Letters to the Editor

Individual rights eroding without notice by some

Recent lessons via the Covid-19 pandemic showed how gigantic corporations thrive while the little guys get choked, destroyed, or are able to barely hang on. Big guys like Amazon and others have had record incomes in this trying time where “we’re all in this together”. This was possible through the government’s designation of “essential businesses”, leaving all the “non-essential” ones to fend for themselves, either with outright forced closings or heavy restrictions. Doing this while sending printed money to the masses to appease them (leading to even more income for the essential ones).

This reminds me of the 2008 financial collapse when a Republican president said; “I’ve abandoned the free-market principles to save the free-market system”. Did he really or did he just show the politically astute how easy it is to fool the public and violate our Constitution?

I’m not questioning motives but I am pointing out facts that those who believe in strong central planning, whether with good intentions or other motivations, have discovered maybe the Constitution isn’t as big of an obstacle as once thought.

I once read a business book that said, “Every living thing does not stay stagnant for long, it either expands and grows or shrinks and eventually dies.” The author considered all human organizations living organisms, businesses, governments, clubs, and so forth.

It does not take a genius to see the things that have really grown and many with a symbiotic relationship. Most governments are based on ‘centralized planning’ whether well intended or other motivations, only results are important to us as individuals. Our government (even with its imperfections) was founded on the principle of decentralizing as much power as possible. This is direct opposition to centralized planning governments.

The U.S. Constitution gave the central government limited enumerated powers, for cohesive purposes, with the main one being “individual rights”, which seem to be eroding more than ever with few being aware of it. The saying “you don’t know what is lost ‘til it’s gone”, hopefully, will not materialize, but if those at the levers’ power continue to and we ourselves in great enough numbers, anesthetize ourselves with distractions, the chances of success of the central planners drastically improve. We could just be another failed experiment.

If you remember the “Arab Spring” you should remember that our administration was fully supportive of it as well as the tech platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The movement was touted as a “freedom movement against tyranny.”

Looking back, it may have been a mixed bag of results that destabilized many parts of the Middle East even today. Was this a lesson learned or something else? People in China (Hong Kong) were looking for support from the world, the USA in particular, waving U.S. flags in demonstrations, singing the “Star-Spangled Banner”, and carrying pro-freedom signs and posters.

The Cuban people more recently have done similar things. The response of this U.S. administration has been “crickets” and the technology has been actually aiding the Chinese communist government and the Cuban communist government, in shutting down these forms of communications. What’s so different now for those protesting in those countries today?

David Jaronik

Reader: Recent verbal attack on first lady unwarranted

Well, the political slander has taken place. I am the daughter of a white-supremacist-incognito. Only we know are views. We are both elderly boomers. No, I did not vote for Mr. Sisolak as Lord of Nevada. Our commissioner Cox lobbed a racial (mixed with LOTS of class envy and class resentment) accusational insult at Nevada’s first Asian-American first lady. Upon review of the evidence, reluctantly, I am forced to concede that the political barrage on our first lady was, both, unjustified and unwarranted. Apologies to Mrs. Sisolak.

Lately, I have eaten a lot of political crow. But, I wish that a becalmed Mrs. Sisolak and an equally becalmed Mrs. Cox could have sat down together at a table. That would have been the first step. Step number two would have been, with respect and honesty in their hearts, they could have aired their aggravations with each other. In my opinion, that would have been a superior teachable situation for our young.

Janice Gilmour

Trend of declining moral values is disturbing, according to local reader

Long ago I was born in the rural South and raised with old-time values – do unto others as you would have them do unto you, respect your elders, do not kill, steal, bear false witness, or cast stones in front of thy brethren. We never locked our doors, why would we? Public safety was a given.

As a child I remember being told about the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby and how an entire nation was horrified that anyone would do such a thing.

My, how times have changed! Today, people are being shot or beaten on a daily basis on the streets of our cities in broad daylight and our citizenry seems either indifferent or helpless in the face of such wanton cruelty.

Historical perspective provides a clear trend. My country is in moral decline.

Tom Lindsey

Too close for comfort to California says reader

More than 50 years ago, back when my vision was really superb, I stood on Kyle Canyon Road and looked toward Railroad Pass. I could see the vehicles traveling on U.S. 93 and 95, heading toward Boulder City. I was able to identify the vehicle - cars, trucks, pickups, pickups with travel trailers and buses, not by brand but by size. I had two things going for me - perfect vision and perfect environment. When the ‘Henderson Fog’ lifted, I had unlimited vision.

