Letters to the editor

I was rather dismayed by Ruby Gavigan's letter about her experience of adopting a cat; I doubt there was anyone barring the door and refusing to let her leave without an animal.

Adopting a pet is very similar to adopting a child; there are expenses up front as well as for the life of the pet. This is called being a responsible owner/caretaker. The reason there are strays is due to people that are not responsible on either neutering your pet or taking precautions not to let your pet breed.

My husband and I joke that there is no such thing as a 'free' pet, of which we've had several. Most of our cats and dogs were either given to us or were strays and they are/were every bit as valued as a pet as the very few we've paid for. However, they've all cost us money in various ways besides just the food. The latest one is a cat who is now closing in on her 10th birthday. 'Tera suddenly appeared with a bald spot on her tummy which progressed to get worse rapidly. Long story short, after a few vet visits along with medicating her, we opted to spend the extra money to have her tested for allergies, which showed she's allergic to 25 different things, eight of them food.

Those results made us label readers so we could find the few products that she can eat without problems as well as once-a-month shots now. Yes, it's been an expense, but the result is that we have our sweet loving pet back and in good health after several months of discomfort for her and frustration for us. I had a couple people comment that they'd be looking to replace the cat but would they do that with a child? Don't think so. 'Tera is a member of our family and like our human children, we try to take good care of them and keep them healthy.

JUDY DERYKE

Minden

Likes Galaxy's solution to behavior problem

I would like to applaud Galaxy Theatre's compromise to their problem of disruptive minors at their theater. Making parents accountable for their children is the best solution. The rights of the paying adult patrons should take precedence over the teenagers' desire to congregate. It isn't the theater's responsibility to babysit Carson City's teens and a theater is not the proper venue to socialize. Whatever happened to hanging out at one another's homes? It is a sad fact of life today that large gatherings of unchaperoned young people eventually lead to the police being called. Controlling the many because of the actions of a few is what laws/rules are designed to do. It is not always fair but it is necessary in order to maintain a peaceful society.

ROBIN STEVENSON

Carson City

Despite cheap shots, V&T will be a successful project

I get very frustrated with those small-minded people who seem to always be eager to take a cheap shot at anyone in elected office. Maybe if we all had the courage and vision of Mayor Teixeira we wouldn't need to vote on every issue, we'd simply agree on everything that was best for ourselves. I have no doubt about the need for the gasoline tax and the subsequent freeway it is constructing. I have no doubt about the boom to our economy that the train will provide. Unfortunately, I do doubt that many people will remember in the coming years how these two things became realities; it was due to public servants with vision and courage of commitments and residents that supported them.

Instead of seeking ways to derail the V&T project we should get "steamed up" with excitement and pride and all get "aboard."

NEIL DUNCAN

Carson City

Racial discrimination leads to a divided society

I would like to comment on Mary Santomauro's recent letter to the editor regarding my Dec. 5 editorial, "Virulent legacy of discrimination harms even Americans who've fought for their country." She writes that I accuse Americans of virulent immigration discrimination. Nowhere in that piece did I state that documented or undocumented immigrants fight for this country, nor did I compare the United States to Nazi Germany in its treatment of illegal immigrants. The focus of my commentary was racial profiling and the subject was my father, a U.S. citizen born in Kansas in 1924, who joined the Army and fought in WWII against Nazi Germany. Recently while paying a bill he experienced an incident of racial discrimination because he is of Mexican descent, which prompted me to write the above-mentioned article.

Ms. Santomauro also writes "True, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and not equivocally dismissing the possibility that our enemy was also within, we gathered them up, basically precluding any at-home battles. They or their descendants were eventually compensated."

Indeed, President Reagan signed into legislation H.R. 442 on Aug. 10, 1988, providing restitution for the wartime internment of Japanese-American civilians and made the following comments: "... shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry living in the United States were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in makeshift internment camps. This action was taken without trial, without jury. It was based solely on race ..."

Clearly stated in my commentary was the fact that the Nazi regime over a period of several years used racial profiling in their anti-Semitic campaigns, eventually eroding citizens of their civil rights. As I stated before, racial discrimination leads to a divided and paranoid society.

Ms. Santomauro has the right to express her opinions but this writer objects to her comments which distort my words and are not based on statements of fact from my commentary.

Elizabeth Reville

Carson City

Thoughts on candidates and the V&T Railway

I cannot put this off any longer.

The media is electing our next president Ð not the American people. John McCain and Dianne Feinstein have canceled a very important portion of our First Amendment, and if they have their way they will cancel our Second Amendment altogether. Then what will happen to the Fifth and Eight Amendments? The population ages of those over 60 have seen the last of democracy as we grew up with. Pride in our flag and our country are passé. We are unable to correct our children in a responsible manner. Morals in our country are deplorable.

