iSoy de BURQUE!

I am from Albuquerque. A Burqueño. Burquean. iSoy de Burque! I remember trying to write my address in school as a kid. I'd leave out q's and add q's and r's and soon I'd hail from Albuquerqueque or Albuque or something along those lines. For a while I realized addressing an envelope with "ABQ" was suitable enough for the post office. Now I am old/stubborn enough to appreciate the quirks of my hometown and I love to tell people where I'm from, all syllables intact. Yes, it rhymes with turkey. I'm not eating meat anymore, or I'd hit up Schlotzsky's for the Albuquerque Turkey. Bugs Bunny did indeed take a wrong turn at Albuquerque. The Duke of AlbuRquerque wandered in 300 years ago and we're still here, minus one "r". We're known for our Balloon Fiesta, our green chile, and our "Mañana" attitude. (Meaning "tomorrow." Why do today what you can do tomorrow? Let's have a margarita and make tortillas). As all locals do, we shorten it sometimes...ABQ works in writing. "Burque" is the preferred slang when you have to say it out loud, though. You've gotta use that gutteral "u" and roll that "r", too! Everyone with me now..."booourrrrr-kay." Or something like that. I'm still a white girl. Apparently, Mayor Chavez (or Mayor Marty, affectionately), wants to re-brand the town as..."the Q." Excuse me? What's the slogan for THAT? "Get in line for The Q"? (Get it? Line...queue...Q? Bah dum ching). This is not going to fly. Not for me and not for the fine folks over at iSoy de Burque! They've set up a website...and a revolution. I bought myself a fine t-shirt to show my pride, and to protect a certain way of life. You can't just re-nickname a city. That's ludicrous. And folks across this fine nation aren't going to all of the sudden say, "Hey...you know, now that it has a one letter nickname, I suddenly want to go to The Q." Next thing you know we'll be Q-Town or some such nonsense. A city as weirdly named as Albuquerque should be embraced, not mass marketed for easy commercialization. Burque is a term of affection, given by generations of locals who know the place. I'm not knocking Mayor Marty's love of the place, but something that looks nice on a letterhead is not my standard for cultural revolution. iViva Burque! -- and buy a shirt.