The Horse Hospital

Week 2 : The Great Power Issue by Roger K. Burton

Special Report from New Mexico © Roger K. Burton

Headline on the local TV station 'Smoking in Albuquerque to be Banned‚' okay nothing new there, California did it a couple of years ago and everyone succumbed. Signs are already in place outside stores and offices around the city stating 'No Smoking within 15 feet of Entrance‚ Hello!'

Anyway the TV channel hosts a huge debate about the subject, but at the end of the day it looks like it‚s going to become law. Ironically the next item up is 'Bush relaxes laws on Industrial Toxic Emissions‚' a government spokesman comments, "The American way of life will not be compromised! And right now the nation is in an energy crisis, and needs more Power!"

To hell with conserving fuel and resources like the rest of the world. Needless to say there is no debate about this, it will become a reality. Outrage, shock, horror, from the Right On‚ New Mexicans? Oh no, not even a mention. The reason I got on to this subject is that while a small percentage of Save the Earth types are chugging about in their imported Japanese Rice Burners‚ conserving, the vast majority of Yanks still favour gas guzzling V8 Power! And small wonder, the freeways were built for it, a million miles of smooth wide racetrack just begging to be used and abused.