Letters to the editor

Brothels are legal and should be able to advertise

Jack Maddox wrote a letter he was incensed that brothels are now "allowed" to advertise. It has been my experience as a former brothel worker that women tend to be less judgmental and more open minded while men put on a halo and are the loudest at denouncing anything connected to the sex industry - which reminds me of an old joke: "Question: Do you know what gals in my profession call people like you who wave the Bible, act morally superior, yell insults, and quote scriptures? Answer: REGULAR CUSTOMERS!" - Unknown Mad Prostitute

Regardless of how you view the brothel industry, Mr. Maddox, it is still LEGAL and they pay their fair share of taxes and fees just like any other legal business so they deserve the same advertising rights as any other legal company. As for advertising? Please. You see more sex in every day ads than you ever will in brothel advertising. The brothel industry will put pressure on any owner that goes over the line of good taste and advertising venues will further regulate the content of ads so it's safe for you to exhale and put your halo back in the drawer.

jessi winchester

Winnemucca



Stew's has been hurt by negative publicity, bad employees and a city not ready for upscale dining

I am writing in response to the report by Dave Frank and Geoff Dornan on Stew's. This is the kind of negative publicity that has hurt Stew's from the beginning. It's like you can't say anything good about anything. Where do these guys go to school anyway? Are they not taught the difference between opinion and fact?

The Stewart Family has been in Carson City for over 45 years. We have always loved and supported this town. We have other business here, we raised our family here. When we bought the property where Stew's is, it had been a town eyesore for over 25 years. The process of rebuilding and getting the building up to the city's code took a year longer and twice the money than we were quoted when we started the project, plus new sidewalks and sewer lines that were not included in the estimated costs. The entire family has put everything they have ever had into getting the business going and keeping it running, we worked hard and with our hearts. We started out behind but we never gave up, we did everything in our power to make the place a success.

We treated our employees fair and with respect, yet a good number of them took advantage of us, did as they pleased, and yes, one of them even embezzled a good portion of all sales. An audit showed us just how much of our money was "walking out the door."

We were trying to give back to Carson, giving the people an upscale place where they would feel comfortable, could relax and enjoy the company and spend time with their families. But I guess the people of Carson are more interested in the chain type places.

Every complaint filed against Stew's has been taken care of, did you report that? There are usually two sides to every story, it appears that you only want to report the negative or make things appear a lot worse than they really are.

Stew's is closed right now, but not for long. We are working on completing an agreement with a new partner, doing some needed renovation, taking care of all obligations and putting in place a a new, trustworthy, management team.

When we are ready to re-open we will let you know through the Gazette Journal.

gale stewart

Carson City



Time for Iraqis to fish or cut bait

I feel truly sorry for the Iraqi people. They are caught between a rock and a hard spot. If they are sympathetic with our soldiers they become a target for the retaliation by the terrorists. Yet, the elections (purple finger) indicate that they do not want to live under another Saddam regime. Do they have the will to stand up and say, "Enough is enough"? These are the hard realities they must face. It is their country and they must accept that fact.

It is time for a two purple finger referendum, where they go to the ballot box and commit themselves. The simple question must be "Do you want our soldiers to be there or not?" If they vote for us to be there, they must also be willing to stand up to the terrorists and be committed to join our forces to defeat them. If they refuse to do so then the situation is hopeless and we should get the Hell out of there! In other words "Fish or cut bait"! It is two fingers or nothing.

Hitler capitalized on the fact that ordinary people do not have the guts and determination to stand up and be counted. They would rather let someone else do what has to be done and not get involved. This has been a sad phenomenon throughout history.

Can we, as a nation, be the guardian of all humanity? No, and this is a fact of life. Will all nations be able to create a democracy? No! We must accept this as a fact of life. Dictatorships and tyranny will go on until the end of time.

We must tell the people of Iraq that this is their defining moment in history. It is time for them to stand up, as painful as it may be. If they don't, they deserve what they get because we are going home. We must see two purple fingers - one if you want us to stay and the other - will you commit yourselves to fight against those who want to dominate you and your children for the rest of time? It's your decision, not ours.

Wayne Benson

Carson City



What's really behind Angle's TRPA comments?

Nevadans should view with skepticism ex-Assemblywoman Sharon Angle's call to remove Nevada from the TRPA (Letters, July 22). She uses the Angora Fire as justification. We might ask:

1. Was TRPA to blame for the Angora Fire? The fire was caused by a campfire. It spread due to dry conditions and high winds. Homes deep in a high risk area were consumed. Inadequate "defensible space" may have contributed. Some of that may have been due to TRPA policies, which will be reexamined but were hardly the cause of this tragedy.

2. Why does TRPA limit pine needle removal? TRPA has a mandate to protect lake water quality. Stormwater runoff on bare ground erodes surface soils which run to the lake contributing to its deterioration. Other alternatives, such as native landscaping, are available but not all owners choose that option. These policies will be reviewed.

3. What would Tahoe be like without TRPA? Look back 50 years. Local governments managed development at Tahoe and it was basically anything goes. Uncontrolled development, deteriorating air and water quality, traffic, scenic degradation. Imagine if that had continued over the past 50 years.

