Letters to the editor for Sunday, April 10, 2016

If you can, thank God

If you can hear the birds outside chirping

Thank God for the songs that they sing

If you can smell the new grass that is growing

Thank God for the rain that he did bring

If you can see the flowers in spring blooming

And smell their fragrance so rare

Thank God for the blessings he sends to us

In his infinite love and his care

If you can feel the warmth of the sun each day

And every good thing he sends our way

Praise him over and over again

Thank God for them all

When you kneel today and pray.

Pat Rikalo

Minden

Climate change should be top priority

Thank you for Chase Macquarie’s guest column, “Action is needed on climate change,” which explained errors contained in many arguments used to deny climate change’s riskiness. He could have mentioned that several studies issued last month indicate that the risks of climate change accelerating and becoming irreversible is growing. One study explained why we are already observing sea level rise accelerate faster than expected: scientists had thought that ice sheets would only melt in response to warmer air flowing over them, but now they see that when warmer ocean water contacts ice shelves and sheet edges, it accelerates melting.

Also, more freshly melted water is slowing ocean currents causing ocean temperatures to rise faster than expected.

The risks of sea level rise, faster warming, and stronger super storms may seem minor to us, but if we fail to cut emissions promptly, our kids will face huge risks, including the risk that these processes become irreversible ... what we don’t fix today, they won’t be able to fix later.

Many people who deny climate change are denying the risks of climate change because they have their favorite issues they want the government to address. Understandably, they emphasize the risks that matter to them and fail to prioritize the risks of climate change. But we can’t let their choice to downplay climate risk harm our kids.

Please don’t elect anyone this year who doesn’t make climate risk their top priority. It’s a risk our kids can’t afford.

Rabbi Judy Weiss

Brookline, Mass.

Today’s TV — Is it worth it, really?

Just some thoughts on the subject I thought might be worthwhile sharing.

Apparently the majority of us love to watch TV, no? I have been watching it for like 55 years. As each year goes by now I am beginning to get more and more disenchanted with it as the medium of choice. Consider this for instance:

Used to be free to watch ... now it’s around $1,000-plus per year.

Used to get about 5-10 channels ... now we can get 100-plus channels, but I only watch about 5-10 channels as the rest don’t interest me.

Used to see about 90 percent of the program and 10 percent paid commercials; now I get about 50 percent program and 50 percent commercials ... 11 commercials at a time, really?

Used to follow a TV series for months and months ... now it’s about six episodes and off to reruns on top of reruns!

For about every one good program, there are tons of worthless programs!

How many times can one watch another cop show where the cops bust into a home with guns drawn and running around yelling, “Clear!” and ditto for other types of shows as well! Ugh!

And, oh, yes, the news broadcasts have become opinions of the newscasters rather than just the news. Personally, I don’t give a cookie what the newscaster thinks in the majority of cases.

Well, anyway, that’s just my take on it.

Robert M. Hellen Sr.

Carson City

WNC softball will be missed

I just want to say thank you to the Western Nevada College softball team and coaches. Over the years I have enjoyed all the home games and away games. I have been to Salt Lake City, Rangley, Colo., Las Vegas and Idaho.

The softball program is very wonderful for young ladies who want to play softball. It will be missed at the college just like the baseball team. Good luck in the future. The softball team is wonderful.

Kevin Marcella

Carson City

School voucher law is constitutional

Regarding the letter from Rick Van Alfen, I would like to point out to Mr. Van Alfen and others who may have the same misunderstanding of the voucher program, that the program is not government funding of religious education. The program is religion-neutral, in that the money can be used for a variety of venues, as the recipients see fit.

The fact that religious/private schools typically return far better academic results for less money certainly may guide the choices of the parents, but please don’t make this into some kind of constitutional issue by crying wolf about “government-sponsored religion.” That is not the case here.

Dave Telling

Carson City

Jim Shirk for Ward 4 Supervisor

I would like to comment on an article in the paper on Sunday, April 3, titled “Local Republicans make their case.”

John Barrette was quoted as saying: “It’s disappointing the local Republican party process for evaluating candidates for Carson City supervisor, a non-partisan office, excludes people running for the position who are registered as non-partisan candidates.”

John, you were not invited because you are not a registered Republican. You show up to a Republican Party endorsement process thinking it’s a barn dance because it’s in a big room? Go whine to your board buddies. Jim Shirk for Ward 4 Supervisor!

Sunni Enciso

Minden