Letters to the editor for Thursday, May 8, 2014

Expressing an opinion about race isn’t racism

There is a principle that is guaranteed to keep a person in everlasting ignorance. That principle is contempt prior to investigation. John Hartley of Dayton with his letter to the editor is in good company in his ignorance with Harry Reid and Dean Heller.

Clive Bundy did not make racist remarks. He expressed an observation. It’s called freedom of speech. Jim Wheeler was emphasizing his responsibility to his constituents when asked by a member of the audience if he would even vote to bring back slavery. He said if his constituents wanted him to, he would have to abide by their wishes. Then he stated of course, not really. If he was asked to do that he would have to resign since it is against his basic principles. The only place that last part was printed was in the Nevada Appeal.

It is my belief that someone expressing an opinion or an observation is not the racist. The person taking a part of that observation or opinion and distorting it in the media is the real racist.

Mike Enright

Carson City

Xerox should pay for what it didn’t achieve

I was wondering what Xerox did for their 70 million dollars. Will we as Nevada citizens be charged for their incompetence in setting up the health exchange that did not work? Also, are Nevada citizens going to be charged for the company that had to come in to try and try and fix the Xerox problems?

I hope that Xerox is going to foot the bill for what they could not accomplish and for the troubles they have caused to the citizens of Nevada. I personally do not want to see them get paid anything since they did not do the job they were supposed to do, or because it may be coming from the U.S. government that they will get paid anyway — the questions is, why?

I guess this is what they mean by putting our tax dollars to work — paying people for doing a bad job

Gary Meckler

Reno