America more free than in past

To the editor:

Lately, I’m seeing more and more letters to the editor regarding the perception that Americans are losing their freedoms, and I have seen the word “tyranny” used more than once. People who think we are living under tyranny today need to study the laws of yesterday.

I’ve spent a substantial portion of my 64 years studying American history, mainly the westward migration and frontier towns. When towns such as Dodge City, Tombstone and Deadwood were incorporated, some of the first laws put on the books were gun laws. Upon entering town, you had to drop your guns off with the local law enforcement official. The guns were returned when you left.

A while back, I was driving on U.S. Highway 95, and I saw a man riding a motorcycle wearing a bathing suit, and he had a rifle slung across his shoulder. If this guy rode his horse into Dodge City, Tombstone or Deadwood wearing that ensemble, he would’ve been thrown in jail and his gun would’ve been confiscated. Today, my husband could put on a red, white and blue bikini, walk down Las Vegas Boulevard with two Smith & Wesson .50-caliber pistols strapped to his hips, and it would be perfectly legal. Nevada is an open-carry state.

Prior to the 1967 Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, people were prosecuted for engaging in miscegenation — the marriage or cohabitation of two people of different races. Today, consenting adults can marry or co-habitate with whomever they choose, regardless of skin color.

Gay people have been discriminated against throughout this nation’s history, to the point where most had to hide their sexual orientation. They were beaten and in some cases killed. Today, they can marry. In many states they enjoy domestic partnership rights. They can also serve in the military and not live in fear of being found out.

Today, acts of theft are punished with a slap on the wrist and probation. It wasn’t too long ago you could be hanged for stealing a horse or a cow. Slaves were hanged for leaving their owner’s property, and their children could be sold on the auction block.

We enjoy freedoms today that would’ve been unfathomable to prior generations.

SANDRA MARY SMITH

LAS VEGAS

Supporting Onion

To the editor:

I read Sunday’s letter from Wayne P. Brotherton, who wrote that Onion the dog should be put down because “the dog killed once, and it shall kill or maim someone in the future,” and that Onion can’t be rehabilitated in order to do good deeds in the future.

Onion didn’t buy weapons, ammunition or scan the Internet to learn how to make bombs. Onion didn’t plan his attack for weeks. Animal advocates don’t place an animal’s life above a human. However, animal advocates understand that all humans are capable of making mistakes with their pets. Why is it right that Onion has been locked in a cage for more than a year? Even prisoners on death row receive supervised exposure to the outdoors.

Hasn’t there been enough death? There is a sanctuary for Onion and other dogs for a reason.

GERRIE PANTLE

LAS VEGAS

Onion not culprit

To the editor:

The handling of Onion the dog by officials in Henderson makes my blood boil. The dog should never have been put in a situation where a small toddler is with a sleeping dog in a dark room, where the child pulls his ears and crawls all over him. The immediate reaction from an animal is to defend itself, because it was scared while sleeping. The culprit is the guardian, who obviously didn’t pay attention nor understand how animals behave.

Now, after a year in a cell at the Henderson Animal Care and Control facility with no exercise, naturally, Onion might be showing some aggression, as noted in the article (“High court hears arguments over Onion,” July 4 Review-Journal). He has lived all his life with a family and gotten loving attention from the grandmother, whom Onion comforted through her illness. Yet Colleen Lynn, founder and president of Dogsbites.org, finds the dog a menace to the public and wants to give him a death sentence.

Again, this tragic situation could’ve been prevented if handled properly. Now, Onion should get a chance to redeem himself after years of being a trusting companion to a woman with medical problems.

DORIS MAIN

LAS VEGAS

ObamaCare mistakes

To the editor:

Since 2010, my health insurance premium has increased twice. The first time, the excuse was that it’s not because of my age. The second time, I was told it was because of my age.

Congress is exempt from ObamaCare. So why can’t politicians look at this from their constituents’ eyes? We are just waiting for the other shoe to drop, not knowing how much it will cost us in just a few months. Apparently, the rules are not written yet. If the insurance companies have to cover more things, they naturally will have to charge more.

Charging more will necessarily cause older people on fixed incomes to drop coverage. Which, in turn, forces the insurance companies out of business and the people onto the government exchanges. So where’s the promise of keeping our own doctor and our present insurance? We’ve been lied to too many times. We don’t even know what coverage we’ll receive from the exchanges, nor how much it’ll cost. How can we plan ahead? I’m sorry, but my budget doesn’t run like the U.S. government’s.

Since Congress listened to Rep. Nancy Pelosi and passed ObamaCare without reading it, Congress now owes us and should repeal the law.

Republicans shouldn’t make the same mistake on immigration. Stick to your principles. Secure the border first. The Democrats lie; they will never do it later. The people who are here illegally don’t deserve to be citizens. The Republicans have got to quit thinking only of their re-election and think about their principles. The votes will come.

DONNA CHILDS

HENDERSON