Government has been the source of much good

To the editor:

I witnessed Steve Wynn's Fox News appearance on Sunday morning ("'Government has never created a job,'" Wednesday editorial). It was a bit of an eye-opener. Mr. Wynn said, "Government has never increased the standard of living of one human being in civilization's history." Interesting.

I guess he thought it was Lykes Bros. and Carnegie Steel that freed African-Americans from slavery in 1865. Or maybe he believes that the Hearst Corp. and J.P. Morgan stopped the murderous genocide and land theft by U.S. citizens against American Indians. Or that child labor was stopped by Armour Meats and the Pittsburgh Coal Co. (the Darr Mine) in 1938.

Mr. Wynn said, "Government has never created a job." Hmmm.

Does he believe that the soldiers and Marines who stormed Normandy and Iwo Jima were workers for Ford Motor Co. and Colt Firearms? Or that the pilots in the Stealth bombers during Desert Storm were employed by Boeing and Halliburton? Or that SLBM submariners are employees of General Dynamics and General Electric?

Private enterprise, when not involved in buying our whorish politicians, is the greatest creator of employment and freedom. But, unfortunately, it seems to be run by people who know nothing of the past and have no use for the middle and lower classes except to fill up their bank accounts with overpriced necessities and fight new wars that they start for profit rather then send their own progeny.

Joseph Hammond

LAS VEGAS

Vote buying

To the editor:

Wow, $250 from President Obama for us seniors ("Obama proposes $250 for seniors," Thursday)? When I heard this I got so excited that I had to go change my Depends!

Let's see ... $8 billion for the ACORN types, $4,300 Cash-For-Clunkers credits, $2 billion to Brazil for a political payoff to George Soros, $1 trillion for a health care bill, and ....

Of course, anyone knows these $250 checks will add to the national debt, but since when have these out-of-control-spenders cared about the national debt? Especially when it comes to buying votes?

WARREN WILLIS SR.

LAS VEGAS

War zone

To the editor:

After reading Wednesday's Associated Press article, "Dad says Marine's death shows errors in Afghanistan strategy," on the front page of the Review-Journal, I became very angry.

It is time to get rid of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Adm. Michael Mullen and put in people with brass somewhere other than on their hat and shoulders. They appear to be more concerned about the media flak they may take if a few Afghan citizens are killed than they are about setting a true strategic defense for our forces.

Our leadership has caused our troops to become fearful of being prosecuted if in war they may injure someone that may or may not be ready to kill them.

The generals claim that over time the Afghan civilian population will become our ally and turn against the Taliban. They are in no way fit to command if they believe that rhetoric.

"Trickle down" does not work in the monetary system and it sure as hell will not work in war.

I was in the Korean War and witnessed stupid leadership disasters. Look at the history of the Vietnam fiasco. It appears we are starting to see the same old protect-your-own-butt, foolish leadership. If we are in a war to win and civilians are protecting or supplying the enemy, then they are fair game.

It appears generals love large commands and war and will sacrifice our troops for their place in history. Put these generals in place of the actual fighting man and let us see how the strategy works for them.

Or bring the troops home and then see what happens.

Don Ellis

HENDERSON

No connection

To the editor:

In his Wednesday letter to the editor, George Appleton asked a good question: "Why would anyone in Nevada want to trade (Harry Reid) the most powerful voice this state has ever had in Congress?" And he made a good observation with the comment that "senators are supposed to act in the best interests of the country."

What Mr. Appleton doesn't seem to understand is that there are times these two statements have no connection. And some people feel this is one of those times.

What good is having a "powerful voice" if it is not working "in the best interests of the country"? Some people are not concerned with "bringing home the goodies." They are more concerned with the direction the country seems to heading. And they may not feel the current "powerful voice" is acting "in the best interests of the United States.

Ron Garrett

LAS VEGAS

Arrest the haters

To the editor:

I am appalled by the right-wing hate I hear on national TV and other media. It is surprising to me that responsible, ethical journalists have permitted colleagues with a clear agenda of right-wing hate to continue without censuring those colleagues.

Last November the majority of voters spoke, and their message was clear. We want a sharp change from the eight years of a besmirched America. We want someone worthy of the Novel Peace Prize. Remember the message of the majority.

We must censure and punish irresponsible, dishonest, hate-mongering news entertainers and hold them to account. Some of those should be under FBI arrest for insurrection, especially under the so-called Patriot Act.

Remember the voice of the majority.

Hal Dalrymple

LAS VEGAS

Gay rights

To the editor:

In response to the report on the front page of the Wednesday Review-Journal, "Anti-Mormon backlash seen after marriage vote":

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community is not denying the LDS church its religious freedom. We are only holding them accountable to it. Leaders from that church spent money to promote the Proposition 8 issue in California to get it passed. Therefore, they are forcing their religious beliefs on the entire California population. It's not that the LGBT community wants the right to get married in the LDS church. It's to get married, period.

There is so much good the LDS church and other religious organizations can, have and could do that the investment of this cash to defeat gay marriage in California was ill-spent and based on ego and not religious freedom. The LGBT community does not get the tax breaks religious organizations get in this country, yet religions can dictate and promote their beliefs and let the rest of the non-believers be second-class citizens.

LDS churches were vandalized by people who were upset that their marriage rights were taken away by people who had no sympathy or empathy for the people who would be affected by Proposition 8. How about being forgiving to these upset people instead of complaining about it?

I must note that no religious organizations were concerned about the sanctity of the traditional marriage until the LGBT community wanted that right. Straight people were getting married and divorced at a drop of a hat and no one cared.

I can't get married -- and these straight people can.

Thomas Gladue

LAS VEGAS