Amnesty questions need answers

To the editor:

When amnesty was granted to 3 million illegal immigrants in 1986, the borders were supposed to be secured to prevent the situation we have today. The government is now trying to figure out how to give amnesty to millions more illegal immigrants.

So I’ve got some questions: Who made the decision to not secure the borders? Was it some committee? Was it a person? Why do we have this many immigrants here now?

And what benefit will the citizens of the United States gain by giving away more amnesty?

NICHOLAS P. GARTNER

HENDERSON

Dishonor to medicine

To the editor:

Regarding the article on Dr. Dipak Desai and how he rushed procedures, I can testify to that first-hand (“Consultant at Desai trial: More clinic patients, better sales price,” May 21 Review-Journal). I had an endoscopy procedure done in 2004. When they were preparing me, and before they put me under, they tried to put on the plastic cover that goes over your mouth before putting me under. I told them it was too tight and that I was getting claustrophobic (on top of the fact that I was very nervous to begin with).

The nurse agreed to take it off until the procedure began. Dr. Desai came in and saw that I didn’t have it on, and without waiting for the anesthesia to take, he quickly placed it around my mouth with such force and annoyance that he busted my lip.

He then began the endoscopy, and I began to gag since I was not asleep but was groggy enough to be immobile. I wanted to tell him to stop, but couldn’t. It was a horrifying experience. Dr. Desai stopped and said, “She’s not ready.” He later returned to finish the procedure.

When Dr. Desai gave me the results of the endoscopy, I complained to him about my busted lip, which was still clearly swollen and sore. He approached me, looked at it closely and said, “That’s a vitamin deficiency,” and never apologized for what he had done.

I am grateful I was not one of the patients infected with hepatitis, and my heart goes out to the victims every time I read about their fates. Thank you for keeping us informed and following this case so closely. Dr. Desai is a dishonor to his profession and should be locked up for his wrongdoing. Keep up the good work.

YVONNE COOPER

NORTH LAS VEGAS

UNLV basketball

To the editor:

Watching the disintegration of our once highly touted UNLV men’s basketball team should be a wake-up call. We’re not doing it right. This dream of another national championship is nuts. If the conditions of today existed back in the Rebels’ championship season of 1989-90, UNLV would’ve never won a title. Our entire team would have been Lakers and Celtics and Pistons, leaving school early to join the NBA.

In 1990, there were plenty of college juniors and seniors playing basketball. Now, in order to compete for national titles, colleges need to have scholarship money to buy the best players for just one year, then replace those players after they move on to the NBA. This works if you’re Duke, UCLA, North Carolina or Kentucky, but where will UNLV get the dough to compete?

UNLV should join the West Coast Conference and discard the delusions of grandeur. In the WCC, road trips to Southern California would be great for fans. We had great college basketball before our championship season, and we’ll have great basketball again, even if we don’t win another national title.

JERRY SPEER

LAS VEGAS