Letters to the Editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Reader says negative talk of medical marijuana is bunk

This is in response to a letter from Frank C. Gardner in the June 3 edition about the marijuana industry and all the lives it is ruining. I have one word for that: bunk!!

It has helped way more people that it has hurt. It is a naturally grown plant that is harvested with minimal processing. It has helped people with cancer as well as many, many people with chronic pain.

If he wants to ban a naturally grown substance, then why doesn’t he try to get cigarettes and alcohol banned? They kill way more people than marijuana ever will. Alcohol causes so many needless deaths, but I don’t see it banned.

Everything in moderation!! Except cigarettes!! Cigarettes should be banned for everyone. They cause cancer, COPD, heart disease, etc. I know. My husband has heart problems and COPD from smoking. It took a heart attack to make him quit.

I just want everyone to know - everyone has a right to their opinion, but they don’t need to push it off on everyone else!!

Gloria L. Adkins

It just takes a few bad ones to make a difference

So does Ms. Stevens believe there is no, or very little, chance of “monkey business” with massive mail-in ballots? Must be due to her belief in how efficient government and bureaucracies are.

Take today’s world, with the restrictions due to the pandemic, almost all assisted living places have extremely limited or no outside family or friend contact, and that means that these people are reliant on those who work there essentially for all their needs and decisions.

Most of these employees are very dedicated, honest hard-working people, but just like we have recently seen in the George Floyd incident, a few can make a difference. And it does happen. I know firsthand where a mother and her two daughters worked at one such place and were found to be stealing from residents there for years—just change motives, and it would be a simple matter to change many votes very easily.

Just to clear-up your automatic assumptions, I get some, but very little news from your “Satan” substitute FOX News. I do enjoy going to CNN and MSNBC occasionally, too.

David Jaronik

It’s finally opening, but what about churches?

I can only bear a limited amount of news about the number of people infected with coronavirus all over the world before I turn off the TV. Then I go outside where we have sunshine and clear, beautiful skies. I need to see these things in person, not through a window. This gives me balance in my life.

I have lived a long, full life. Right now I miss my family in other parts of the country. Yes, I can facetime with them. I also miss my church and my church family. I would never go to church if I had a fever. I would never jeopardize any church member. I would stay home as I have been doing.

When are we going to open up the churches? If we can go to Walmart, Home Depot, and Albertsons and be safe, why not churches? Shoppers can come and go; church members should be able to do so too. Surely going to a limited church service is safer for me than going to an over-crowded Walmart. God is there.

Right now, I can safely go to beauty shops and have my hair and nails done. We need more places to safely gather in small groups together.

Pahrump is an unusual place where 70% of us are retired. We spend money, and we want to spend money locally. Now we need to make plans to open up places safely. We need to learn to enjoy the day, our summer and our sunshine, and the long daylight hours. I am staying in the moment. Come and join me.

Betty Cotner