Don’t be a ‘useful idiot’ in terror war

I read the Monday letter from Michael Ollins in which he claimed that the terms “radical Islam” and “radical Islamic terrorists” are offensive. He then asks if Christians would be offended by the term “Christian terrorists.” For the benefit of his argument, let’s call them”white Christian terrorists with European surnames.”

Would I be offended as a white Christian with a European surname? Hell no. Why? Because I am not a terrorist so that term in no way describes me.

For those who are so sensitive that they see offense in an accurate description, I have a couple of things to say. Get a life. Get a backbone. Quit being a professional victim. If the perp is a blond, 6-foot male Scandinavian with a limp, that’s who you look for.

As Lenin, Stalin and Saul Alinsky have said on numerous occasions, when you believe the garbage instead of the truth you have become a “useful idiot.” Do you fit that description?

Gordon Soeder

Las Vegas

Armed society

Kudos, kudos, kudos to Nicholas Gartner (Saturday letter, “Time to get serious in fight against terrorists”). He very concisely said what needed to be said.

I would like to add that an armed society is a polite society. The Senate and Congress had their chance. They chose being politically correct over the safety of our citizens and our nation’s security in the face of radical Islamic terrorists. So it’s up to we the people to provide our own protection.

If protecting ourselves requires the use of assault weapons, so be it.

Kathleen M. Stone

Pahrump

Profitable care

Some hospitals are attempting to have their emergency rooms designated for Level III trauma, the lowest trauma care designation, thereby sending very profitable patients to their hospitals while leaving our core trauma system with only care that is expensive to provide. This threatens the stability of our exceptional care without creating any new capacity.

The corporations behind Centennial Hills, Mountain View and Southern Hills hospitals are using scare tactics to the detriment of the community.

Level III trauma centers treat patients who are alert and oriented with stable vital signs — not the severely injured. In other words, people now going to the emergency room. Severely injured patients are sent to the University Medical Center Level I trauma center, which must be protected to assure comprehensive and high quality trauma care is always available in our community.

In the case of life threatening trauma — serious car crashes, gun shots and serious falls — patients are not treated at a Level III trauma center like those proposed. They will go to the Level I or II trauma center needed to save lives. These high skill trauma centers are expensive to operate. The way to “save lives” is to make sure Level I trauma care remains available in Las Vegas rather than sending trauma cases all over town.

I urge the Southern Nevada Health District Board of Health to vote down the pending trauma center applications and to instead support a needs assessment to identify any need and location of new trauma centers.

Stacie Sasso

Las Vegas

The writer is acting executive director of the Health Services Coalition.