Opening fresh wounds — for what?

To the editor:

I have read Thomas Mitchell's Sunday columns on the issue of a free press for several years now and am always in wholehearted and unflinching agreement with him. We would, quite simply, not be "the land of the free and the home of the brave" without a free press. I see this as a fact, and not merely an opinion, and I will never waver from that view.

However, Mr. Mitchell's latest column, "Why the public deserves to know," glaringly fails to answer the "why" part of the headline. Why does the public need to see toxicology reports for construction workers killed on the CityCenter site?

I would agree that Perini and all other contractors, Nevada OSHA and the families of the deceased could benefit a great deal from information found in a toxicology report. If a large percentage of worker injuries and deaths are the result of substance abuse, then by every available means something should be done to prevent this.

Does a certified public accountant sitting in a Summerlin high rise benefit from the knowledge that a worker on the Strip fell because he was drunk on the job? How? Does the cashier at my neighborhood grocery store benefit from this knowledge?

I don't think the information is pertinent to anybody but the immediate players, and facts do not always trump emotion.

Public policy is already quite clear in Nevada OSHA and federal OSHA regulations, and the fact of the matter is, human beings are going to behave like human beings. Substance abuse is prevalent through every aspect of society, not just the construction trades. Does the construction worker benefit from this fictitious headline: "CPAs falling drunk down stairs on the rise"?

Raking surviving family members over the coals in public is pointless. "Mommy, the newspaper says Daddy was drunk on the job the day he died. Is this true?" A grieving widow has enough to worry about without having to answer that one. Don't you think?

Gregory Haley

LAS VEGAS

Who's the fool?

To the editor:

Well, I guess I am a fool. That is, according to Richard J. Mundy, who said in his letter to the editor in Sunday's Review-Journal that anyone who thinks a "dewy-eyed freshman senator could do more for our state" than Sen. Harry Reid "is a fool."

According to Mr. Mundy, Sen. Reid can make sure that we Nevadans get our fair share of disbursements (pork) from Washington because of his position as Senate majority leader. I really liked the $25,000 the powerful senator brought home for teaching mariachi music in our public schools.

I know the good senator did other things to benefit Nevada, but what about energy? He doesn't want any more drilling offshore or in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. So, do we just wait for someone to develop the technology to mount a little windmill on the roof of our cars so we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil?

What I see in Sen. Reid is a career politician who is more interested in keeping his job so that he can continue to bask in the glory of his status while personally reaping the benefits that come with the position. I see a man who cares more about the special interests in Washington than the welfare of Nevada.

Maybe I'm not the only fool. How many of you will vote to keep this man in office?

Bill Dirkse

LAS VEGAS

Helping children

To the editor:

Sunday's editorial ("Default setting: secrecy, obfuscation") was right on. The lack of an open record from Clark County's Department of Child and Family Services serves only to create more suspicion among the public about how our endangered children are being cared for -- or not being cared for.

In addition, not coming clean with the full record serves only to cast doubt on the many people in the social services area who care for our children appropriately.

But giving in to frustration about bureaucratic incompetence isn't the answer. If we care, shrugging our shoulders and saying, "There's no way I can make a difference" is not the way to go. We can help.

Clark County has provided a program known as CASA -- Court Appointed Special Advocates -- through which ordinary people who care about child abuse can help. This program trains citizens to be advocates for children in foster care. After an extensive training program, we can help the children and the system by advocating for foster kids. Currently there is a great need for additional CASAs. About 200 volunteers serve approximately 500 foster children, with an additional 3,000 kids lacking a CASA to represent them.

Don't just sit around and grouse about how awful the status quo for our kids is. Do something about it.

Robert Mirisch

LAS VEGAS