Letters for July 17, 2008

Separate but equal
Re “'I do'” (Feature story, July 3):

The core of the gay marriage question is not whether same-sex couples should marry, but whether they can. Marriage is more than a civilized idea; it is a mystical union on multiple levels: spiritual, biological, chemical, emotional. I think of marriage as being like epoxy that comes in a package with two separate syringes. The chemical contents of the syringes are opposites designed to mate with each other. When they are combined—when they marry—they form an entirely new and far stronger compound. The resulting marriage is intended to be irreversible, so any attempt at separation (after it dries) usually wreaks destruction. The differences between men and women are mysterious yet undeniable, forever the subjects of poetry and humor. Men and women are opposites, which is to say they are spiritually, chemically, and emotionally designed to mate with each other. They are, in short, different.

Obviously, the concept of marriage is deeply rooted in biology and the ability to conceive new life. The physical evidence is obvious enough for most people. She’s got a socket in the same location that he has a plug. When the two meet, humans get to participate in a miracle called life. The resulting offspring even looks like the combination of Mom and Dad. That’s both the root of marriage and an eloquent picture of it. However much we might wish to celebrate tolerance, we cannot overcome certain realities, any more than two syringes containing the same component of epoxy can chemically bond. We could mix them together, stir them up, put them in a bottle, and attach a label reading “a marriage,” but that does not make it so. Not even if we can get everyone to agree with us.

Eric Robinson
Carson City

Who cares what it cost?
Re “Who was in charge here” (Upfront, July 3):

Your story brings up many problems. The first in my opinion is the actual controversy for the cost and length of the search. Yes, the controversy is the actual problem. I would be proud to say it was me that extended the search and gave the order to pay. Steve Fossett was a great American, and we do not just leave great Americans to hang out to dry after 48 hours. Did the U.S. Navy stop looking for Amelia Earhart after 48 hours? Did the U.S. government send her mother a bill for two destroyers that looked for her at great length? Of course not! America is the greatest country in the world, and one of the reasons is people like Steve Fossett. Fossett was a man that showed the world that we Americans are a great people. So shame on this duck-and-cover mentality, and I say cheers to Nevada for being the great state to pull out all the stops and look for this wonderful lost man.

Patrick Nolan
Menlo Park, CA

Close the door
Re “Water fight” (News, May 22):

On March 11, the people asked the Washoe County Commissioners to please put a water planning advisory question on the ballot. The response from the chairman? “Go home and watch Oprah.”

The people didn’t go home—you rolled up your sleeves and went to work. Hundreds of you worked tirelessly for the last 90 days to collect over 28,000 signatures—more than 10,000 names over the required number. That is a county record and one-quarter of all Washoe County voters!

The City Council said you were just the same 200 people who always complained. 28,000 of you are not complaining. You’re working proactively to inject common sense into water planning.

A sleeping giant has been awakened. We know that local governments have approved land use plans for 1.2 million people when we have water for only 600,000. We know that water planning is too important to leave to them, and to the developers. It’s up to us to organize and fight for what we know is right.

This is a wake up call to local governments and developers. The people have spoken. You’ve worked your keesters off and will not rest until a law is passed that bases land use planning on sustainable water supply.

Our state is blessed with incredibly beautiful wild and natural areas. This initiative will go a long way to making sure our grandkids enjoy those areas as much as we have. We are also facing $5 billion in unfunded liabilities in the next decade for schools, highways, roads and other infrastructure costs. This initiative will force local governments to approve reasonable and affordable growth plans.

The fight is just beginning. The moneyed interests, to whom short-term financial gain is everything, have us in their sights. We need volunteers, money and public support to win in November.

Thank you to all the volunteers, to all the people who signed the petitions, to everyone who spoke to their neighbors about signing the petitions, and to all of you who will continue to work until we achieve victory on November 8!

Bob Fulkerson
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada