LETTERS: House Republicans guilty of nihilism

To the editor:

The Republicans in the House of Representatives remind me of the nihilists of Russia before the revolution.

Nihilism is the doctrine that economic and political institutions must be destroyed through acts of terrorism. By forcing the government shutdown, House Republicans are committing an act of terrorism against the American people.

The Russian nihilists created an organization called the People’s Will. Like House Republicans, the People’s Will rejected persuasion and compromise. Like the House Republicans, who assumed the authority to speak for all people, the People’s Will did likewise.

Hard-working Americans struggling to survive want no part of the slash-and-burn nihilism of the House Republicans.

The government shutdown will accomplish nothing other than to create misery for many Americans. House Republicans are just throwing an expensive tantrum, as Shakespeare wrote, “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

NADIA ROMEO

LAS VEGAS

Buck stops here

To the editor:

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, lived by the motto, “The buck stops here.” He was referring to the fact that, as president, he was responsible for solving the national political problems of the day. I agree.

Surely the highly educated President Barack Obama has heard that quote many times. However, it does not seem to have sunk in. According to our president, the Republicans are at fault for closing down our government. Mr. Obama fought long and hard for the job of president, yet when a problem comes along, he forgets where the buck stops and puts the blame on someone or something else, or stonewalls about phony scandals.

This is leadership? Courage? Accountability? Harry S. Truman would not approve.

GEORGE COGHLAN

LAS VEGAS

Homeowner rights?

To the editor:

I recently received two robocalls from state Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, promoting his homeowners bill of rights. As Sen. Jones steers the state government into another area of our lives, purportedly to help citizens via his bill of rights, it is ironic that he is the same one who pushed a bill during this year’s legislative session that would have stripped homeowners — in fact all state citizens — of the right to protect themselves from home invasion. Sen. Jones would prefer to leave that homeowner defenseless, pending government red-tape background checks on firearms transactions.

This is the typical mind-set of a government bureaucrat who believes — much like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, upon whose model this bill was connected — one thing and does another. His homeowners bill of rights is canceled out by his attempted destruction of the Second Amendment right to protect oneself in one’s home.

Sen. Jones’ margin of victory in the 2012 election was 301 votes, hardly a mandate for any of his ideas, and it would do the state well to recall him from his office before he can attempt to enact any more Bloomberg-style nanny-state laws.

Who knows what his homeowners bill of rights do now that it’s law?

JUSTIN SARAGOZA

LAS VEGAS