Editor:

Discussion about the clearly political decision by the Trump Administration’s Department of Defense to headquarter the new Space Command in Huntsville, Ala., has largely focused on the qualifications of Albuquerque and several other cities, as well as the totally deceptive decision-making process, which included the bogus visit to Kirtland Air Force Base.

What I have not seen discussed are the “qualifications” of Huntsville, the only city in America that honors a major terrorist, Wernher von Braun, who was directly responsible for untold civilian deaths.

For those too young to remember: von Braun was the mastermind of Germany’s rocket program in World War II, a program which utilized slave labor and whose targets were primarily and very intentionally British civilians. Huntsville’s civic center until 1997 was named in honor of von Braun, at which point it became (according to its website) the Von Braun Center, a “multi-purpose facility … equipped to accommodate major conferences, conventions, concerts, Broadway performances, ballets, symphonies, a full range of sporting events and so much more!”

Yes, it could be coincidence but, as a betting man, my money says that the choice of Huntsville for America’s Space Command merely reflected the priorities of the previous administration.

Also, I am usually in agreement with the policies of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Nonetheless, I part ways with her support for legalizing marijuana.

I have no problem with people smoking pot. However, I have a big problem with people smoking pot and then driving.

Making it easier for stoners to get behind the wheel of a car or truck will simply exacerbate New Mexico’s already serious problems of death and destruction on our roads. However, given that the legalization of pot will likely occur, I would suggest that the law designate proceeds from taxation of marijuana to hiring more cops whose primary duty would be to enforce all our traffic laws, as well as to the judicial system to help keep those convicted of serious or multiple offenses off our roads.

Asher Zelig

Rio Rancho