4. Is the Angora Fire Angle's real motivation? Well, her proposal dates back to 2003, so I think not. An old Appeal editorial makes it clear that she and her friends were upset about TRPA rules limiting development at Incline.

5. How does Ms. Angle propose to protect Tahoe without TRPA? Well, she doesn't address that. In fact she says nothing about the need to protect Tahoe. She just wants to ditch the TRPA and replace it with a more "accountable" agency. Does that mean one which she or her friends control?

TRPA has a tough job operating between people's natural desire to be free of limits on the use of their property and the broader community's natural desire to have a national treasure like Lake Tahoe protected. Like any human endeavor, TRPA makes mistakes. And its policies will no doubt be reexamined. But we need to be wary of "leaders" who attempt to use tragedies like the Angora Fire to undermine a long-standing consensus, in this case on the need to protect like Lake Tahoe.

terry burnes

Gardnerville



Children's health insurance should be funded

Sometimes something comes along which is so repugnant, so heinous, so offensive to ones' sense of morality, and so against everything that America is supposed to stand for that it cannot go unheeded if a person has any conscience whatsoever.

I'm not speaking of the Iraq war; I am speaking of the Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) about to be passed in the Senate. It's a self-funded bill which will tax a pack of cigarettes another 61 cents to provide some nine million, low income, American children with health insurance coverage.

It would make sure that an asthma problem, for example, could be treated with a $110 doctor's visit instead of an $11,000 hospital stay. It will keep kids in school to make them productive citizens instead of lifelong welfare dependents. The advantages of SCHIP are just too numerous to detail considering it's a fully self-funded program.

But this law will never take effect because this "Decider" President has decided against it. And there's not enough votes to override the veto because "Conservative" Senators like John Ensign are, as usual, behind the President and not the American people.

No, I'm not going to say let's have a big letter writing campaign because that would do no good. What I am going to do is to ask you to remember these nine million American children next year when you go to vote. When it's just you and your conscience behind that curtain in the voting booth I want you to remember the fate of nine million children rests in which button you push - D or R.

Steve lang

Gardnerville



Pedophiliac clergy should be prosecuted

I read the news today, oh boy...

About the Catholic Church that paid the price; thousand victims got their dough,

But I just had to know,

Will someone prosecute....

Nah ... the statute of limitations has no doubt been exceeded. Personnel files lost, sealed or altered. An organizational, systematic program of placing predatory, pedophiliac priests in new parishes by Church officials who never pondered to report these supposed paragons of virtue to the police. Whew! Pretty pathetic.

And in light of our increased awareness of sexual predators, the laws we have to protect our children, the mandatory registration of offenders in our community, these pariahs have been allowed to roam free without prosecution. Violating and abusing thousands/millions of our children under the knowledge of the "Church." Some diocese would even have "re-hab centers" for these sickos. And then release them back to their flock, knowing full-well that child molesters can never be fully rehabilitated. And if that isn't enough, use the parishioners' tithe to dole out over two-billion dollars to garner the silence of the victims. This whole ordeal that happens outside the parameters of law has to be stopped.

As a staunch believer in the separation of Church and State, I believe that the double-standard afforded the clergy versus the general population needs to be thoroughly investigated. It is bad enough that churches afforded tax-free status cross the line into the political arena, but when innocent children put into their care are molested and abused without prosecution, we should all be outraged and motivated to correct this horror. We already know that millions have died throughout history due to religion. Do we have to feed them our young too?

Rick van alfen

Carson City



Sentencing inequities show lack of understanding

Two northern Nevada men, with two felony convictions were recently tried by the same judge, and sentenced on the same day. What makes this an apples to oranges comparison is the ages of the men, the type of case, the ages and gender of the victim, the severity of the crime, and the penalties.

The older of the two men was convicted of molesting his daughter. The offense was revealed as a counseling issue when the girl, then 18, began having trouble in school. The man admitted to once fondling the girl's breast, outside the clothing at age 12. The victim reported multiple incidents, beginning at age 6 and ending at 12. The offender accepted responsibility, expressed sincere remorse, had no prior convictions, and attended counseling while on bond awaiting sentencing.

The other man's conviction cited serious bodily harm to his infant son. The offense was revealed when medical care was sought. The man admitted that while in a fit of rage he shook and bit his son, causing permanent blindness and paralysis. He was in custody at the time of his sentencing, and excused his behavior by saying "It was a thing that any one could do."

One life term in prison, and a two year sentence were dispensed for these crimes. I'm asking you to which man, belongs what sentence ... if you said the younger man received life, you're wrong.

How is this just? I'd like to say that I don't understand, but I do, and I'm going to be blunt. This happens because we live in a culture where we value women and girls more than men and boys, and that we understand one act, and not the other.

Who of us has not lost our temper, reacted badly, and would not like to be forgiven? We however, can't consider forgiveness for the other, believing ourselves incapable of these acts. Most sexual offenses involving children though, happen within the framework of the family, and are perpetrated by unhappy and emotionally damaged individuals.

We fear what we do not understand. Fear is a mind killer. Think!

william jones

Carson City