Letters to the Editor
Reader: We are all entitled to equal dignity and safety
Muslim Americans are our neighbors, coworkers and fellow citizens. They are entitled to the same full place in our national community as every other American.
Yet Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) has said that Islam “does not comport with modern Western thought” and that, when practiced as written, it is “a violent religion.”
That rhetoric isn’t limited to one person or one incident. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) wrote on X that “Every single Muslim holding public office in America is a trojan horse and a threat to national security and the republic.” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) also posted that “Muslims don’t belong in American society.” And Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) went even further, writing: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
Notably, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he spoke with the members about their “tone and message,” but he declined to publicly condemn their statements.
These remarks do more than criticize particular ideas or policies. They portray an entire religious community — including families, students and public servants — as inherently suspect and outside the national “we.” That is precisely the danger Holocaust survivor Herbert C. Kelman warned against in his essay, “Dignity and Dehumanization.”
Kelman wrote: “The central lesson that I have learned from the Holocaust is that we must never allow any people, any human group, to be excluded from our moral community.” For Kelman, a moral community is one in which people recognize obligations to one another.
Public officials should reject language that casts millions of Americans as threats because of their faith and instead affirm the equal dignity and safety of Muslim Americans.
Terry Hansen
So, do you think we will be able to fix Humpty Dumpty?
Why you say? Well, my analogy is our town of Pahrump. I have heard many times that we are known and called the “Dump over the Hump”. So I relate to Humpty Dumpty.
We know this town has been abused and misused by our local government. They have left us broke and yet still want to spend. Unfortunately, what do we have to show for the millions of dollars spent? Many of us have tried to figure this out.
If any of you have attended our BOCC hearings, you have probably gone away shaking your head wondering if our board has ever balanced a checkbook. Our town is falling apart at the seams. Never enough money to really fix or make improvements we need desperately.
But this board finds other projects they want to spend the little bit of funds we have for other pet projects. All with the hopes they can find another grant.
Then we have 500-plus acres in a flood zone to build a fairgrounds with OHV tracks and Motor X , ball fields, arena, and trails. Hidden is the pandemic community center with shelter and soup kitchen.
Now remember this land was given to Pahrump many years ago from the BLM but was never developed ( lack of funds). Same problem we have today. But the board continues to push for build-out starting with wells and water lines, hoping for another grant to show up. Don’t hold your breath.
So now we get to the current push, data centers, roundabouts and thousands of new homes, more solar fields and toxic medical waste. So guess what, still no fixing of basic needs of this community. Maybe we don’t need fixing, are we expecting too much?
We all are hoping change with our pending election will makes things better.
Our votes are so important for this town’s survival, vote wisely, not just for the shiny talking ones. I truly believe we have a long way to go.
Can we fix our beloved Pahrump? I sure pray this is possible. Then maybe we can fix poor old Humpty Dumpty — he has been waiting too long also.
Linda Clark
