Letters to the Editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

A lesson about not backing the wrong person

I’m sorry Mr. Dennis Crooks is unable to grasp the concept of how ‘majority rule’ without embedded restraints can quickly decline to ‘mob rule’ where the absurd becomes commonplace.

Think fairly about the adults on the “Bill of Rights” that have accelerated today, even large corporations are surrendering their autonomy on bended knee to mob movements like Antifa and BLM for fear of reprisal.

There has been a multitude of individuals who have lost their livelihoods for saying the ‘wrong’ thing or backing the ‘wrong’ person, which the First Amendment supposedly protects.

In the 2016 presidential election, I wrote a personal letter to Brian Greenspun, who inherited the Las Vegas Sun newspaper and took it pretty close to the far left politician spectrum.

I challenged one of his strong beliefs that the far ‘right’ was a much greater problem in this country while the far ‘left’ was almost non-existent. He called to discuss this and other things, which is the best civil way to solve disagreements.

Although I didn’t support or vote for either Hillary or Trump in 2016, I challenged Mr. Greenspun to bet based on each other’s personal honor, for him to put an openly displayed “Trump for President” bumper sticker on his vehicle, while I put a “Hillary for President” bumper sticker on my vehicle, drove them normally for two months prior to the election, after which time the vehicle that endured the most damage and vandalism would make a $1,000 donation to the other person’s favorite charity. Guess who wouldn’t take the bet?

People’s brains are constantly looking for clear, simple answers to questions and problems, but when it comes to people and governments that is rarely possible (unless you consider totalitarian governments where the masses are miserable and the leadership does well) but governments based on freedoms, particularly freedoms for minorities and individuals are messy with continued challenges, which hopefully will be argued civilly and honestly in the arena of ‘ideas’.

David Jaronik

Officials’ records should determine our voting choices

How sure are you of our officials?

Has anyone seen the “government waste watch” flyer? The one that rates our government officials for their vote on taxpayer interests and smaller federal and local government?

It appears the state of Nevada has some very anti-taxpayer representatives.

First, both of our senators have hostile ratings. Second, three out of four House of Representatives members have the same ratings.

Remember, this isn’t a political rating of party members, but of rates by them for the good of their constituents who voted for them.

It’s good to see how our representatives we send to Congress to make our government less interested in our lives, yet keep us safe in our homes and living locations.

I will definitely keep our reps votes and rating in my voting choices come November 3rd. We all need to express our feelings by being well informed of our officials’ decisions.

Henry Hurlbut