Letters to the Editor

A post-primary look at a Nye County issue

Now that the primary is over, can we look at the issues and not the politics?

With the new budget starting in July, our amazing commissioners are at it again. They have hired a big money lawyer at $1000 to negotiate with only one group of employees and it looks like he is stalling the talks in order to get paid more money and stick it to the county. Nice job on that one, BOCC!!

Why was this guy hired when the other groups of county and town employees were able to just sit down and negotiate their contracts?

Why do we as voters keep putting and or re-electing people that make absurd and ridiculous choices like this?

I’d be quite interested to hear any type of dialogue from the BOCC that could justify an expenditure like this since they are always over-spending the budget.

Alec Nelson

Can the Constitution be tweaked?

First, as a disclosure, I consider myself a Conservative with strong Libertarian leanings. Meaning that we all should be individually responsible for ourselves, and for monitoring our own government.

Second disclosure, I have two close family members who have chosen an ‘alternate’ lifestyle and love them beyond explanation. So I am not a homophobe, nor do I condone actions against any ethnic group. But I do this, also, without supporting that which I believe could be harmful.

The tragedy which recently occurred in Florida was horrific. It once again shocked those of us who cherish human live, all human life. But the tragedy continues in the words of the politicians with their knee-jerk reaction on the issue of the Second Amendment.

The Progressive Left (Dems), have openly spoken of the fact that they believe that the Constitution can be ‘tweaked’ or ‘regulated’ as they see fit. After all, the First Amendment will not allow one to yell FIRE in a crowded theatre (this to prevent injury = justifiability). BUT what does one do if there is a fire? Scream CHOCOLATE? (Thanks, Smothers Brothers).

They have equated saving lives in automobile accidents by the enforcement of seat belt laws, to the limiting of magazine capacities in semi-automatic weapons. If they wish to dismiss their own hypocrisy, why not ban automobiles or at least limit the size of the engines, or the speeds at which they operate. This would be closer to what they wish to do to people’s right to ‘keep and bear arms.’

What I really wish to point out, and have people think about, on both sides of the political spectrum is this:

If the politicians in power, either right or left, believe they have the power and the authority to limit any of the ‘…unalienable rights…’ bestowed on us by our CREATOR, what makes any one of us feel safe? What limits would such a government hold themselves to? I believe none!

What makes anyone think that the protections of the Fourth Amendment, or the Ninth, or the 10th or the 19th would not suffer change from ‘…thoughtful politicians…?

These amendments encompass many safeguards we enjoy, and they could all be lost for lack of due diligence by ‘…we the people….’

We have held ‘…these truths to be self-evident…’ for so long we have forgotten the reasons these documents were written, namely to tell the totalitarian government they fled that they would stand together, in principle, to defend each other and the rights they spoke of …yes, with the Second Amendment telling them how.

If, and when, our government becomes so totalitarian in its own right to so nefariously change, alter, or regulate our Constitution and its amendments, who will stand against them? YOU?

Remember when you take away the rights of others, you take away rights for us all.

Ken Searles