LETTERS: Are you ready for the Runnin’ Pansies?

The national TV networks are to be congratulated for their nonstop, around-the-clock coverage of the lowering of the Confederate flag in South Carolina ("South Carolina takes down offending flag," July 11 Review-Journal). It was especially impressive that each network was able to announce "€œexclusive breaking news"€ reports at approximately 15-minute intervals for nearly a week. A major New York newspaper declared news of this event to be the second-most important in recent U.S. history, trailing only Bruce Jenner's recent transformation.

Now that the rebel flag is down, our local chapter of the Congregation of the Committed Politically Correct has identified a second very important rebel issue to be addressed. That issue is the name "Rebels," currently being used to identify UNLV athletic teams. The CCPC has scheduled a meeting with the Board of Regents, where our members will demand that UNLV's athletic teams change their name to the "€œPansies."€ We are recommending that uniforms be of pink organza, embroidered with yellow and purple flowers. We also will require that the obnoxious and clearly racist mascot be replaced with an overweight man wearing a pink tutu, purple ballet slippers and a yellow Queen Elizabeth-style hat.

Finally, those revealing, sexist costumes the cheerleaders are forced to wear must go. We recommend they be replaced with loose fitting Hillary Clinton pantsuits, which are all the fashion rage in Washington, D.C., these days. We hope that all of the Rebels, er, Pansies fans will join us in the effort to remove this half-century stain on the reputation of our fine university.

David Stevenson

Henderson

Confederate flag

The Confederate flag was first raised over the South Carolina State House by Gov. Fritz Hollings (a Democrat) in 1962. It has now been lowered from its pole amid much fanfare and political posturing. Among those overtly praising this removal is ex-President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, in keeping with her campaign strategy of avoiding anything controversial, has been supportive of the issue, tweeting and nodding her head in approval.

Perhaps the Clintons should make a joint statement cementing their deep core condemnation of the Confederate flag and the hateful emotions it generates. Might I suggest they use as a backdrop the current Arkansas state flag, for which in 1987, then-Democratic Gov. Bill Clinton signed a bill affirming that one of the flag's blue stars was in honor of the Confederate States of America.

I guess racial empathy wasn't a big part of the Clintons' DNA back then.

J.J. Schrader

Henderson

Trump speaks his mind

Everybody is going crazy because Donald Trump stated that Sen. John McCain was not a war hero. I’€™m a retired veteran with 26 years of service to my country, but I'm not going crazy.

In my view, Sen. McCain is a prisoner-of-war hero, a fact that should be celebrated and respected. But his service does not rise to the level of Audie Murphy or Alvin York, warrior war heroes.

When I look at Sen. McCain's record as a senator, I am extremely disappointed. Why isn'€™t he a champion for concurrent pay and pay restoration for disabled military retirees? I think too often people have given him a pass because he was a POW. I believe he should be held to a higher standard and taken to task as to why, in all his time in the Senate, disabled military retirees are still the only class of people not compensated for their service-connected disabilities.

Mr. Trump, for all his faults, has my vote because at least he speaks his mind, and I am like-minded.

Doug Farmer

Las Vegas