Letters to the editor for Sunday, March 13, 2016

Nevada needs presidential primaries

There’s near universal condemnation of the Democratic and Republican Party caucuses in Nevada — long lines, chaos and confusion, limited hours and voting sites, caucus “officials” promoting their candidates, intimidation, etc.

Nevadans could have had a primary. The presidential primary bill (SB 421) in 2015 was “killed” in the State Assembly on the orders of Sen. Harry Reid, instructions faithfully followed by all Assembly Democrats. Despite support for a presidential primary from the Republican National Chairman and Gov. Brian Sandoval, two “far right” Assembly Republicans (Shelton and Dickman) joined an “unholy alliance” with the Democrats to defeat the bill — by one vote.

As a result, less than 1 in 5 voters participated in the Nevada Democrat and Republican caucuses (17 percent). Compare that level of voting with New Hampshire where 61.4 percent of voters cast ballots in their Feb. 9 presidential primary election. Even if only half of Nevada voters (50 percent) voted in a presidential primary, that would involve three times more voters participating in a primary than actually voted in the February caucuses.

Voters from both parties should demand a presidential primary bill be adopted by the Legislature in 2017.

Jim Hartman

Genoa

Too many deaths in Nevada crosswalks

Before I voice my opinion, I am in no way disagreeing with the law in the great state of Nevada.

When I moved to Nevada in 2012, I noticed that many drivers do not know pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks. This includes instate and out-of-state drivers. Either the drivers are distracted due to handheld devices and new car dashboard consoles, or they do not know the law. This results in motor vehicles versus pedestrians increasing at a very high rate for a very small population like our great state of Nevada.

I believe the pedestrian should also bear some responsibility to protect himself or herself by yielding to today’s drivers. The pedestrians also need to be sure the motor vehicle sees them to some degree before entering into the crosswalk.

With the cooperation of the drivers and the pedestrians, we can decrease the number of deaths in Nevada crosswalks.

Gregory Brittain

Carson City

Trump is a dangerous distraction

The Republican Party has completely missed the point/focus of the Trump popularity. It is not, I repeat, not about Trump. It is about the people.

The people are fed up/disgusted with what the party has become and the direction this country is headed. Actually, both parties are so consumed with the pressure from lobbyists and special interest groups that they have lost sight of what is really important. As long as they focus on Trump, they will continue to be in trouble.

I am a former Republican, now Independent.

Carlynann Johnson

Dayton

Background checks aren’t answer to gun violence

Regarding “Nevada Background check initiative just common sense,” columnist Anne Macquarie, proud member of the Occupy movement that commits street violence in the name of social justice, is hardly in a position to lecture anyone about crime. Like Obama’s eagerness to invade our iPhone privacy, background checks are another overbearing government intrusion into our lives.

Macquarie’s political party is deliberately importing foreign criminals, mooches, and jihadists as future voters, sharply increasing violent crime in the process. It is Macquarie’s political allies who have branded police pepper spray as “waterboarding,” even as they prevent the families of the violent mentally ill from involuntarily committing them, getting them the help they need.

“Nevada’s largest police association” should get off the backs of law abiding gun owners and stand against the early release of violent prisoners, rebranded as “non-violent” because they pled down assault and gun charges. How many more cop funerals does this bunch have to attend to figure out who their friends are?

The enemies of freedom are campaigning for background checks because they need a scapegoat to blame for a crime wave of their own making.

Lynn Muzzy

Minden