Be Fierce: NM Dem Campaign Slogan Resonates

Something marvelous happened to me in New Mexico yesterday. Not to mention uncanny.

Back in April 2021 while living in Nevada, my blog post honored Earth Day, noting that the celebration marks the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970, and how I just might be more cautiously hopeful for the planet than I’d ever been. The reason for that was a woman from New Mexico named Deb Haaland.

Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe, made history when she was appointed President Biden’s Interior Secretary. The first Native American to ever serve in that capacity. In my opinion, she also made history by being the best ever head of the Department of Interior, at least in my lifetime. Because it’s a role that put her in charge of important things like overseeing American Indian affairs; our national parks; our land management, including forests; our fish and wildlife; mine reclamation; mineral and ocean resource management, and so much more.

In that 2021 blog post, I said it was about time we had someone like Deb Haaland heading up Interior, and I was over the moon about it, especially as a former environmental lawyer for the Department of Defense—where it could often be a tad difficult to educate and advise uniformed clients on natural and cultural resources protection, especially as a female civilian.

Four years and a few months later, I drove three miles on rural roads to the local Knights of Columbus gathering hall to see Deb Haaland, who is running for governor of New Mexico. And yes, of course she is a Democrat. And a fierce one at that.  She’s on a road tour of the state as part of her campaign with the fabulous slogan Be Fierce. Haaland announced her run back in March while I was in the process of buying my New Mexico home, and I’ve been supporting her campaign ever since.

So…how thrilled was I when two women from the Otero County Democratic Party showed up at my house earlier this week—hot damn and thank goodness I’d already registered to vote so they knew where to find me—to invite me to the meet and greet. Because, while the Land of Enchantment may be proudly blue, I reside in an unfortunately red enclave (home of the notoriously noxious group known as Cowboys for—a degenerate whose name rhymes with orange lump).

The turnout was uplifting, given we Dems are decidedly underdogs in this little corner of southwestern NM, but we are nonetheless fierce and marvelously diverse. Deb Haaland was down to Earth, compassionate and passionate about New Mexico, and took the time to listen and engage. She spoke of her experience as Interior Secretary, wherein she thanked the lawyers who helped make her work possible. Lordy, I was practically on my feet howling like a joyful coyote. But I kept my cool, considering I was seated only about six feet from where she stood.

Haaland also talked about her time in the US House of Representatives representing New Mexico, discussing her steadfast and stalwart bipartisanship that enabled bills to actually be signed into law in 2018—during the orange lump’s first foray as president. Imagine that. A public official who actually gets things done, for the nation, for New Mexico, and for the betterment of humanity.

After she spoke, I stood in line to meet this fierce woman who advocates for protecting our natural and sacred spaces, including nearby White Sands National Park. I’d worn my turquoise-studded copper earrings depicting ancient indigenous rock art called petroglyphs—gifted to me in Nevada by a late friend who was also passionate about petroglyphs and feisty about democracy—and Deb Haaland noticed them! I thanked her for her work as Secretary of the Interior, and she welcomed me to New Mexico.

I am most definitely over the moon now. But there was an added bonus to the day, and the experience. I have now met more than three likeminded women living in my community, but one connection in particular turned out to be downright uncanny. What were the odds that I would move to La Luz, New Mexico, only to encounter a woman who also graduated from my Arlington, Virginia, high school, but in 1960? And she, too, writes novels—travel mysteries. We’re meeting for lunch on Friday at the BBQ place next to my house. Because we have a lot of years and a plethora of topics to delve into.

In the  meantime, I’ve already contributed “gas money” for Deb Haaland’s ongoing road trip across New Mexico, and now I plan to jump back online for some other special purchases. At the meet and greet, there were blue campaign posters that said Be Fierce. It turns out Deb Haaland also has Be Fierce Green Chile Salsa for sale. There’s salsa, t-shirts, and…a coffee mug! You just know I’m getting one of those, and will likely have Rowan Layne of my Other Worldly novels get one too…that is, once she also arrives in New Mexico.

I’m already here, oh happy day, so I think that might just happen in my work in progress, Alien Origins. Along with Deb Haaland becoming my governor in real life. Sounds like a fiercely feisty plan to me.