A woman’s case for carrying on campus

To the editor:

I wholeheartedly support Assemblywoman Michele Fiore’s bill to allow anyone with a concealed firearms permit to carry their weapon on campus (Feb. 19 Review-Journal). A woman was once asked why she carried a gun. Her response was, “Because I can’t carry a policeman.”

Let’s face it, UNLV isn’t in the best part of town. I have attended evening classes and requested permission to carry my concealed weapon, citing my age and an orthopedic disability. My request was denied, but I was told to keep my weapon in the car and don’t tell anyone. No thank you. I would have been breaking the law.

Some folks have the impression we strap on our weapons and look for trouble, but we avoid trouble at all costs. The last thing I want to do is shoot someone. However, I never want my last words to be, “I wish I had my gun.”

LINDA MUMFORD

LAS VEGAS

Pimped out

To the editor:

In response to last week’s Strip shooting, which killed Kenneth Cherry Jr.:

I wonder what Kenneth Cherry Sr.’s response was to the column written by John L. Smith in Sunday’s Review-Journal (“Don’t cry for ‘Kenny Clutch,” an affliction waiting to happen”). Knowing nothing about his son’s music or anything about him, I started to believe his story (“Father of slain aspiring rapper says he was a good kid”). Although I found it highly irresponsible for a 27-year-old man to have three children under the age of 2.

Clearly, it doesn’t take much to figure this out: multiple women pregnant at the same time. Is no one teaching these young men any values these days? His father was in his life and didn’t bother to teach his son any morals, how to be a stand-up guy?

I was sickened to read in Mr. Smith’s column how Kenny Cherry Jr. treated the mother of one of his children, pimping her out, having another woman pregnant at the same time. But you have to wonder: It seems that Las Vegas police know about these pimps, and yet they can’t put them away. Do these pimps pay taxes? I’m curious to see what he told the IRS what he did for a living. Aspiring rapper?

As long as parents keep saying, “My child is good and wouldn’t hurt a fly,” this violence against women is going to continue. There are too many men running around with huge egos who have to show their bravado by hiding behind a gun.

LAURIE BRENNER

LAS VEGAS

Columnist has guts

To the editor:

John L. Smith is to be applauded for calling last week’s Strip pimp gun battle exactly what it was.

As Mr. Smith pointed out, court records show Kenny Cherry Jr. had no job but was living a very expensive lifestyle as a pimp. “Aspiring rapper” indeed. Cherry was a pimp, plain and simple, and only John L. Smith has the guts to print the truth.

The real victims of this shooting were in the cab Cherry crashed into.

CAROLYN BOYLE

LAS VEGAS

Go take a walk

To the editor:

In a Saturday article, Clark County Manager Don Burnette recommends the removal of all newsracks on the Strip. Mr. Burnette explained that the newsracks obstructs the flow of pedestrians.

Las Vegas police volunteers observed that the main problem on the Strip is not the newsracks, but the peddlers: peddlers selling sunglasses, bottled waters, CDs, T-shirts, arts and crafts. Magicians, jugglers, palm readers and the homeless. These peddlers have tables blocking the bridges or walkways. Bottled water peddlers have coolers or carts also blocking the bridges or sidewalks.

Somebody should tell Mr. Burnette to walk on the Strip.

ART RAZ

LAS VEGAS

Garbage

To the editor:

The change in trash and recycling pickups is a ridiculous idea that may result in even less recycling. The plan to move to weekly trash and recycling pickups, ending twice-weekly trash pickup, needed an accompanying issue that HOAs cannot restrict having trash and recycling containers outside.

I have fully recycled for more than 20 years, and the current method was more than adequate. I don’t have room to store another large can inside. Thus, rather than face HOA fines, I will refuse the recycle can and use the one, mixing trash and recyclables. I’m sure that others will do the same.

Large cans are more difficult for wheelchair-bound individuals to use.

Trash company Republic Services has an ultra-long contract to provide a service that it now wants to weasel out of and violate to increase profits. Because they will providing less service to me, they should be required to reduce my fees.

Any monies collected in excess of this lower rate should be considered as an unjust tax levied on individuals by the county to enrich a private business. This is clearly the result of Republic Services greasing the palms of public officials. Eliminate this or amend it with the restrictions noted.

TX VOGLER

LAS VEGAS

Minimum wage

To the editor:

No finer example of President Obama’s plan to continue growing the economy: raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour.

Minimum-wage employers include fast-food operators such as McDonald’s, thrift stores and Wal-Mart. Of course, it is well-known that these economy operations have a very small profit margin and always increase the prices of their products to recover the costs of higher wages.

I am glad that no poor or middle-class people shop at these types of stores, as they would suffer the higher prices to fund this benevolent program.

JOHN TOBIN

LAS VEGAS