Letters to the editor for Friday, July 24, 2015

ESPN should be ashamed of itself for honoring Jenner

I was disgusted by the ESPYs awarding Bruce Jenner a medal for courage. I do not believe surgery to artificially change gender shows courage. Mental illness perhaps, but not courage.

The people I define as courageous wear the uniform of the United States military; wear the uniforms of firefighters and police officers and sheriff’s deputies. They wear the uniforms of first responders. They wear the uniforms of hospital workers from the emergency room to the people who keep the facilities sterile. The people I believe show courage often face death, bodily harm, exposure to disease and great mental anguish from seeing the worst of our society on a daily basis.

Shame on the ESPYs for giving a has-been athlete an award for becoming a side show freak.

Ron Landmann

Minden

National Guard members should be armed

In 2011, three uniformed National Guard members were gunned down by a lunatic in a local Carson City restaurant. They were defenseless because they were following Nevada National Guard policy of not carrying a firearm.

As you read the news of four Marines being killed on military bases in Tennessee and many other attacks against our citizens and military, please realize that Nevada National Guard members are still today restricted from carrying firearms when in uniform anywhere in our state.

I urge you, Gov. Sandoval, as Commander in Chief of the Nevada National Guard, to change this policy before more lives are lost. If you share my opinion, please contact the governor’s office.

Jim Groth

Carson City