Letters to the editor for Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014

Obama’s vows turn out to be fool’d gold

Here comes another year with falsehoods from D.C. During the presidential tours, the president-elect promised that he would close our borders to illegals, but that hasn’t happened. Now he is inviting them here. The legal population of Hispanics that came here legally hate this because they worked hard to become citizens.

The president also promised to stop NAFTA and CAFTA to bring our jobs back to the United States. You hear none of this ever — very quiet about this. All he does is listen to an impeached president, a lame duck senator and a generic congress person, not to the people. When does the public get to vote on some of these issues?

Now, according to the news, our aircraft production is in Mexico. The reason that our people are out of work is that all our jobs are in Mexico, Central America, China, South Africa. These companies make huge profits by doing this as they pay small wages, make huge profits, and pay no taxes on the products that are made overseas. They bank in offshore banks, and we’re left holding the empty bag. With the health law changes, giving driving permits to illegals ... wow! Have you ever driven in Mexico? Take your life in your hands.

John Choat

Dayton

Newspaper is wrong about telescope

Once again I have to point out that a lie is being presented as fact in our local newspaper. The AP article headlined “Long Shots: Galaxies from 13.2 Billion Years Ago” on Jan. 8 began “The Hubble Space Telescope has peered back to a chaotic time 13.2 billion years ago ...” This is not at all true!

The Hubble telescope can only receive light that is here in the present. Two assumptions have to be made to say that it is seeing 13.2 billion years into the past. First, secular scientists have to assume that the earth and the universe were not created supernaturally (the assumption of naturalism, no God involved). Secondly, they have to assume that present rates and conditions are representative of past rates and conditions (the assumption of uniformitarianism). If these starting assumptions are not correct, then there is no reason to trust the resulting age estimates.

The only thing that science can truthfully tell us is how far away galaxies and stars are in light years (the distance it takes light to travel in one year today). Science cannot tell us what conditions existed during the creation week presented to us in the Bible. Einstein discovered that the rate at which time passes is affected by motion and gravity. No one was present at the creation to observe these things but God Himself.

The Hubble telescope can only tell us that there are galaxies many light years away, not that they are billions of years old.

Don R. Drake

Carson City

Silver State school is home to good people

I would like the public to know about the good people at Silver State Charter High School. Superintendent Steve Knight worked closely with Western Nevada College to provide space for two New Driver Education classes over the winter break. As a result of this generous offering of space, 61 students were able to complete the 30-hour New Driver Education Course.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of maintenance man and all around good guy Paul Boga. He was more than helpful in setting up tables and equipment, loading and unloading of textbooks and supplies, and checking in throughout the four-day class to make sure the instructors had everything they needed. It was a wonderful facility, and the community is lucky to have access to this charter school, lovely facility, and great staff.

Thanks again to everyone at Silver State Charter High School for helping to make sure our new drivers get the best information and training they can before getting behind the wheel of a car.

Judy Larquier

Carson City

Texting puts drivers’ lives in your hands

Deputies see it everyday: drivers talking on their cell phones or texting while driving. What’s the big deal? Well, for one thing, it is illegal, but it also distracts you from concentrating on the roadway and traffic ahead of you. Five seconds to send a quick text is equal to the length of a football field when driving 55 miles per hour. That’s how long your eyes are off the road. The average text conversation lasts about three minutes.

Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous, not only to you, but to others as well. Think about the passengers in your vehicle, other motorists, and of course pedestrians. If you must use your cell phone, pull off the roadway before making or answering your call.

Should you choose to use a hands-free device while driving, take into account that it is the conversation and not the technology that is most distracting. Talking on the phone uses the same brain activity that is used to navigate a car on the roadway.

Your cell phone should not control you and your vehicle. Let it take a message from your friends, and you will get back to them when it is safe to do so.

Sgt. Scott McDaniel

Carson City Sheriff’s Office