Letters for November 29, 2018

Prayer’s the solution

With the newest election results, and a few new blue seat holders, the price of firearms and ammunition will rise. Never forget, the average, honest, law-abiding person does not have the armed guards that Ms. Pelosi and liberal movie stars have.

Those like Ms. Pelosi feel totally justified in having a method of defense, but her peon-like constituents simply can’t be trusted with personal defense tools.

Also we note, once again, we have a shooter, who rather than a local church or school, chose a rather safe country music place. There was, perhaps, a local outlaw biker place or maybe an MS13 hangout in the area, but again, he may have been nuts, but he wasn’t stupid.

Not many folks believe in prayer these days, but our country seriously needs more of it.

Ron Ryder

Fallon

Slow decline

For folks following peak oil, I learned today that the immediate problem appears to be declining diesel supplies. This could be both good and bad. Bad in the sense that our days of happy, whoopie car culture may be ending; good in the possibility that we may be facing a slow decline rather than a fast collapse. Yay?

Apparently, new discoveries of oil, particularly fracking and shale, do not provide as much diesel as other oils.

And as heavy oil supplies diminish, such users as ocean-going shipping will need to convert to diesel. This means, of course, less fuel available for our commercial trucks, and, obviously, the price will go up.

This means the cost will be felt down the line, and not only will essential items such as food, etcetera, become more pricey, but even—oh, my goodness—our toys will become more costly. Hopefully, as a civilization, we will make sure that important things have priority in the future.

My problem with being a Chicken Little is that, in most versions, he died in the end. Also, when one makes silly predictions, there is a lot of harsh backlash from those who believe the Earth has a gooey inexhaustible oil center.

Oh well, we really do need to conserve. The sky is falling!

Craig Bergland

Reno

Language alert

Re “Hammers and nails” (letters, Nov. 21):

Perhaps the closest any POTUS has ever gotten to assuming dictatorial powers was Abraham Lincoln.

He oversaw the confiscation of chattel property, taken and seized without payment. He was the first to enforce the conscription of soldiers. He abolished the right of habeas corpus. Under military need, he declared slaves to be free. History records that he once said, “My policy is to have no policy.” Sometimes dangerous times require unique leadership, not just in character but in style.

I neither voted for Donald Trump, nor am I a Trump apologist. I am, however, trying to understand a person who holds the most difficult job in the world during perilous and troubled times. From a southern border on the verge of collapse, to the worldwide threat posed by countries like North Korea and Iran, to anti-U.S. trade agreements, to immoral high prices for prescription medications, the current president has the daunting task of cleaning up the messes left by others before him.

The use of words like “robotic, lunatic, power-mad ignoramus,” “illiterate lout” and “fascist dictatorship” seem to add little to either understanding or solving the problems we face. They do seem, however, to stoke the fires of fear, bigotry and smear.

Thom Waters

Reno

Law and order man

Trump’s announcement that he would not seek justice for the brutal murder of a human being is a truly momentous event.

The details of his announcement are a complete admission that he’s not anything like the great negotiator he claimed to be and continues to claim to his base. If this president was truly a great negotiator, he would not let the Saudis hold his balls so tightly with a mythical promise of a trade deal. All he can do is allow them whatever they want without fear of retribution.

Great negotiator, my ass.

Michel Rottman

Virginia City Highlands