I’m Young, Ambitious, and Want to Stay in New Mexico
A recent opinion piece in the Albuquerque Journal sought to convince young people that New Mexico is a place not worthy of their ambitions and dreams. As one of those young people, I was deeply disturbed and angered by the letter’s flippant attitude towards the state I love. New Mexico is unrivaled in the nation in its natural beauty, cultural diversity, and spiritual sense of belonging and pride. It is also a state that faces a range of challenges from under-performing school systems to crime rates so high they truly make no sense. The economic potential of the state is at the same time evident, yet seemingly unattainable. The relative isolationism of the state’s history and present gives the state a sense of home and comfort, but also disconcerts some who look with envy on the growth of places like Denver, Dallas, or Phoenix. These gives and takes certainly create a dilemma for many people in my age cohort, I’m 24, but also of people in all age groups and socio-economic strata. S...