Letters for November 6, 2003

Nowhere in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ literature does it say that concern for animals means lack of concern for people. In fact, PETA reminds us that a community’s health can be judged by how well it treats its animals. The link between tolerating violence toward animals and tolerating violence toward people is well established. In her letter, Ms. Babione created the idea that people who abhor the torture and murder of chickens in factory farming do not care about the populations of people she mentioned. Using the same distorted thinking, perhaps I could say that since she only cares about some groups of animals, then perhaps she only cares about some groups of people? The least you can do, Ms. Babione, is to know something about your subject matter before subjecting us to your support of heinous treatment of any animal.

Caron Tayloe
via fax

Speeders not tweekers
Re “Reno narcs” [RN&R, Cover story, Oct. 16]:

I would feel safer if my tax dollars were spent by our police force to step up the enforcement of speed limits in residential areas. My neighborhood is close to downtown, and I see people speed in this area all the time. The fact that they are going 40 miles per hour in a place where people live, children play and dogs and cats roam seems to have little importance to them. By actually enforcing the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit in residential areas, the RPD would not only generate revenue for the city, but would make our neighborhoods safer and raise the quality of life.

In contrast, we’ve been fighting the War on Drugs for about 20 years, spending billions of taxpayer dollars and have not one positive thing to show for it. Drug use and availability have not gone down, prisons are overcrowded, and the black market created by the Drug War continues to thrive. I’m constantly surprised that local law enforcement continues to waste its resources on a war that perpetuates its own existence. Drug use is a health and social issue, and has been a part of human culture ever since humans have had a culture. Putting people in jail for something they have always done just creates more problems and doesn’t solve anything.

I’m asking RPD to change its priorities. Start enforcing the speed limit in residential areas. School zones are excellent examples of enforcement working. Practically nobody speeds in a school zone; the risk isn’t worth the consequences, and everybody knows why it’s wrong. It’s a lot harder to say the same for drug use and dealing.

Dennis Fecko
Reno

Good job
Re “Finding normal” [RN&R, Cover story, Oct. 30]:

I’m writing in response to the article “Finding Normal” by Miranda Jesch. Susan Williams is my mom. Thank you, Reno News & Review, for letting such an incredible woman be the voice for so many survivors of breast cancer in the Reno/Sparks area. I have always been proud of my mom’s strength and wit, but never so much as I was while she so gracefully traversed the crisis of breast cancer largely on her own (my brother and I have both left the area), but with the help of a few good friends. Even as she found the lump during one of our nightly phone conversations, she revealed no fear to me at the time, though she later confessed that at that moment, she knew in her heart it was cancer. I flew out for the “coming out” party, and as we prepared for the party, I marveled at how strong and at ease she appeared, discussing the coming medical ordeal she was facing. I am in such awe of this incredible, beautiful, strong, witty woman, whom I am lucky enough to call Mommy. Brava, Miranda, brilliantly written—and I’m not just saying that because my mom’s in it!

Lynnay Carona
via e-mail

“God” means nothing
Re “*%$# Bless America” [RN&R, News, Oct. 23]:

The most liberal of the judges on the U.S. Supreme Court have issued opinions, as long as five years ago, that terms like “God” and “In God we trust,” are recited by rote repetition and thus not a statement of religious significance. They really don’t care about this issue. So why should Sparks City Attorney Chet Adams?

The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the 10 Command-ments stay in the courthouse in Pennsylvania because they represented a “historical” document and were not making an evangelical statement.

You also failed to mention that Daily Sparks Tribune columnist, Andy Barbano called for the resignation of Mayor Armstrong, and the five councilmen who were telephoned polled against the ruling of the Nevada Supreme Court. [You also failed to mention] Mayor Armstrong’s hubris in bringing this to the nation spotlight in the media.

Can we please as a society and culture shift through the “red herrings” and get to the serious issues that we face?

John Fisher
Reno