Letters for March 20, 2008

Immigrant aid
The government’s current ways of thinking on the issue of immigration is not going to rectify the problem we face; it is only making it worse. Immigration has become one of the largest issues in the United States, yet we have done nothing to try and pacify it. The majority of the illegal immigrants who reside within our borders are here just to make a life for themselves and their families. They come here to work, and many of them work the jobs that we refuse to do because they require too much work for too little pay. They work long days in harsh conditions for small amounts of pay, yet they complete the job they come to do. Not all immigrants come here and live off the system. Many spend years trying to become legal and permanent residents, but we have made it such a dreadful process that it is almost impossible. It takes so much time that many take the risk of losing jobs and pay, and many would rather take the risk being deported. Without immigrants willing to do low ranked jobs, the economy can start to face the impacts of those actions.

If we are a nation of mixed nations where we promote the equality of all men in no regard to their color or race, we must learn to amend the problems we face with immigration policies and provide immigrants with a stronger chance of becoming citizens and giving them a system that is willing to work with them in a much more timely manner so that they can one day become part of the legacy that the United States has been known for.

Kelsey Ditty
Reno

Missed some stuff
Re “Garbage Patch Kids” (Greenspace, March 13):

The paragraph about phthalates is incomplete. Here is what is missing from the paragraph: (1) Polyvinyl chloride is made with phthalates, most, if not all, of the rest of plastics, such as, to name only a few, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) for soda bottles, HDPE (high-density polyethylene)for milk jugs and laundry containers. PP (polypropylene) for yogurt cups and socks and long underwear is not made with phthalates. A call to a plastics teacher at a local university would have revealed this information. In addition PBDEs are used only in flame retardant applications. Food packaging and most clothing and toys don’t include PBDEs. (2) The article says plastics make take centuries to biodegrade. We don’t expect most anything we use in our society except our compost pile to biodegrade. Stuff that is thrown in the landfill is not composting, it is just sitting there. Stuff that is sent to incinerators is burnt and used for energy. Plastics can be burnt for energy. Does the writer’s community have a compost facility, landfill or incinerator as part of waste management? That would be a good visit to understand how garbage is managed. (3) It would be good if the article described specific steps that people could help with the litter in the ocean. For example, don’t take plastic stuff to the ocean if you can’t be sure it won’t blow away. You could suggest that you write letters to your legislators to spend more money on litter clean-up, education against littering, enforcement against people who litter, enforcement against garbage trucks who spill garbage on the freeway, education and enforcement for boaters and ports on litter and product use on-board and disposal on-board, laws affecting cruise ships, fishing ships and the ships that bring products from other countries to the United States.

Ellen McDonald
Annapolis, MD

Wrath of God
Re “Hate speech puts First Amendment at risk” (Know You’re Right, March 13):

Thanks for reminding the rebels of Reno that there are prophets in this land—namely those at Westboro Baptist Church—and refreshing their memory about the core message, to wit, God hates America, God sent the shooter, God is your enemy, and America is doomed. Good job. The reason you think it’s a good idea to fill up your pages with vilification of those who kindly warned you to obey God so he would stop pouring his wrath out on you, is because you’re a stiff-necked, disobedient generation, who knows not God, and obeys not the gospel. God did that to you. God blessed this nation enormously; he gave you preachers who told you the truth; he made you a great nation. But you did not give God the glory. Several generations ago, this arrogant nation took the glory to itself, and began bragging about what a super power it is. Strutting around the world, you began installing “preachers” and picking “leaders” who told you a bunch of lies. You liked that. It enabled you to reach a divorce/remarriage rate that’s through the roof, to teach your children to fornicate by 14, and then you inevitably decided to also enable and embrace feces-eating fags. Did you really think God would stand by and let you flip him off daily and not deal with you? … You have a megaphone and platform. You should use it to warn people to flee the wrath of God. Instead, you encourage them to sin away their last split second of grace. So I have one final question for you arrogant fools: Have the Reno police caught the serial killer/rapist yet? I thought not. So how about if you quit wasting your energy on trying to scream the words of the prophets—who tell you the standard of God and are disinterested in your Godless standard—and start focusing your energy on making peace with the Lord your God—for real. God sent the shooter. God sent the killer. More and worse is coming.

Margie Phelps
Topeka, KS

Editor’s note: Ezekiel 13:9