BY TINA CORDOVA
Co-Founder
Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium
On behalf of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium (TBDC) I want to thank Mr. Allan Saenz and those invested in the SALA Event Center in Los Alamos for screening the film “First We Bombed New Mexico”. Many Downwinders and uranium workers attended the dinner and the first screening at SALA and we were overwhelmed by the way we were received by all involved. Mr. Saenz is a wonderful representative of the city of Los Alamos. He and his staff were so gracious and willing to assist in every way possible. Along with that we felt truly welcomed and embraced by the community members that attended. (https://losalamosreporter.com/2024/08/21/oppenheimer-festival-event-centers-around-lois-lipmans-award-winning-documentary-film-first-we-bombed-new-mexico/)
Sen. Leo Jaramillo was present and delivered some of the most inspirational words at the dinner about embracing this history. There is no doubt that the time has come for us to look at our shared history through a much more transparent lens. We’re all New Mexicans occupying the same land and sharing in all that is good and bad about our State. No history is perfect and mistakes have been made. However it does us no good to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it never happened. At the end of the day I have to believe that we all want the same thing for our children and our children’s children. We cannot live in harmony without acknowledgment of past harm. In my mind we have to hope for a better future based on shared values.
In that vein, please know that the members of the TBDC and the uranium workers that were present at the SALA in Los Alamos recently experienced a gratifying level of acceptance and graciousness from those who attended. It is time for acknowledgement. It is time that the Downwinders and uranium workers of New Mexico see justice. It is time for healing and a better future for us all.
Please take the time to see “First We Bombed New Mexico”. It will be time and money well spent because there is plenty to learn if you attend with an open heart and mind. We are hopeful that after seeing the film, more of you from LANL and Los Alamos will see the human value of joining us in this fight for justice.
Editor’s note: To receive the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium newsletter, email habeaumont@aol.com or check out http://www.trinitydownwinders.com. To assist TBDC, send checks to TBDC c/o Tina Cordova, 7518 2nd Street NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107.