Bill Clinton ruined my supper for nine years, and now his wife would like to do the same for 10 if she has her way. She already had one year behind her, is working on the second, and wants another eight years as president if she is elected. All of these candidates should be in the Senate doing the job they were elected to do instead of running around the country like headless chickens. And none of them have the "spotless, unblemished character" they are trying to portray.

Locally, Mayor Marv has encouraged the "Board of Stupers" to override one advisory vote when we turned down the request NOT TO FUND the V&T restoration with our tax monies. Now he wants a repeat performance of the situation, asking for another "advisory vote" so he can again encourage the "Board of Stupers" to override the negative response of the advisory vote by the residents of Carson City. I have yet to talk with someone who is in favor of our tax money being used to support the restoration of the V&T Railway.

It doesn't make much sense to think that Carson City is going to see much of that so-called "Tourist Money." Train buffs will fly in to Reno, rent a car in Reno, rent a hotel room in Reno. They will fill their rented car gas tank in Reno before driving to Carson City to board the "Awesome V&T." They may drop a few dollars in VC before returning to Carson City to get into their rented car and return to Reno for a high-class dinner, perhaps a show. Then return to their hotel room.

I know I wouldn't pay the price to ride the V&T up the hill past abandoned mine shaft and piles of rubble left from mining activities. We have ridden the Dugango-Silverton train twice. The scenery is exquisite, the Animas River is awesome and although the rider only sees a couple hours of Silverton before the return trip to Durango, Silverton has far more to offer than Virginia City, even though it too, is a tourist trap.

BONNIE RYAN

Carson City

Views on when a fetus is a human

This is in response to the life is breath letter of Feb. 13.

I do not believe it is radical to recognize that a fetus (unborn baby) is a human. Ultrasound pictures shows human form. It has been proven that in late term the baby feels pain. Genetic code exists at conception, heartbeat at 18 days, complete structure at 10 weeks. Clearly from a secular point of view this is a human baby.

The Bible is also clear.

Genesis 2: The lord god did indeed form the first man. The rest are formed in the woman's womb.

Jeremiah 1:5: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born.

Psalms 139:13: For you created my intermost being you knit me together in my mothers womb.

DEAN KARLBERG

Dayton

Drilling should take precedence over environmentalism

My name is Mr. O.L. Sludge III and I am in charge of oil and gas prices in the Middle East. I will not increase the flow of oil to the United States and I will increase the price of oil every week just because I can. The price of gas today is very low, $3.35 a gallon. Wait until summer, it will be $3.85 to $4.15 a gallon and next summer who knows, maybe you'll have to take out a small business loan to get a tank of gas. I have you Americans over a barrel (pun intended) and you are not smart enough to use your own oil and build your own refineries and be a self-sufficient country.

I know this will never happen because of all the "tree huggers" and "global-warming Gorites." So to the people of the United States keep the flow of money and checks coming and your head buried in the sand (pun intended again). Maybe in 10-15 years you will have a "politically correct wind-driven" car and not be so dependent on fossil fuel. WAKE-UP AMERICA IT IS LATER THAN YOU THINK!

LARRY BREWER

Carson City

A garbage day tip for keeping lids on

Living here in the Sierra is a joy, with the possible exception of the wind conditions we experience here occasionally. The wind has an uncanny way of occurring on refuse collection days, sending little missiles of garbage airborne. I have a suggestion I would like to share with my neighbors here in Carson City. Our prevailing winds are usually from the west or southwest. Most of us use the large green containers provided by the "Waste Management Capital Sanitation Company." If everyone would just face the side of the lid that opens, east or northeast, this would keep the lid from opening during wind conditions and prevent garbage blowing everywhere. This is a very simple solution and it really works.

GARY NIGRO

Carson City

Dean has it right on immigration

Dean Heller has consistently demonstrated that he understands the destructive nature of the failure of our leaders in Washington to fix the immigration woes that are destroying our state and nation.

Dean has recently joined others in Congress to cosponsor the Fence by Date Certain Act (HR 4987) which mandates a completion of 700 miles of a double-layered fence along 700 miles of the U.S/Mexican border by June 30, 2009.

Dean is also an original co-sponsor of the Common Sense English Act (H.R. 4464) that will protect an employer's right to require employees to speak English on the job, without fear of federal prosecution.

Unfortunately, the Democratic controlled Congress led by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have little interest in supporting tough measures on illegal immigration, therefore will not likely pass this type of legislation.

However, in this election year it is important to clearly define the differences between Republicans and Democrats on the issues of illegal immigration. Congratulations to Dean Heller for being on the right side of these issues and keeping the spotlight on the "Do Nothing" Democrat controlled Congress. Keep up the good work, Dean!

BILL JOHNSTON

Carson City