Letters to the Editor

Cover, June 5: “home(less)”

Clarifying

There are a couple of statements in Will Costello's article that need to be clarified. For starters, Multiple Personality Disorder is no longer a recognized diagnosis in the DSM-V, but is now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Additionally, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is definitely not "sometimes known as multiple personality disorder." These are two very different mental health diagnoses and the treatment approaches are also quite different. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment specifically designed for the treatment of BPD, allowing clients to learn skills which will allow them to move through life in a more effective and emotionally regulated manner.

Jill-Marie Tiedemann, LPCC
DBT-LBC Certified Clinician
On behalf of Santa Fe DBT, LLC

Cover, June 12: “Threading the Needle”

Separation Of …

I always start these letters by stating, "I am a native New Mexican born and reared in Hobbs," so people will not think I am someone who does not understand the special and unique culture of New Mexico. Your recent front page article on the problem of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children and using the religious exemption loophole in New Mexico law to accomplish this can be solved quite easily.

Simply pass an amendment to the New Mexico Constitution stating: New Mexico shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. If you recognize the language it is because it is the first amendment to the US Constitution.

The amendment promises not only freedom of religion but freedom from religious dogma affecting the lives of citizens who choose not to engage in religious practice. In other words, your religious rights end where my freedom begins. Children have the right to be protected from disease and those who choose not to vaccinate expose not only their children but others to life threatening disease. Therefore, the right of free religious expression is trumped by the children's right not to be exposed to, and perhaps die, from preventable childhood illness.

I respect all New Mexicans' right to exercise their religion freely. I do not, however, believe they have the right to make laws based on religious dogma which affect my personal choice not to engage in religious practice. Keep your religion out of my life and off of my body.

Georgellen Burnett
Santa Fe

Correction

Emily Arasim and Kathy Sanchez' names were misspelled in "Kinder Garden" (News, June 19). SFR regrets the error.