Letters to the editor Dec. 18

We need wholesale changes in 2012

Nicolas Copernicus in 1525 wrote: "Nations are not ruined by one act of violence, but quite often, gradually, and almost imperceptibly, by the depreciation of their currency, through excessive quantity."

Cicero wrote in 55 B.C.: "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome (Nevada/U.S.) become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

Liberals like Paslov, Reid, Obama and most of the Democrat party need to pay attention to these wise men. Failure to do so will result in the same fate as Rome. We need change in 2012 - new Congress, new president.

Why are they so ridiculously slow to learn?

Bill Johnston

Carson City

Ayres needs to present both sides of argument

Janice Ayres indeed needs to stop giving misinformation. A Dec. 6 letter to the editor written by Gary Thompson, has prompted me to write and say I totally agree with him in regards to Janice Ayres giving seniors misinformation.

In her articles, she is always complaining about those Republicans in Congress - doesn't she remember the Republicans got the majority just in the last few months? The Democrats had control of Congress during Bush's term until just recently, so what's the problem?

She is right about one thing though, politics needs to be set aside and we need to start taking care of business. Miss Ayres has been pushing her agenda to seniors for a long time, and it needs to stop, or at least, she needs to be brought to task when she is wrong.

Ms. Ayres, your scare tactics are getting tiresome. For the seniors' sake, please try and give us both sides of the spectrum.

Annette Mankins

Carson City

A Sunday chance meeting will have lasting impact

It was a Sunday like no other, when I listened to the beat of a higher drummer.

Maybe, like me, you have watched an elderly woman struggling on Highway 50 - the lady in the purple gauze hat and rumpled clothes. Maybe, like me, you have asked yourself, "Who is this woman? Is she homeless?"

At first glance, I refused to let my mind connect to the truth, even though I am aware our compassionate sheriff's department keeps a close eye on her. I began to wonder if she was cold at night.

As I rounded the bend toward the park, she vanished, and for a brief heartbeat, I was 12 again, searching for my lost puppy.

As the car drew closer to a market, I caught a glimpse of her on an old army blanket. There, kneeling and offering food was a young woman in red. Within an instant, the three of us were talking like friends.

"My name is Air," she said. "My name is Air."

My brain was spinning left and right. Is she Air like at one with the wind, moon and stars? Or Air that caresses the manes of our wild horses?

Whoever Air is really doesn't matter, does it?

What really matters is that we cared.

Yes, it was like no other Sunday, a day I met two women. One who had decided to bed on God's green earth, the other, a young mother who has no idea she sleeps upon wings.

Kathleen "Toddy" Hodge

Dayton

FDR acted quickly to solve problem safely

The commentary in your Dec. 7 edition, "Guarding against threat from within," is a good example of rewriting history to her narrow point of view 70 years after the fact. I would like to give my view.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the news blared over every radio station of the cowardly, sneak attack. We were stunned. Papers hit the street with headlines three inches high, "Japs bomb Pearl," then pictures of the carnage. People woke up fast; we were mad as hell. Patriotism now is paltry, compared to December 1941.

We had been hearing on the radio, papers and movie newsreels about the invasions and atrocities of Japan in Asia, but, just like today's news, that was there, not here.

Japanese of any sort were untrusted and fair game across the country. Don't think for a minute that all these people were innocent. We were told spies were everywhere and to be on guard. Many were more loyal to Japan than the USA.

We, as an ill-prepared country, were now in a real war of survival, saddled with this core population of people we could not police or protect. One of the few good things FDR did was quickly put them all in safe custody, problem solved.

Over-generous Congressmen have spent millions of our money on restitution for saving many of their lives. This leaves me cold and angry enough to write this letter. If the unwritten history offends you, so be it.

Bill Johnson

Dayton