LETTERS: Judge makes mockery of public oath

To the editor:

You have to be kidding. A judge, Steven Jones, helps crooks steal money from people, millions of dollars, then pleads guilty, but he still gets his public pension (“Public will pay for judge’s crimes,” Sunday Review-Journal). The mob might be gone, but the crooks are still here, and worse now, because they take oaths to serve the people while doing far from that.

This is a nice way to show our kids that crime doesn’t pay, but it does. When will all this stupidity stop? The average person doesn’t have a chance anymore. Is it only me who sees this? It seems the ones who take an oath to serve and protect — police officers, judges, politicians — prove the most corrupt. Is there no common sense anymore?

JOHN WALSH

LAS VEGAS

Housing assistance

To the editor:

The Nevada Housing Division recently announced it is starting a grant program for home buyers (“Housing Division opens program,” Sept. 27 Review-Journal). To qualify, the loan must be under $400,000, your credit score higher than 640 and income not greater than $95,500. If you meet the criteria, you can get a grant for up to 4 percent of the loan, or $16,000.

We as a society continue to march toward a welfare state in which more and more hands reach out to grab money from other taxpayers. The median family income in this country is in the $50,000 range. This might sound mean-spirited, but if you make $95,000, you should have the money to pay the down payment and closing costs to purchase a home, rather than drink from the taxpayer trough.

We are giving welfare checks to people making almost twice the median income. This is just wrong. The U.S. national debt is more than $17.5 trillion, and each year, we pay more than $400 billion to service the debt. This nation is moving toward bankruptcy. As the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, socialism is great, until you run out of other people’s money.

MICHAEL O. KREPS

LAS VEGAS

Background checks

To the editor:

I wanted to reassure letter writer Robert Raider that his concerns about the effects of the proposed ballot initiative to extend background checks to most gun purchases are unfounded (“Background checks,” Sept. 28 Review-Journal). The initiative specifically exempts transfers and gifts to family members, and temporary transfers for hunting, shooting ranges, competition and self-defense.

So should this become law, Mr. Raider may give guns to his offspring and loan his buddy a rifle when they are at the shooting range without background checks. He can check the secretary of state’s website for the exact language.

Also, Mr. Raider is mistaken that the police department will perform background checks for private gun sales. Per the proposed statute amendment, both parties will appear at a federal firearms license holder, usually a gun dealer, who will perform the background check through the federal system. Mr. Raider is right that criminals often use stolen guns. However, if all gun owners properly and responsibly secured their firearms at all times, fewer stolen guns would be in circulation.

Teresa Crawford

HENDERSON

‘Equalizer’ review

To the editor:

In his review of “The Equalizer,” Christopher Lawrence asks if any of the fans of the original show that ran from 1985 to 1989 are still alive. That’s not only insulting, but it also shows a total lack of respect for the many people who watched it back then (“Codger Carnage,’” Sept. 26 Review-Journal).

I’m not sure if Mr. Lawrence is 18 or 19 and thinks that anyone over 45 or 50 is old, or if his question was a pathetic attempt at humor. Whatever his reasons were, I would suggest that in the future he give more thought about what point he is trying to make.

BRUCE JOHNSON

LAS VEGAS