Here we are, more than 50 years later, and we have progressed with unlimited environmental restrictions, laws, conditions, and this day the visibility is about two, maybe three miles.

Then you ask, “What could cause all of that smoke?” Answer, “It is California again.” They will never learn. Yellowstone was not even a clue to them. They have played with Mother Nature so often that 60 or so years of fuel has accumulated, even in the cities (Santa Barbara, for instance), and when a fire gets started, it becomes practically impossible to extinguish. All of those bits of information came out of the Yellowstone, when we almost lost Yellowstone Park completely. “What does California do”, you query. The response, “Why the same thing they have done so many years.”

I have heard that anyone, or any group of folks that do the same thing over and over, expecting different results, have a problem. California is sending their smoke to Nevada. Has everyone forgotten the battle cry, “Nevada is not a dump!”, and, “Not in my backyard!” Yet we have smoke so heavy in Amargosa Valley, my breathing became so labored, short of breath and coughing so hard, that for a moment I was not sure I would stop coughing, or continue breathing. Californians are such hypocrites. They portray themselves as the saviors of the nation, when in fact they create environmental catastrophes of monumental proportions. They are so suave and urbane that we should consider ourselves fortunate that they allow us to breathe the same smoke that they create.

The time has long since passed for our governor to file civil and criminal complaints against the state of California. Who can forget that California created a law that forbade the flow of cigarette smoke across property lines? Will Sisolak ‘step up to the plate’ and defend Nevada and Nevadans against the damage (health hazard) caused by California?

I find it quite difficult to have much sympathy for someone or group that continues to do the same dumb thing and get the same disastrous results, year after year. Then go before our nation and beg for support (money) from the rest of the nation that practices proper forest protection. The arrogance and contempt demonstrated toward Nevada/Nevadans is intolerable, but California will send ever more pollutants our way.

Wayne Brotherton Sr.

Reader gets annoyed with writer of recent PVT letter

I keep saying that I am going to quit writing these letters and then a person like Jim Ferrell, a self-proclaimed Democrat that talks like a socialist writes a piece of crap about gun control.

He states that Joe Biden, notice I did not say president, is trying to keep guns out of the hands of teenagers in Chicago. I would like for him to tell me when and where Biden stated this. To start with, Biden can’t even complete sentences without stumbling and bungling any statement. People such as Mr. Ferrell helped elect this idiot. We all agree that guns should only be in the hands of competent people. I will remind you and the rest of your socialist/communist people that our forefathers wrote the Second Amendment in the Constitution for a reason. It is to stop idiots like the ones in charge now from doing what they are trying to do.

Mr. Ferrell then starts in on Fox News. Please check your facts and you will find they are the most watched and listened to according to all the polls taken and that is a fact. Calling people names as he does can’t justify his inadequacies or the grasp of the English language. Fox does not stir up hate of the left, they leave it to people like you and then they just report on what people say. If you can’t stand the heat then stay out of the kitchen and keep your mouths shut.

Oh, by the way, if you like Canada so much, move there and take the rest of your commie buddies with you.

Trump was truly a breath of fresh air that was needed after Obama and the country boomed, a fact you can’t dispute even with all of your lies. If you think Trump is a criminal then by all means you should go down to the courthouse and file charges. Make sure you take all your proof with you for they will want it to corroborate your charges.

I am one of the dying breeds of a Democrat, the JFK Democrats. Thank you readers for listening and supporting me. God bless everyone and God bless America!

Stacy L. Riney

Resident upset about delays due to ‘address change’

Thanks to the bureaucratic genius who changed all the addresses on Mount Charleston Drive (and other streets?).

I ordered an item for my wife using the “new” address, which was on a Fed Ex truck from Henderson for delivery today (Saturday).

Instead of being delivered, it generated a “Delivery exception incorrect address - street number” and was sent back to Logan, UT for further processing and hopeful delivery next Wednesday.

A completely avoidable four-day delay caused entirely by said bureaucratic genius who is apparently ignorant of the concept of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Who knows how long it will take for this mess to evolve into some semblance of normal?

David Garcia