Letters to the editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Statute of limitations expire, but it doesn’t in court of public opinion

Many refer to online services, especially Google, as a reliable source to “fact check” things, and for most mundane things it may be fine, but maybe questionable at best in some areas.

Case in point, many but not all have heard of the sexual accusations against the top contender for the U.S. presidential office. A few outlets have been reporting it, but many of the well-known outlets give the accusations a collective “yawn”. Comparatively, over a year ago the Judge Kavanaugh hearings were lead stories almost everywhere. Powerful individuals and groups investigated and made horrific accusations stemming from an accusation by a teenager by another teenager.

After all this, the conclusion amounted to a “he said, she said” with barely any, even flimsy circumstantial evidence.

Realizing in both cases the legal statute of limitations has expired, but the statute of “public opinion” never does, there may be at least reasons for questions in the most recent accusation.

That is it seems the accuser did tell family and friends about the incident, claims she filed a formal complaint (which as of now can’t be located) but was transferred out of the then U.S. senator’s office quickly.

Recently, two curious reporters, Ryan Grim and Rick McHugh, started digging into the accusations. They uncovered on Google an episode from August 11, 1993, of the “Larry King Live” show, on it a caller who claimed to be the mother of a woman who worked for a powerful U.S. senator was looking for guidance for options for her daughter at the time.

Although no names were given the city and state of the caller were and it matched the accuser’s mother’s residency at the time.

The curious part is that episode is no longer there, which was a Wednesday, August 10th and 12th are easily found though. Omission can sometimes be a greater sin than deception, which should raise at least questions from fair-minded people.

I used to think the foundational principle and most especially fact-checkers was, questioning with boldness.

P.S. Just saw a complete clip of the August 11th, 1993 “Larry King Live” show and they do give the caller’s name, it’s Jeanette Altimus, deceased mother of Tara Reade.

David Jaronik

Special thank you to health care workers for providing peace of mind

I want to send a special thank you to all the doctors, nurses, ambulance attendants, and other hospital workers. Wow! You are the ones who keep us going during this time of the virus. You are on the front lines to deal with this disease. Thanks in particular to those who are testing, answering emergency calls, and staffing ICU units.

Pahrump is a rural community. Seventy percent of us are retired. I also want to commend all the dentists, eye doctors, labs, rehab, chiropractors and other medical personnel in the valley.

Some of you are working overtime now; others only part time, and others deal only with emergencies. Some are waiting for the lockdown to be over and have donated your extra personal protection equipment to others. Thank you for being here for us.

Word cannot convey how blessed I feel to live here. You give me peace of mind.

Betty Cotner