Let’s take a look at other side of John Ensign

To the editor:

Mark James' bootlicking letter about Sen. John Ensign in Saturday's Review-Journal was interesting. Sen. Ensign might have been a good senator, and he might have done some good things for Nevada, but let's look at the other side of the coin. He is also a liar, an adulterer, a hypocrite of the highest order and, perhaps, a lawbreaker.

Mr. James has every right to feel however he likes, but John Ensign is not the person I want representing me.

TOM HICKS

LAS VEGAS

Borderline bigotry

To the editor:

After reading Walter E. Gunther's Saturday letter to the editor ("Spread of Islam"), I must challenge his assertions.

According to the most recent CIA Factsheet, there are more than 1.6 billion people of the Muslim faith worldwide. That number constitutes the second largest religious population worldwide, with most living outside the Middle East (Asia: 62 percent; Middle East: 20 percent). Does Mr. Gunther believe they are all committed to a violent conversion of non-believers? Does he also believe that to be true for the 1.8 million Muslims living in the United States?

While it is true that some who practice Islam are intolerant and others have perverted the religion to support a radical political agenda, painting with such a broad brush is also intolerant, bordering on bigotry.

It wasn't that long ago that the world experienced the horror created by similar hatred and bigotry, making pariahs and scapegoats of millions, leading to their extermination in what was called the "Final Solution" to the Jewish "problem."

It may be comforting for some to point fingers at an entire population for the actions of a relative few, but it will solve nothing and may incite others to commit violence in return.

Yes, Mr. Gunther, let's straighten our backbones and speak out against violence and bigotry wherever it exists.

JOEL RECTOR

NORTH LAS VEGAS