Columns

By Jesus Lopez

Even New Mexico’s name was offensive to Washington, and during the long quest for statehood, several attempts were made to change her age-old identity.

As early as 1869, a Congressional bill proposing statehood required that New Mexico’s name be changed to Lincoln. In 1888, New Mexico’s admission was proposed in Congress under the name Montezuma. Even these attempts at statehood having failed, a name change was never actually required —  until 1906.

“What are you doing watching that program, Art?”

“It’s strictly for educational purposes, my dear.”

That was the exchange earlier this week when my wife asked me to turn down the volume of my “educational” program, Entertainment Tonight. Not highbrow enough? Well, let me explain:

Purely for education and edification, I left the TV on after the evening news, enjoying a passive education and nodding occasionally, between my own nodding off.

Like a whirlwind, he arrived in Las Vegas in the fall of 1902. Ten days later he departed New Mexico, confident that its people were not fit to be part of the American nation.

When he returned to Washington, he declared imperiously that statehood should be denied indefinitely, “until the mass of the people of New Mexico shall in their daily life have become identical in language and customs with the American people — when the immigration of English-speaking people does its modifying work with the Mexican element.”

Hidden within our municipal races this year is the stark reality that two of the most progressive council members in recent times are about to step aside. And while both of them were touted at one time or another as outstanding candidates for mayor, in the final analysis neither of them sought that position.

I’m talking about Diane Moore, who was elected to the council in 2006 and Andrew Feldman, who won his seat in 2008. They were usually allies on the political battlefield, but they often had very different approaches to the issues facing Las Vegas.