Letters to the Editor

Cover story, March 27: “Trigger Warning”

DO THE MATH

Assuming 150 days of instruction per year—a March 2024 law requires students now get 180 days of instruction—from 1971-2023 had 7,800 school days; 25 incidents in 7,800 days is 0.000032% of school days with gun violence incidents.

Knowing how many students were schooled in those 52 years (or even from 2018-2023, when nine casualties were created across 16 NM schools) would definitively show that 23 casualties (12 deaths and 11 wounded) in 52 years is such a paltry, minute fraction of a percentage of the decades-long total of students. We might then find that the focus on “gun violence” is a total distraction from the actual problems plaguing youths in a society with a rising population, rising wealth gap and multiple technologically-induced existential crises (for nature, society and individuals).

We might also consider if males’ natural, aggressive impulses need some traditional outlets returned, and we might even brave the question of whether regimented classroom instruction obstructs and conflicts with the natural impulses of adolescent humans, and whose interests are served by the schooling process.

Jorge Clúni

Santa Fe

The Fork, March 28: “Scones Akimbo!”

SCONES FTW

I don’t know about the Scottish part of your scones recipe, but the akimbo part of it has me puzzled. Unless you intend to stand back, hands on hips, and let someone else do all the work. About the Scottish part of it, Scots are known to eat a lot of oats, or so I understand. I’ve even made oatcake which I must confess I didn’t love. There might have been a way to make it palatable, but once was enough. I have Scotland in my bloodline and I was hoping to find something familiar to resonate with, but no. Scones, on the other hand, are wonderful. When I ate wheat and other foods that had gluten, I made scones frequently and always drowned them in butter.

What an informative newsletter! It had everything! Thanks especially for the tip on Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen. It’s right across the street from me and has been too expensive for decades.

Cheryl Bartlett

Santa Fe