Letters to the Editor Douglas County needs more law enforcement

Having just read Catherine Pellegrino-Helms' letter to the editor Dec. 14 regarding the state of law enforcement in Douglas County, we have to say we whole-heartedly agree.

We have lived in the Gardnerville Ranchos for just under two years. Since we placed solar lights in our yard this summer, we have had those lights vandalized five times. Each time, we have called the sheriff to make a report. Each time, the deputies have come out they have told us that there are only four deputies to cover the valley and two at the Lake. One officer told us that this has been the case for the entire 12 years she has worked in Douglas County. Consider how much the county has grown over those 12 years. They are trying to do their jobs, but are severely handicapped by lack of personnel.

We moved here because it was a place we could feel safe. Having come from the Central Coast of California, where crime is escalating, we realized after moving that we had not felt safe in our own home until we moved here. Please don't take that feeling away from us.

Hiring additional personnel will cost. However, if our county residents are aware of our lack of coverage, most will agree that a small increase in taxes is worth every penny when we need a law enforcement officer to respond.

We, too, encourage you to contact our commissioners and county manager to address this issue and take action to make us, as well as the officers, safer in our wonderful country

SONNY AND JOANN KINZER

Carson City

War is supporting inhumane practices

I was appalled Dec. 7, to hear the account of an uncle shooting his niece in an "honor" killing in Iraq. It seems the girl, whose father said she was so fine within her family that the men had taught her to read and write, was summarily slaughtered because she was kidnapped.

When she was returned, no one bothered to find out if she was still a virgin.

The mere act of her being kidnapped constituted such shame for her family that she had to be murdered. Her uncle said that her father and brothers were hesitating, but he is a policeman, had his gun with him, and consummated the act to defend the family's honor.

This first-hand report on "All Things Considered" from KUNR made me ask for the millionth time what Americans are dying for in Iraq.

I don't pretend to say that the Iraqis don't have the right to practice their anti-female cabals. I do say that my skin crawls at the thought that American men and women are defending them as they do so.

Certainly, we need to leave and let the Iraqis continue their lives and culture without benighted attempts by us to teach them what is right. It seems to me that anything less than total withdrawal is to defend these actions, and I cannot support the United States government in this decision.

ELIZABETH I. RISEDEN

Carson City

More laws on gun control are futile

I have to take issue with Kirk Caraway and his "commentary" column in the Dec. 11 Nevada Appeal.

Mr. Caraway, you concern me when you suggest blasting your radio with your .357 for playing music you don't like.

Please reach out and push the off button. When you suggest you have a .357-caliber answer to a dispute over an Elmo toy, you are stirring support for more gun laws that don't work.

(See the editorial "Common sense, responsibility on gun sales" just inches above your Christmas music and gunfire piece.)

You say, "I've always been a gun owner," and you have obviously received more pleas for money than you would like from the NRA, but you have missed the point.

The NRA is pointing out that we don't need more futile laws against selling Harvey Ex a gun. He will get one anyway. The NRA is not trying to legalize Teflon bullets or assault weapons.

It is just saying, "No more laws are needed" to try and deter Harvey Ex or editors who want to ignore the laws that already exist. Where we run into trouble is with people who ignore the laws. Gun-control laws only inconvenience the good folks who would try to obey them.

TOM HORGAN

Carson City