Letters to the editor April 14

Smoker's rights: Thomas Jefferson said it best

In response to Robin Christy's March 23 letter to the editor regarding smoker's and non-smoker's rights, Robin, please look up Thomas Jefferson's views on inalienable rights. It makes for very good reading and it may help you understand why I and millions of Americans with similar views feel the way we do about commerce and liberty.

A statement by Thomas Jefferson: "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."

James R. Parker

Carson City

Thank you, Sheriff, for support of business

As the owner of Java Girls Coffee, I would like to personally apologize to Sheriff Kenny Furlong for wrongly accusing him of not allowing his police officers to buy coffee from us.

There was a rumor going around saying that cops were not allowed at our coffee stand. Mr. Furlong called me personally and told me that he would never tell his officers they couldn't go somewhere, and that he supports local businesses.

He told me, "so what if the girls are in bikinis? It would be like going to a beach."

I was very glad to get this rumor cleared up, and very glad that police officers can start buying coffee from our hut. Java Girls is very supportive of Carson City law enforcement.

So, to Kenny Furlong, I would like to say thank you for your support, and to all the police officers, we would like to thank you for being an ethical presence, and we welcome you back.

Stephanie Streenan

Carson City

Attorney General Masto, you work for the people

Health care insurance is important to most people. The subject has a strong emotional connection. For most people, it is scary when government starts to make major changes to health care insurance. Therefore it is interesting to follow the exchange between Gov. Gibbons and Attorney General Masto.

I want the elected officials to have a high level of interest in what is going on. It would be nice if Ms. Masto was just as interested in the legal aspects of health care insurance reform as she was in pursuing a frivolous lawsuit against Lt. Gov. Krolicki.

I did not see that one on her list of important work she was doing for the people of Nevada. What we need for an attorney general is one that does our work and (is) not a lap dog for Sen. Reid.

T. Doyle Hanks

Carson City

Obama did what was right on health care reform

I support the passing of the health reform. It is historic. It is about time. It is impossible to please everyone. That is why you just do what is right. And you have to have what it takes to do what is right.

I, for one, will benefit from this health care reform. I worry about, between jobs, losing my health insurance because of a lapse. COBRA is expensive. But in order to make sure I continue to have insurance, I carry it at great expense to me and sometimes family members who lend me the money.

Also, concerning pre-existing conditions, this is huge. For me, being diabetic with high blood pressure and asthmatic, I get the short end of the stick. Now, hopefully, I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Then there is the cost of insurance premiums. There is a fine line between capitalism and greed, robbery, and so forth. Yes, everyone has a right to make money, but not financial rape. The insurance companies have been raping the American people for years. But no one had the courage to stand up to them, until now.

God bless President Obama. God bless America. May human greed never outweigh human care for one another.

Frank Simplicio

Wellington