Don’t mischaracterize candidates, ‘contract’
To the editor:
Benjamin Spillman's Friday article, "Long line of Republicans make their pitches to challenge Reid," shows an anti-conservative bias and a condescending attitude toward the GOP senatorial candidates who appeared in a Thursday forum in Boulder City.
Almost all of the candidates are belittled in some way. I read news articles to get the facts, not opinions.
Though I didn't attend the forum, I know that at least one of the "facts" reported was misleading, if not inaccurate. To wit: "(Assemblywoman Sharron) Angle contrasted her positions with those of the 'Contract with America,' a 1994 platform House Republicans devised that referenced God and, among other things, had multiple planks devoted to so-called morality issues in addition to fiscal conservatism."
The 1994 Republican Contract with America contains one reference to God within a quote from Abraham Lincoln. It never uses the word "morality." (Is welfare reform a "morality issue?") The main thrust of the document was to reform Congress and to bring about fiscal responsibility, a goal that should be applauded.
The patronizing attitude in this article is not what I expect from the news pages of the Review-Journal.
Ellen Shaw
LAS VEGAS
Mixed up
To the editor:
Sen. John Ensign said the health care bill costs too much, $850 billion over 10 years.
The cost of war in Iraq has exceeded $700 billion, and that's in eight years.
Where are his priorities?
J.B. Hall
LAS VEGAS
Nutty time
To the editor:
After reading the letter to the editor contributions written by Peter Ediger, Byron Watkins and Elizabeth Cook and published in the Thursday Review-Journal, it is clear the Christmas season has begun. The fruitcakes have arrived.
Dwight Sauter
LAS VEGAS
Not my god
To the editor:
In response to Ron Moers' Friday letter to the editor, "What do we value"?
Does he believe that anyone with any one of the thousand different beliefs should be able to express his prayers and adoration to his own imaginary gods at any governmental function? Man was not created by god, god was created by man. If anyone has any scientific evidence to the contrary, please produce it. It will never happen -- as with any belief in the imaginary, it can not possibly be proved. Now don't go quoting the Bible, as it was written by man.
The ACLU protects the rights and free speech of the people, as envisioned in our Constitution. Perhaps Mr. Moers would like to quell all free speech except his own. I would suggest he move to a theocratic country where only supernatural views can be expressed.
There is not one mention of God, Jesus or the Ten Commandments in our Constitution, and this was not an oversight. This is what made our secular country the greatest in the world. We must keep all supernatural beliefs out of our government and public schools, as our government is for everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike. It's a shame that we must pass around notes that state "In God We Trust" and that everyone is intimidated into saying "Under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance. These laws and practices should be repelled.
Perhaps Mr. Moers is not aware that the Supreme Court outlawed student-initiated prayers at high school football games in 2000. The plaintiffs were a Roman Catholic and Mormon family who had children who were being harassed by the born-again majority in the public schools.
Keep forever separate: church and state.
Frederick H. Spoerl
LAS VEGAS
Free speech?
To the editor:
In response to Ron Moers' Friday letter to the editor, "What do we value?":
I can only wonder if Mr. Moers would be writing this letter of support if Ms. McComb's speech was about how worshipping witchcraft made it possible for her to succeed in her studies.
How about if Ms. McComb wanted to tell the fellow graduates and guests that she was able to become valedictorian because having an abortion in 10th grade allowed her to still have the time to work on her studies.
The lower courts ruled that the school district official acted appropriately. My guess is they would have done the same thing if Ms. McComb tried either of the above-mentioned speeches, and that Mr. Moers' argument for free speech would never be heard.
J.D. Fraser
PAHRUMP
Good man
To the editor:
There should be an automatic death penalty for anyone who murders a military veteran who has given his time and sacrificed his family life for our country ("Police again mourn comrade," Friday Review-Journal).
It is deeply disturbing that Las Vegas police officer Trevor Nettleton lost his life in a senseless murder because some young, stupid men took advantage of "an opportunity." He was a good and decent man, and the world leaves behind the scum that killed him.
GAyle Parker
LAS VEGAS
Very scared
To the editor:
In a Friday letter to the editor, Ed Dornlas asks what liberals are afraid of regarding Sarah Palin. He then proceeds to answer his question by saying that conservatives are fed up with not having choices.
Yet no one works harder to eliminate dissenting voices or ideas than conservatives when they are in office.
Mr. Dornlas suggests Ms. Palin is a politician who will work to reverse the tide of ever-increasing debt, yet her track record offers little to suggest she would be different. In fact, everything about her suggests the opposite, that she is truly a person for sale and mainly interested in increasing her own wealth and power.
I don't claim to speak for all liberals, but what I am afraid of is more politicians who are so ruthless that they will use any excuse to divide and conquer the American people. One thing I am certain of is that actions specifically aimed at exploiting differences between us rather than finding solutions will only advance the deterioration of American society -- and yes, Mr. Dornlas, that scares me.
Frank Beaty
LAS VEGAS
