LETTERS: Article misportrays officer-involved shooting

In response to the article on the officer-involved shooting on New Year's Eve ("Missteps detailed in shooting," Tuesday Review-Journal), I would like to see future articles such as this subtitled, "Convicted criminal killed for not following instructions from police," rather than the R-J's subtitle, "Unarmed fugitive holding phone killed." The article suggests an unarmed man, Keith Childress, was killed by police mistakes, when in fact, if Childress had followed orders from police, he would still be alive.

It is high time that the media quit making police the fall guys for enforcing the law and protecting the public from people such as Childress, and instead applaud officers for doing their jobs. I say give these officers a medal.

Robert Burton

Las Vegas

Too many candidates

With so many presidential candidates and so little time to ask important questions, we will never find out who they really are until after they have been elected. I would like to see a list of, say, 50 relevant questions submitted to each candidate, to be filled out in detail to see how they would respond to each item. The candidates coud be questioned on their viewpoints and later held accountable.

We've seen the slanted questioning of biased moderators in the debates. In future debates, let each candidate have one minute for opening and closing statements, and allow each candidate to ask one question of another candidate.

We could then decide which candidate to support, based on who has the least negatives.

Dennis Lundberg

Las Vegas

Veterans plates

Every time I pay extra for my veteran license plates, I wonder why I'm not paying less. Is the answer that it costs more to make these plates? As a U.S. Marine, I put my life on the line every day. What price do you put on that?

Roy Williams

Las Vegas

UNLV mascot

Contrary to anything UNLV officials say, the UNLV mascot is a Johnny Reb if there ever were one. The hat and the mustache are circa 1860s Civil War confederacy.

Even the "Rebels" nickname supports this, because the only other rebels of any significance in our history were the soldiers of the American Revolution.

Nadia Romeo

Las Vegas

Naming rights

Regarding the article on naming the mountain near Boulder City ("Las Vegas boy hopes his name for a nearby mountain sticks," Nov. 30 Review-Journal), so now we're going to have 5-year-olds naming our land, which was stolen from Native Americans? What's the next mountain going to be named? My Little Pony Macaroni? My Little Pinkies' Peak? La La Lollipop Summit?

Someone should first ask Native American tribes what they would name the mountain. Can we grow up, America?

V.L. Deist

Pahrump

Four license plates

With regard to hit-and-run accidents, the police keep telling us not to get involved, and just to be good witnesses. Get the license plate number, color, make and model of the vehicle, and how many doors it has. But color is hard to tell under streetlights, and people who don't study or work with cars usually can't identify the make and model. And the rear license plate can only be read if you're immediately behind the vehicle and have good eyesight.

The solution would be to amend the Nevada Revised Statutes to require four license plates on all vehicles — one on each side of the vehicle. The numbers and letters should be larger than they are presently, and the plate should be reflective so that it can be more visible at night.

All the video cameras and witnesses to a hit and run that are along the sidewalks will be able to get the plate number as the criminal drives by if there are side license plates. As it is now, only the car immediately behind the criminal is in a position to get the plate number.

If the police want us to be better witnesses, then they will help us get this tool. Just because no other states require four license plates is no reason for Nevada not to try it.

Sherry Hammons

Las Vegas

Poignant quote

The Alamanac in the Dec. 11 Review-Journal included the following quote: "It's an universal law — intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, where truly profound education breeds humility." — Alexandr Solzhenitsyn.

Rather than on the inside back page of the A section, this quote should have been on the front page. Our society, with so many shoootings, racial/ethnic/hate crimes and bullying, could really benefit from a bit more education. Free education. The price we are paying not to do this is astronomical.

Cheryl Milne

Las Vegas