Letters to the editor for Sunday, June 1, 2014

Complacency is enemy to freedom

I often hear older folks saying how the younger generation is destroying our country. Truth be told it is the generation born after World War II that has hurt our country the most.

Their complacency has allowed the government to violate the Social Security Act. This act, which is still law, says we are not to use our Social Security numbers as identification, but we do because they did nothing to stop it. Yes, a few would say this is not right, but they did it anyway.

The Constitution says that the regulating of the vote is up to the states. So the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional — they did nothing to stop it. Yes, the South was screwed up and something needed to be done, but do it under the Constitution. This means that if we want to check identification at the polls, we can do it.

This generation was the one that passed the Patriot Act which violates our rights on numerous levels. After it was passed, a transformer blew up on the Vegas Strip; two electricians were nearby so the FBI arrested them with no warrant, denied them access to a lawyer and never gave them a hearing.

The government is to our rights as a gold digging woman is to a man’s money. It counts on complacency, and if necessary, will break the law to take your rights.

Rob Cobb Jr.

Carson City

Unmarked police cars cause worry

I was wondering if anyone can advise me and the community on how to deal with an unmarked law enforcement vehicle that puts its flashing lights on you to pull you over. My question would be, do you pull right over like a woman did in Reno recently and get possibly abused by a potential kidnapper or call the local police department to find out if this is a real law enforcement officer?

I have been noticing more and more unmarked cop cars pulling people over and wanted to be informed how you can tell if it is not a bad person impostor. I don’t want anyone to break a law, but I surely don’t want anyone to fall victim to a bad situation.

I suppose this is a wave of the future with more unmarked cars and I just want to find out what to do by getting an answer from someone informed. I myself would be very suspicious of an unmarked car trying to pull me over. Thanks in advance.

Glenn Logue

Dayton

Who does Schmidt think will be voting?

Gary Schmidt, who’s running for the Republican Senate 16 nomination, stood out from the crowd at the Chamber’s candidate forum.

On the one hand he was full of praise for his own exceptional business acumen, on the other hand he had nothing but disdain for the average Nevadan’s dreadfully poor work ethic. That left me wondering who Gary Schmidt expects to vote him into office. Surely not those shiftless layabouts who go to the polls in November.

Rich Dunn

Carson City

Politicians need to stop with mailers

Have you noticed that the big spender politicians who are usually spending taxpayer money without a second thought are now overloading us with tons of mail, that someone else paid for, likely supporters? What a waste! The same propaganda is repeated; do they think voters are stupid? I think so, and they are counting on that.

One of the persons who represents me in Nevada has been in office for four years and never once sent me a letter, survey, card, but now, just in the last few days, I have received at least 10 pieces of campaign literature with the same information. I think he is worried and probably should be. Overkill is annoying, but, hey, he spends and raises taxes casually so as long as someone else pays the freight, he does not see the folly. I am sure there’s more to come.

Pay attention, voters! These slick politicians are showing their hands every time you pick up your mail.

Ann Bednarski

Carson City

Syndicated feature left out Kit Carson’s death

Your “Datebook” for May 23 mentioned the death of Bonnie and Clyde, 1934, and 61 who died from the tsunami in Hawaii in 1960. However, there was nothing in the paper about the death of Gen. Kit Carson, May 23,1868, at the age of 58.

This city is one of the over 50 major sites named after this hero who was one of the most famous names of the West along with Daniel Boone. His first wife, Waa-Nibe or “Singing Grass,” was Arapaho and died of a fever. In 1841, he married a Cheyenne woman. He was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Colorado in 1868. Although he was very ill, he brought Ute Indian Chiefs to Washington, D.C., and he successfully arranged the treaty with President Andrew Johnson with the Ute Indians, signed on March 2, 1868.

He almost died and said, “ ... the chief was holding my head on his arm and putting water on me. He was crying.”

He said, “I thought you were dead. You called on your Lord Jesus, then shut your eyes ...”

Kit said, “I did not know that I spoke ... I do not know that I called on the Lord Jesus, but I might — it’s only Him that can help me where I now stand ...”

The statue of Gen. Carson is in front of the Nevada Supreme Court.

Larry Nelson

Carson City

Letter described scene in 1856

The object of the Nevada Historical Society’s news item which was published in the Appeal earlier this month was to show that two educated men, Allan and Hosea Grosh, on the scene in 1856, described in a letter precisely where the settled area of Nevada was at that time. Here is the quote again:

“The only part of it settled is along the immediate base of the east summit of the Sierra ... in the foothills,” (i.e., Washoe, Eagle and Carson valleys).

Grosh next mentions “Gold Kanyon Range,” offering detail about the ore and failing to mention a settlement in that area.

This is substantiated by similar contemporary accounts:

O. B. Huntington, who traveled along the Carson River in September 1854, stated that “Genoa ... was the only actual settlement between Grantsville (near Salt Lake City) and Hangtown, California.”

In September 1855 the California’s Surveyor General sent his deputy, George Goddard, to western Utah Territory to work with Orson Hyde’s missionaries to determine the California boundary line.

He spent 22 days at Mormon Station commenting extensively on that place, noting that it was the “only part settled upon” in the area. He made a mere passing geographical reference to Gold Canyon.

Christopher Merkley in 1855 spent 17 days traveling throughout the area “and could not find a suitable place for a settlement” other than Carson Valley. The Wade family in 1853 noted that Carson Valley had “about a dozen houses there. No houses anywhere else.”

Stanley Paher

Reno

Don’t cross state lines with opinions

Attention, Ron Lowe, per your May 28 letter in the Nevada Appeal, please keep your liberal crap in California.

Glenn Bush

Carson City