Letters for March 21, 2013

Isn’t that special?

Re “A Special Case” (Feature story, March 14)

This story acknowledges, but then tries to ignore or deny, an important detail about the Nevada constitution’s tax on mining production: It does not cap the total tax mining companies pay, it only caps the industry-specific net proceeds tax, a tax that other businesses don’t have to pay at all. Mining companies large and small have to pay all the kinds of tax that every other business in the state has to pay, plus a tax on the net proceeds of minerals. Is that special protection? I think not.

Elizabeth Zbinden

Consulting Geologist and Geochemist

Reno

Editor’s note: Just to clarify, there are, in fact, other industry-specific taxes, such as those paid by the gambling and insurance industries, and those are NOT capped in the constitution.

Flaming dogs

Re “No dogs for you” (Letters to the Editor, March 14):

This is in response to Justin Dunaway. Maybe she’s a ferret person or maybe she just doesn’t like dogs. I myself am not jaded, and I’m married with kids but couldn’t agree more. Hearing about a dog getting snatched by a coyote is music to my ears. Not everyone likes smelly ass dogs. Get over it.

Eugene Schmid

via email

Pray for health

Re “Ashamed of government” (Letters to the Editor, March 7):

I just read Jon P. Gaits’ letter in the March 7 issue condemning congressional inaction on the sequester, and I basically agree with his point, although not his tone, up to the last two sentences. I would like to ask him—and this is not a rhetorical question, I really want to know—what will you pray for, and why?

Richard Sasaki

via email

Attack crimes

Re “End thought crimes in Nevada” (Editorial, March 14):

I was very surprised at the common sense exhibited in your editorial regarding SB 139. Considering that in general your newspaper is considered to be liberal in your editorial opinions, it was good to see a well thought-out and reasonable editorial dealing with equality under the law. Let there be no doubt that any physical or verbal attack on anyone, no matter what their sexual orientation or any other factors such as those mentioned in the editorial, is despicable and should be punished strongly. But it makes no sense to consider any of these factors to increase or decrease punishment. It is the attack that is the crime and we are all equal under the law.

Fred Speckmann

Reno

Provocative letter No. 1

Regarding the Emergency Contraception Pill, the “evaluation report of approved medication containing levonorgestrel” clarifies researches that give cause for the marketing of the active principle in the whole universe. This arouses frequent hostile reactions and highlights two dangers: a possible ectopic pregnancy and a venous thrombosis risk. This worrying cardiovascular disease occurs by the appearance of a blood clot in a deep blood vessel. A complication occurs when part of the blood clot breaks off, travels through the bloodstream and blocks any vein of the lungs. The report said that consequences are significant. For example, in a sample of 1,379 women who took at least one dose, 426 suffered from bleeding (30.89 percent); 189 nausea (13.71 percent); 184 fatigue (13.34 percent); 183 abdominal pain (13.27 percent), 142 headaches (10.3 percent) and other complications such as breast pain, dysentery, anxieties and dizziness.

Gabriel Roselló

Information Sciences President of the European Institute of Marketing

Provocative letter No. 2

I am honored to write to you about the dangers of black holes. There are maybe an infinity of extraterrestrials who search about it. To believe in them and in the UFOs, flying-saucers, are two different things. The universe is infinite or infinitely bigger than we believe (infinity of possibilities of bigness).

There can be some big bangs after some big crunches, some astronomically fast collisions. And they are said to be extremely far away, and if they exist; [you should] realize well that some astrophysicists said not very long ago that the universe was finite because we didn’t succeed to see farther than 15 milliards (billion light-years) times 10,000 milliards of kilometers. And if there is another universe other than ours, it is at least at 100 times the diameter of our universe (minimal relation of distance between the galaxies, or the planetary systems).

To speak of black holes, except as I did, can lead to increase the vivisection whereas it could have, moreover, some terrible metaphysical consequences.

There is something after death. I am sometimes warned of some dangerous events.

If you forbid the weapons of mass destruction, you risk inciting the intellectuals who have it, to get rid of them in … destroying all.

Georges Claude

via email

Provocative letter No. 3

I have read some articles and found them to be good.

I believe that a good writer who sees all that happens and analyzes it must be constantly in touch with the truthful sources of knowledge. In today’s world, there is a lot written and spoken on Islam/Muslims. But it is one-sided. You will hardly see a Muslim express his views (the other side that helps one reach the truth). Neither the experts or media are aware of the other side. Everyone suspects women’s rights in Islam, or the rights of minorities, or the concept of Jihad or sharia but haven’t read the Quran, nor the Hadith, which would make the basis of it.

I invite you to read Quran’s translation. Quran is the verbatim word of God told to Prophet Muhammad through angel Gabriel and preserved til today in both text and language, same in all times, same in all places and same for all sects. Sayings of Prophet Muhammad as a person, are called Hadith and don’t include the sayings of his companions nor those after him. It’s the biography of Muhammad and introduction to Islam. Muhammad was the last and final prophet to all mankind, his coming prophesied in all divine books (Hindu’s Vedas, Old and New Testament, in Dasatirs of Zoroastrians), but he is not God and not worshiped.

Islam and Muslims are the second biggest group in the world and in the U.S., and therefore sooner or later truthful information will start to appear in media. You should not only read the above but save them in a file as sometimes you may write on a Muslim event and such correct references will be handy. Also people hold journalists on much higher level of knowledge and so can ask you questions of all kinds and if they have from other sources also may respect for the correct reply. Quoting from correct sources increases the credibility of the paper and its contributors.

Muhammad Khan

via email