Make kids pay to feed their tech addiction

To the editor:

I heard just a small bit on YouTube preparing to charge for some of its videos. I think that any and all of these sites that are turning our children into video junkies should start charging all people.

If a child is unable to pay to see some of the worst and best on the Internet, then that child can start riding his or her bike, reading or simply spending time with their family.

I’m an older parent, but I was also a young parent once, so this is a second generation of children for me, and I can see a difference in the behavior of both generations. My oldest is 38 and my youngest is 13. I don’t know if it’s my age, or what, but I can see how different it is for my youngest to entertain himself than when my older children were his age.

If you are able and willing to have someone research this generation gap and explain to parents all the cool stuff that we never had as children, such as cellphones, laptops, iPads and that gaming junk, maybe we could put a halt to frying our babies’ eyes from viewing such horrible things available to them — and that’s just what YouTube provides for free (some scary stuff).

Start charging for rotting your children’s brains. This shouldn’t be free because, in the end, it’s the parent who will pay.

SUSAN ALEXANDER

LAS VEGAS

Do police produce?

To the editor:

The big story is the three women in Cleveland who had been held captive for a decade. Ten years. Ten long years.

And with each report, there was one common plea: If you see something unusual, report it to the police.

Yes, report it to the police and get sued by your neighbor. Civilians are not trained to detect crimes; the police who are paid six-figure salaries and fabulous benefits and retirement are paid the big bucks to do police work.

So what were the Cleveland police doing for all of these 10 years? They probably were sitting, drinking coffee, eating doughnuts and maybe handing out a few traffic citations at speed traps.

Just think about how many Las Vegas murders that have never been solved. I say it’s time for our police to produce or be replaced. Are all of our resources going to support a bloated union?

BURTON J. SIMPSON

LAS VEGAS

Ignoring the law

To the editors:

I really enjoyed the discomfort shown by letter writer Marc Jeric (“Bombers have more rights than little Elian,” Tuesday Review-Journal). In every case Mr. Jeric cites, the authorities were simply following the law.

I wonder what Mr. Jeric’s opinion would have been of Elian Gonzalez if Elian was living with relatives in Cuba and his father was in Miami. Would Mr. Jeric say that he should have been allowed to stay with the relatives?

If he wants a case where authorities ignored the law, he should revisit the Terri Schiavo case. Ms. Schiavo suffered a full cardiac arrest and suffered massive brain damage. Eventually her doctors stated that she was in a persistent vegetative state. But when her husband, who had the legal right to do so, requested that the doctors remove the tubes that were keeping her alive, all hell broke loose. Every conservative in sight protested, and numerous lawsuits in Florida and in the federal courts were launched to prevent her husband’s request from happening. Even President George W. Bush argued against the husband’s legal right.

Eventually the rule of law prevailed, her tubes were removed and she passed away. Notice I’m not name-calling President Bush, but his actions were completely wrong in the Terri Schiavo case.

RICHARD J. MUNDY

LAS VEGAS