Letters to the Editor
A new solution for protecting ‘goaded’ victims in Nye County
We often talk about personal responsibility in our community, but our current legal system ignores a dangerous reality: psychological manipulation. Currently, in Nye County, if someone is “goaded” into committing a crime by a malicious bully or a manipulative leader, we treat the person who did the act as a criminal and often let the “puppet master” walk free.
I am proposing a shift in our local justice system — the Goaded Victim Protection Act.
Under this proposal, if a person is pressured into a crime, they wouldn’t just be thrown in the Nye County Detention Center. Instead, they would receive a mandatory mental health evaluation within 72 hours. If a state psychiatrist finds their free will was compromised by another’s goading, they would be cleared of charges and labeled what they truly are: a victim.
Even more importantly, this law would transfer all liability to the “Goader.” The person pulling the strings should be the one facing jail time and paying restitution, not the person they exploited.
Our current “Coercion” laws (NRS 207.190) are too focused on physical threats. It’s time we recognize that mental pressure can be just as damaging as a weapon. I urge our local representatives and the Board of County Commissioners to look into creating a framework that protects the vulnerable and punishes the true instigators.
Sincerely,
Timothy Walter Robert Yost
It’s an easy choice when you look from that perspective
While watching politics on TV, I came to compare President Trump with Russia’s Putin.
There are many living things on this earth and most of them live in the moment. Man has an advanced thought process, live in the moment and can also plan ahead. Life is like a two-sided coin, yes or no, on or off, advance or retreat.
A smart man will use his intelligence and resources to build infrastructure and create a better life of happiness. A dumb man will create war and use his resources to destroy infrastructure, destroy life and create a future of despair.
I know which one I would choose.
Vern Jewett
