LETTERS: Dog owners, not cops, need training

To the editor:

After reading Ed Vogel’s article, “Police could face dog training” (Monday Review-Journal), I just shook my head in disbelief. It is one thing to be an animal lover, and it is another thing altogether when we equate our animals to humans. Sarah Rose Hecht apparently falls into the class of those who believe animal welfare supersedes human life.

Ms. Hecht refers to her dog as “my son” and thinks “dog psychology” classes should be given to police officers. Even more unbelievable, she actually got one of our politicians, state Sen. David Parks, a Las Vegas Democrat, to buy into her convoluted point of view.

So let’s have a reality check here. I remember a case not so long ago in which a woman called an ape her “son.” That animal eventually tore her neighbor’s face off. I remember another case, right here in Henderson, where a beloved family pet killed a child. The dog’s name was Onion.

Now, Sen. Parks and Ms. Hecht want to waste even more of the taxpayer’s money to give cops dog training. Give cops training for what? I think the police already possess the common sense on what to do if a dog attacks a child. I have a better idea. Let’s make it mandatory that all dog owners take a training course on the responsibilities of dog ownership. The course might include classes about keeping your dog on a leash in public and not allowing a vicious pet to run at large.

There are no bad pets. Just bad owners.

RON MOERS

HENDERSON

Legalizing marijuana

To the editor:

Regarding Glenn Cook’s Nov. 24 column (“Medical marijuana going to pot?”), not only should medical marijuana be made available to Nevada patients in need, but adult recreational use should be legal too. The days when politicians can get away with confusing the drug war’s tremendous collateral damage with a comparatively harmless plant are coming to an end. If the goal of marijuana prohibition is to subsidize violent drug cartels, prohibition is a grand success.

The drug war distorts supply-and-demand dynamics so that big money grows on little trees. If the goal is to deter use, marijuana prohibition is a catastrophic failure. The United States has double the rate of marijuana use of the Netherlands, where marijuana is legal. The criminalization of Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis has no basis in science. The war on marijuana consumers is a failed cultural inquisition, not an evidence-based public health campaign.

This country can no longer afford to subsidize the prejudices of culture warriors. It’s time to stop the pointless arrests and instead tax legal marijuana.

ROBERT SHARPE

ARLINGTON, VA.

The author is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy.

Union picketers

To the editor:

On a recent visit to the Strip, I passed the north entrance of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. There were union picketers carrying signs and chanting while blocking the doors, as they attempted to keep tourists from entering the hotel.

Meanwhile, Metro police officers looked on with their fingers up their noses. These union people were clearly violating the law and trampling on the rights of the hotel. I saw several union members step directly in front of tourists to block the doorways. These union people should be arrested, and the local justices should send a message to the union with a $5,000 fine per person, and double for the second offense.

Oh, I forgot, the unions helps elect the judges and city councilors, don’t they?

PAUL WHITELEY

LAS VEGAS

Adelson on online gaming

To the editor:

Sheldon Adelson opposes online gaming, in his words, “primarily to protect the children.” The leaders in the gaming industry state that Mr. Adelson’s stance rests on the fact that online gaming is not in his best financial interests. I’ll leave it to the pundits to argue motive. As far as I’m concerned, doing the right thing is still doing the right thing, even if the alleged motive is self-serving.

LEN KREISLER

LAS VEGAS