched – right into the Capitol and trashed it. Capitol police, out in force for BlackLivesMatter, were strangely passive before white domestic terrorists. The chief had promised a Congresswoman the D.C. National Guard would be ready. It wasn’t. Incompetence, or worse?

Trump lies and threatens to get his way. Ambitious folks like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley abetted his attempt to use laughable challenges to throw the choice to the House. Both are smart enough lawyers to know the effort had no chance; but it’d sure make ‘em look good to Trumpists in 2024.

Fortunately, Trump’s not as organized or focused as, say, Vlad Putin. Fortunately, Trump’s so odious and unpleasant even to his allies that many, while kissing his butt in public, resented him deeply. Fortunately, Democrats hold a House majority, and some combination of decency, patriotism, and Trump-fatigue caused enough Republicans to reject the coup attempt. Trump’s questionable mental state and seditious conduct has inspired conservatives to urge his removal under the 25^th Amendment.

But a majority of Republican representatives voted Trump’s way, even after complaining that Trump’s mob had trashed the Capitol and put them in fear for their lives.

Watching McConnell and Pence say fine words, I hoped their disgust with Trump, Hawley, and mob violence, might revive a little bipartisanship. Cabinet members are leaving Trump’s ship. Republican senators say privately they abetted Trumpian misconduct for too long, hoping he’d improve. They should say so publicly. I’m torn between welcoming their awakening and recalling how long it has taken. Trump has been Trump all along. And it’s easier to stab a king who’s reeling from self-inflicted wounds.

And what of the longer term? Republicans haven’t won the popular vote for many years, but they control a majority of states, and often get saved by the electoral college. They know that an indecisive election means the House chooses – with each state getting a vote. California and Wyoming count equally.

I still hope, but it might be too tempting to Republicans to veto an inconvenient Presidential vote and install their own choice.

                                                 – 30 –

 

[The above column appeared this morning, Sunday, 3 January 2021, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on the newspaper’s website (A Failed Coup and an Uncertain Future the newspaper's website) and KRWG’s website. A related radio commentary will air during the week on KRWG (90.7) and KTAL-LP. (101.5 – http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), and will be available on demand on KRWG’s site.  The photograph above is copyright Peter Goodman, and was taken on 12 September, surrounded by military and law-enforcement folks protecting monuments and federal buildings after the 2001 attack.]

[What has been most interesting in the aftermath of 6Jan21 has been the varied reactions of Trump fans and conservatives generally. (It’s important to note that those are overlapping sets, with people who may be either or both.) The extremists vary from the pride (exhibited by “the Q-Anon Guru” and a New Mexico Republican county official, who were there and proud of it and say the country deserves more of the same if it persists in accepting a fraudulent election and doing other things those folks don’t like) to denial (as by Sarah Palin, I heard, and by local Facebook friends who are Trumpists, who insist that anything bad was actually done by “antifa infiltrators.”) The denials are absurd, given the celebratory (and self-incriminating) cell-phone videos and public statements by Trumpist participants, and flat statements by the Q-Anon Guru and others that there were no antifa infiltrators and the beautiful day was the work of Trumpists.

Less on the fringe, some are defending Trump, while many others are jumping ship, distinguishing themselves as fast as possible from Mr. Trump. (See, for example, Ben Sasse’s statements (asserting that Trump has committed impeachable offenses and confirming (as I was guessing while watching on 6Jan) that staff are appalled by how much Trump enjoyed watching on TV the sacking of the Capitol, the Chao and DeVos resignations, and "We Were Wrong, He's a Fascist".)]

[That Republican variety is natural. Some conservatives never accepted Trump. They shared political goals (restrict or forbid abortions, cut taxes on the rich, pack federal courts with conservative judges and justices) but clearly saw that Trump’s dangers outweighed his political convenience. Others didn’t, but were reasonable and even patriotic people mistakenly guessing they could do the country more good from within Trump’s administration than from outside. We’ve always known that many of his advisors and appointees were holding their noses as they worked with him. Or for him.

How should we others (progressive, moderate, even conservative folks who rejected Trump) feel about those who are belatedly (sometimes anonymously, still) stating truths about Mr. Trump? That’s important to who we are and where we go from here.

