Letters to the Editor for February 22, 2020

Solve the problem

The proposed open non-presidential primary proposal by Kieckhefer of the top two in the general election doesn’t solve the problem with voter participation. The number of independents or non-party registered voters is growing due to the Department of Vehicle voter registration process. Even when you go online to register vehicles, you have the opportunity to register to vote and the system doesn’t ask what political party you would like to register as and automatically registers you as “no party” affiliation.

Citizens of Carson City should look to see how they are registered. You can change or update your voting affiliation. No party registered voters can not vote for a Democrat or Republican in the primary and only can vote for the other party in the general election. Fix the registration problem and let the party put up their best candidate as a result of the primary for the general election.

The state of Nevada has a site that allows you to check your registration and how to change at https://www.nvsos.gov/votersearch/

The top two method as proposed like California favors a dominant party with the top two being either top two Democrats or top two Republicans and the general election should be one party running against the other. Especially with the normal low turnout in the primary elections. Let the political parties put up their best candidate and let the best person win. Don’t turn Nevada into California.

Scott Hoen

Carson City

What’s wrong with this picture?

The Carson schools are in debt $2.5 million (article in Appeal on Feb. 8) and yet the district slithers in an extended two-year contract and raise to Superintendent Richard Stokes by Feb. 11. What is wrong with this picture?

God help our good teachers of Carson that have to work under these politicians. Hey, Mr. Stokes, did the teachers get their raise promised by are governor upon his election?

Sunni Enciso

Carson City

Republicans need full control

I’ve read a number of the letters from “Never Trumpers.” They accuse the Senate of failing to conduct a “fair trial,” while completely ignoring the fact that the House broke all due process protections afforded every citizen by the Constitution, except when it comes to President Trump. The Democrats are incessant with their absurd attacks against this president since he was first campaigning and have shown their willingness to continue attacking him with false and ridiculous accusations even after losing their clown show impeachment attempt. During this almost four-year period they have accomplished exactly zero for the American people.

We watched as Pelosi acted like a petulant child during the SOTU address when she tore up the speech. The bottom line to the upcoming November election is that you have two choices. You vote to re-elect Trump and for Republicans to take back the House and keep the Senate. This will almost assuredly guarantee that America will continue with a growing economy, strong borders, lower unemployment for everyone, including minorities, strong stock market, strong military, and a strong foreign policy to name just a few important issues.

Or you can vote for Democrats who will immediately attack your Second Amendment rights, raise your taxes, open our country’s borders, increase welfare participation, stagnate the economy, majorly increase the national debt with their “free” programs, and support late term abortions. They will not stop until they turn America into a socialist nightmare.

If you value our republic, our Constitution, our freedoms, and believe that we the people do not want our lives controlled in every aspect by government oversight, there is only one choice and that’s to vote Republican.

Lynn Rader

Dayton

Romney goes above the party

President Trump has had a very busy month so far: On Feb. 4, he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (to be awarded for “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors”) to Rush Limbaugh during his State of the Union address and a few days later compounded this perversion by castigating a true American patriot, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, and marching him unceremoniously from his White House office!

In August 2017, I wrote, “The green slime that has been oozing from the Trump administration for over 200 days creating an indelible stain on the Grand Old Party, now threatens to seep into the very fabric of our democracy. This fetid soup of bigotry, hate, lies and vulgarity has brought the worst of the worst out of the shadows and given them the confidence to openly commit any outrage that suits them at the moment. We must excise this cancer from our society now or forever pay the price. Again I ask, ‘Are there no members of the those currently in power willing to put the welfare of their country, indeed, the whole world, above that of their party?’”

Thank you, Sen. Romney!

John O’Neill

Minden

USS Arizona staff members commemorated as equals

The article “Sailing on Battleship Row” by Steve Ranson in the Saturday Nevada Appeal brought back memories to me. First, the terrible Pearl Harbor events and secondly, my visit there several years ago. That was when, on the USS Arizona Memorial, I discovered the list of staff killed on Dec. 7 on the USS Arizona was in alphabetical order by last name, no rankings included. In this manner, all staff were considered “equal.” My great-grandfather was listed as Van Valkenburgh, Franklin, not as Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh!

Holly Van Valkenburgh

Carson City

Putting aside self-interests can help preserve freedoms

A letter recently published in the Nevada Appeal by Vern Payette mentioned Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. Payette did a great job in his letter of illustrating Alinsky’s Rule 5, “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” His letter had multiple instances of name calling of those he disagreed with, such as “looney-toon, vile, venemous, pathetic, petty and despicable.”

Sadly, on both ends of the political spectrum, we find communications like Payette’s accepted and respected, full of name calling, lacking in facts and bloated with emotional imagery to inflame the reader. Payette’s mention of Alinsky’s 13 rules motivated me to look them up, so I thank him for that. I found that Alinsky also wrote, “People cannot be free unless they are willing to sacrifice some of their interests to guarantee the freedom of others. The price of democracy is the ongoing pursuit of the common good by all of the people.”

We who live in this free nation should not be influenced by hateful communication practices of the left and right. We need to think for ourselves and seek truth, information, enjoyment and wisdom in the words of those who agree or disagree with us. Seeking compromise, compassion and common ground are not signs of weakness. Now, more than never, we need to reject the hatefulness in our discourse or we will lose America as we watch our freedoms slowly erode away.

Bob Amato

Dayton

Running for president

Tongue in cheek, of course: With all the wannabees out there trying to become president of our country, I thought, why not me? So what would my platform be? Well...

1. Climate change: If you elect me, I will stop climate change by eliminating millions of jobs, greatly decreasing the use of automobiles thereby decreasing the use of fossil fuels. But to do this we will have to tighten our belts and give more of your money for a new tax.

2. Term limits: If you elect me, I will single-handedly force all government officials to quit their jobs after four years of service for which they will be forever grateful.

3. Free college tuition: If you elect me, then for a small tax of about 75% of monthly income, your college tuition is paid with only a few constraints. Elect me to see what they are!

4. Restitution for ancestors of slaves: You will be awarded funds but with a few constraints. Elect me to see what they are.

5. Illegal immigrants: Full American citizenship but with some minor constraints. Elect me to see what they are.

Of course, if all this doesn’t come to fruition …oh well, at least I will be in office, have lots of money to run for my next election while being above it all.

Difference between me and President Trump? I talk the talk and he has walked the walk.

Robert M. Hellen, Sr.

Carson City

Respect the national anthem

(This week) on a local FM radio station, someone played an absolutely God-awful rendition of the national anthem that was sung by Chaka Khan at an NBA All-Star basketball game. I am not a musicologist, so I can’t talk about this like some sort of professional – what I heard was basically caterwauling with an extremely high voice and long drawn-out “notes” or whatever you call it. Over the past 40-or-so years I have heard people murdering the anthem with their idea of what they think is “cool” – some of the most God-awful singing ever. This is a disgrace. No better than Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem.

Have some respect for it people!

I am not running for any political office and I approve this message.

John Frink

Carson City