Professor needs to get with the program
To the editor:
In response to the Wednesday commentary, "Sexual harassment training is a sham," by University of California, Irvine molecular biology professor Alexander McPherson:
Mr. McPherson says of a simple mandated course required of him: "I believe the training is a disgraceful sham. As far as I can tell from my colleagues, it is worthless, a childish piece of theater, an insult to anyone with a respectable IQ, primarily designed to relieve the university of liability in the case of lawsuits."
Leaving aside the uninformed opinion and second-hand argument fallacies implied in his objection, other than for the bit about a "piece of theater," I thought for a moment that the good professor was speaking about his own set of lectures. How on earth did this cretin manage to secure space in the Los Angeles Times and six columns of print in the Review-Journal with what can only be described as a beggar's plea to be allowed to stand above the law of his California, with 30-plus years of salary paid by the state in the bargain? What's next? Students objecting to having to attend the lectures of some boring old man?
As your students might say of your classes, I say to you, Mr. McPherson: Suck it up. After all, I go to a jury summons, sit in a room for an hour or so and listen to all the complaining from all the people who have to attend. But they attend.
Whine all that you want, professor, but do the right thing: Go to the class and get your duty out of the way. Please don't waste any more of our time for more important issues -- like molecular biology.
Tom Climo
LAS VEGAS
This is change?
To the editor:
President-elect Barack Obama is coming around. With his campaign slogan of "change," he promised the fantasies of every nutcase on Daily Kos and the Huffington Post in order to get elected.
Now that he has the job, reality has set in. We learn he is going to keep Robert Gates, the Bush secretary of defense. Six months ago, we had to be out of Iraq by Tuesday. Now we don't.
And, of course, the coming appointment of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.
He's hiring the very people he campaigned against for the past two years.
There's plenty of change going on -- political reality and common sense have forced Mr. Obama to be the one who changed.
Jeff Jones
LAS VEGAS
Judging judge, his son
To the editor:
Driving in the United States is a privilege, not a right guaranteed by the Constitution. That privelege is bestowed by each state and can be suspended or revoked by said state. Having a license means that the individual has, allegedly, passed a written and practical exam administered by that state.
Michael Mosley is a perfect example of someone whose driver's license should be revoked -- not suspended indefinitely -- never to be issued again in the state of Nevada ("Mosley's son freed from custody," Tuesday Review-Journal). Let him walk to school, ride a bike or take the bus. He willfully disregarded a court order prohibiting him from driving anywhere but to and from school and prohibiting teenage passengers. His total contempt for the law, and his alleged underage drinking and speeding, might have contributed to the death of 15-year-old Olivia Hyten on Nov. 14.
This 16-year-old has flouted the law since getting his license and has a history of lawbreaking dating back to 2005. He has reckless driving and speeding citations and a battery case.
His father, District Judge Donald Mosley, says his son's continued detention had "become punitive." Punitive? A young girl died in a residential area as a result of what police suspect was street racing. In my opinion, lax parenting skills and a lack of discipline and punishment are what caused this tragedy.
In my opinion, Judge Mosley's son should be in jail, and Judge Mosley should be held accountable.
Mike Niederberger
LAS VEGAS
Bank robbery
To the editor:
Robbing a bank these days is not easy. You go in with a gun, demand the money and then try to escape in the getaway car.
Now we have a new twist. Banks are robbing the people.
It works like this: Banks need money, so they go to the government and get them to rob the people. If the people refuse to pay, the government will come with guns and take the money by force.
Edward J. Finley
LAS VEGAS
Tapping Big Oil
To the editor:
Here is a novel idea for a bailout of the Big Three automakers in Detroit: Let Big Oil loan them the money. They seem to be in bed with one another anyway.
Jay Petrick
LAS VEGAS