Tempting as it is to shout “I told you so,” or criticize their selling out, Jesus was not unwise in advising us to cast the first stone only if we are sinless. To me (and I may try to explore this in my next column) that means to try to cool all that if we have ever sold out, and to contemplate honestly how we might have acted had Mr. Trump been a progressive running on the Blue ticket. As noted above, we’re dealing here with two intertwined problems: conservative views, with which I generally disagree but from which I often learn, and Trumpism, which means embracing the exceptional selfishness, disregard for law and ethics, wanton unpleasantness, racism, arrogant discourtesy, and greed that is Donald. It’s tempting to believe that Trump could only have been a Republican, that rich folks’ greed and Trump’s greed, corporate disregard for workers and Trump’s contempt for the lower classes, are all of a package; but what if a charismatic but dishonest and power-mad leader arose who told us the system was screwing us (which most of us believe, including me), that s/he could get elected and make real change, and that we needed to deal seriously with global warming, racism, and economic inequality? Many of us would vote for her over Ben Sasse, Milt Romney, or Tim Scott. Many of us would work in her administration., uneasily, and let her increasing efforts to dismantle our democracy slide, to serve the greater good of turning our country more progressive?]

Foxy w Shadows ©PeterGoodman

[By the way, my friend and very thoughtful colleague Algernon D’Amassa also wrote his Sunday column on his view of the same events , and quoted Ezra Klein’s comment that “My fear is … we will hold the weak accountable, because we can, and the strong will get away with it. The weak are subject to laws, the strong protected by politics. That’s not good enough.” Algernon sensibly reminds us that, “Democracy, as a cultural pattern, is neither sacred nor everlasting. Its value must be taught and continually asserted. It will be messy and somewhat chaotic, like the people who practice it.”] 

 

[Let me add that everyone should watch this

 for a more immediate view of the domestic terrorists, and their actions and words.  Folks who don't trust the TV source should at least watch and listen to the terrorists themselves.]

 

 

 

 

A Moment

The last day of the year, after returning home from morning pickleball that had started in subfreezing weather, the old man goes out back, where the dog signifies that her ears need scratching. Bare feet on the cool concrete patio, body pleasantly fatigued, he sits in the sun and obliges. “Old man gets to pet old dog,” he says to her, then corrects himself: “That’s right, you’re probably not as old as I, but we both sure like chasing a ball around.” He does the math. A friend of his wife’s adopted the dog, years ago, age unknown, then when the friend fell ill in 2019, the dog came to live with them. If the dog is 8 or 9, that’s...

For countless months of meditation, countless monks have contemplated the koan, “Does a dog have Buddha nature?” He doesn’t ask. Those who know, do not speak, and those who claim to know are clueless. She looks at him with those huge, soft brown eyes that speak so clearly he sometimes imagines she might suddenly shed her dogness and explain everything.

The dog knows what she needs to know. She has people who love her, food when she’s hungry, and daily opportunities to run around getting the news through her nose. A soft bed and the occasional squeaky toy to chase and chew, and life’s complete.

The old man considers Whitman’s line about turning and living awhile with the animals, “they are so placid and self-contain’d; not one kneels to another, or to others of his kind that lived thousands of years ago.” Possibly Whitman didn’t hang with dogs much. While kneeling would be physically challenging, they do concede their secondary status to the pack leader. Still, dogs do not cheat on contracts, or elect fraudulent leaders.

“How’s my favorite dog ever?” he hears himself ask. He falls silent, recalling Nick, the black mongrel he raised from a puppy, whose home for his first three months was a big green school bus that moved a few hundred miles every few days. If he’d been a witch, Nick would have been his familiar, they were so close for so long. “I wish you could have known Nick,” he tells her.

Love and Trust

She is really his wife’s dog. He and the dog both figure his wife hung the moon, and everyone else aspires to second-place. But he has hands for throwing a ball, massaging her neck, and scratching those ears.

He would wish her Happy New Year, but for her there is no year, new or old. No seconds, minutes, hours. Only the now. She has mastered Dogen’s wisdom, that each moment is everything. Later they will walk in the graveyard, listening to the ravens.

Birds, puffed up against the cold, flutter around the feeders his wife keeps full. Cold weather and the trees’ bare limbs seem to inspire in them an especially desperate hunger. Basking in morning sun, the gargoyle he bought in a secondhand shop in Oakland and Georjeanna Feltha’s marvelous sculpture, Sheba, watch silently.

He recalls from his youth two dogs playing on a fourth-story roof in Manhattan. Sebastian fell to the street. Alfie looked down at the body, then upward. (Watching Seb’s spirit rise?)

Tomorrow morning, 1 January, the old man will rise before the sun, write, then play ball. Afterward, in the garden, he will pet the dog and speak nonsense to her.

                                                           - 30 -

 [The above column appeared this morning, Sunday, 3 January 2021, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on on the newspaper's website and on KRWG's website. A related radio commentary will air during the week on KRWG (90.7) and KTAL-LP. (101.5 – http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), and will be available on demand on KRWG’s site. The dog has refused to read it.]

[ Sheba is the creation of local artist Georjeanna Feltha. ]

 [all images © PeterGoodman]

 

Sheba