Loss of Olympic wrestling a blow to competition
To the editor:
In response to your Wednesday story, “Wrestling cut from Olympics”:
As the father of a middle school wrestler, I was saddened to read of the decision by the International Olympic Committee’s executive board to remove wrestling from the Olympics.
Wrestling is an ancient sport that was immortalized by the original Olympians thousands of years ago. It’s unique in that it requires only human intellect, strength and skill without machines. It represents the epitome of civilized, human, one-on-one competition. It’s also a sport that impoverished and underrepresented youth can easily participate in, as opposed to newer Olympic entries such as golf or snowboarding, which require costly facilities and equipment.
I hope the Olympic committee reconsiders its decision. The Olympics will never be the same otherwise.
MICHAEL PRAVICA
HENDERSON
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For love of music
To the editor
What a wonderful article by Jason Bracelin in Sunday’s Review-Journal about saxophone player Herb Hardesty (“Lifetime of jazz”).
It brought back memories of my wife’s Uncle Boots Mussulli, also a sax man who played with Stan Kenton’s band in the 1940s. When Boots came back to his hometown of Milford, Mass., he became a music teacher and formed his own band. He turned his music into progressive jazz and made me into a real jazz lover. He and my father-in-law opened a lounge called The Crystal Room in my hometown, where they brought in the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, singer Sarah Vaughan, Stan Kenton and others.
Mr. Hardesty, if every adult on this planet had a love of good music like you, what a wonderful world this would be. I am proud of people like you who try to bring the joy of music to our very hearts and souls. Thank you.
Let’s melt down our guns and turn them into musical instruments.
JOHN TOMINSKY
LAS VEGAS
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No mistake
To the editor:
Recently, a friend told me we made a mistake in re-electing President Barack Obama, saying we should “just look at what he’s done to us and our country in four years.” So I did. I found the following differences today versus four years ago:
My home is worth about 20 percent more today. The stock market has climbed steadily and consistently from a near depression to record highs. Unemployment has decreased steadily from more than 14 percent to less than 8 percent today. Several large auto companies and other major corporations that were on the verge of bankruptcy have paid back large government loans with interest and are now self-sufficient and profitable, saving thousands of jobs.
Our reputation throughout the world has improved dramatically. Our military is returning from Middle Eastern wars, saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars in deficit spending. Our deficit problem has been faced, and progress has begun to control it. Many other huge problems inherited from previous years have begun to be corrected. Osama bin Laden is gone.
If my friend is right about our country’s “mistake” it amazes me to think how much better off we could have been if only President Obama had been defeated.
FRANK MUSARACA
HENDERSON
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Animal cruelty
To the editor:
I along with many people want to thank Wayne Pacelle (Feb. 6 letter) and the Humane Society of the United States for its investigations, integrity, compassion and never-give-up attitude in the war to help abused and neglected animals all over the world. It seems to me that having 11 million members and colleagues speaks volumes about who people believe in. The Humane Society must be doing something right.
Stephen Payne of Feld Entertainment (Sunday letter) uses a smokescreen to try to overcome the fact that elephants and other animals in circuses are mistreated. That is the issue, and with the hundreds of videos, eyewitness statements and federal inspection reports, more and more people are seeing what life is really like under the big top and behind the curtain.
Chaining elephants for most of the day and keeping other wild animals in cages just big enough for them to turn around in is no longer overlooked. People now realize those conditions are cruel. Those small cages are the animals’ homes. Who could ever find that acceptable, except the people who make money off these shows. Cruelty never could stand the spotlight.
LINDA FASO
LAS VEGAS
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No amnesty
To the editor:
Immigration is an important issue to me because my parents were immigrants (legal). Congress is considering an immigration reform plan that is much-needed, but I have written to my congressional representatives to protest the proposed legislation.
The bill being sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., provides “probationary status” for illegal immigrants immediately once it becomes law. That is really amnesty, because illegal immigrants would then have legal status.
We tried amnesty in 1986 with a law that was intended to cure our immigration problems and secure our borders. Neither intended actions happened. Instead we got a flood of illegal folks. We should not repeat such a disaster.
To cure our illegal immigration problems, we need to first secure our borders. Our southern border is the real problem. Let’s build a good fence and then monitor it. Border enforcement will be expensive in the short term, but cheaper in the long run than providing medical care, schooling and other benefits for many millions of illegals.
I hope our Congress will amend the bill to secure our borders first before permitting “probationary status.” No more amnesty.
RICHARD N. FULTON
HENDERSON
