Good Ol’ Boys like Raggio on the way out

To the editor:

Across the nation, people are following the Angle-Reid Senate race. As I read about 83-year-old Republican state Sen. Bill Raggio endorsing Democrat Harry Reid (Friday Review-Journal) over his fellow Republican, I thought:

"How sad that in his waning years, Sen. Raggio uses one of his last headlines to settle some old score with candidate Angle. Like all the Good Ol' Boys facing the end of a political career, he chose not to go out with dignity and grace, but rather in a desperate effort to settle some old score that should have been forgotten."

That is what we the public are sick of, and it will play a huge role in the departure of many Good Ol' Boys in November's election.

William Riley

Soap Lake, Wash.

Hard work

To the editor:

Twenty-five years ago I was making $17,000 a year. I had to borrow money from my parents to pay the rent. I lived on rice crackers for an entire week. Did I consider myself to be poor, underprivileged? No. I considered myself to be in transition. I had a long-term plan.

Now I make 10 times what I made in 1985. How did that happen? Luck? Government job? Influential parents? Life of crime (i.e., Wall Street consultant)? None of the above. Quite simply, I worked my butt off. I worked nights, weekends and holidays. I worked when I was sick, when I was in pain, when I hated my job and when I just didn't feel like it. I honed my skills. I paid my dues. I am good at my job. Every single thing I have, I earned myself.

My spouse works full-time, too. Imagine our surprise -- we're rich! According to the president, anyway. And our taxes are going up next year because we can "afford it." I guess we'll have to keep the old Hyundai another year -- can't afford the Maserati now. I really don't mind paying for basic social safety nets -- I don't. There are spoken and unspoken social contracts in everything -- marriage, job, religion, village, country.

But when is it enough? When does the government stop taking my money (and it is mine) and giving it to someone else?

What I find profoundly dismaying is the sneering contempt leveled at people like me because we object to more of the money we earn from working hard being given to those who don't.

J. Daluga

Henderson

Debate team

To the editor:

I found Vin Suprynowicz's Sunday column to be quite disturbing ("Lie face down and let yourself be cuffed?"). In it, Mr. Suprynowicz generally objects to the notion that citizens should have to obey the commands of police officers.

He specifically asks for the source of a statute that requires us to do what the police say. He also wonders why concealed weapons permit holders are occasionally asked to lay down on the ground and be handcuffed until investigating police officers get control of a situation.

Of course, there is no such statute, and the number of police shootings that result in death (still tragic) are statistically insignificant when you consider the number of violent/nonviolent confrontations that occur every day in the life of a cop.

As for the concealed weapon comment, having such a permit allows one to carry a gun but no additional constitutional rights are conferred on such a person. In fact, one might argue that there are a lot of extra responsibilities that attach.

Why should citizens obey police officers? The answer is simple -- the police and other agencies like the military and firefighters help us maintain an orderly society. They protect us from the bad guys and we must give them the benefit of the doubt.

I am sure Mr. Suprynowicz would like to see all police officers trained as sociologists and debate. Just think, they could interrupt a home invasion and conduct a lively discussion with the perpetrators about probable cause, the fairness of our judicial system and whether it would be appropriate to arrest anybody. They could even discuss concealed weapon permits.

In the real world, of course, police officers have to make lightning-fast decisions every day. Their lives and the lives of innocent bystanders could be at risk. Bottom line? When a cop tells you to do something, do it. If your rights are being violated, sue the Police Department later.

In the final analysis, I would rather have highly trained, professional, no-nonsense police officers keeping me safe than a bunch of debate teams from Metro.

JAMES ARMSTRONG

LAS VEGAS

Going broke

To the editor:

What a surprise. For the second year in a row Social Security payments are frozen. Try to do that to teachers, police officers, firefighters or anybody else in a public-sector union. Maybe the AARP will rethink its support for Barack Obama and his spending spree, supported by Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Dina Titus.

Why not start a senior citizens union?

Harry Reid's ObamaCare program resulted in a major medical insurance increase for us. Next year's tax increases -- we know it's coming, Harry -- will add to the burden. The tried-and-proven smear campaign tactics of Harry and Dina will get them re-elected, and Joe and Jane Public, the private sector, will be driven to the poorhouse where the progressives want them.

Little do they understand that we are the goose with the golden eggs -- until they have killed us off.

Once we are broke, everyone goes broke.

HANS BOHN

LAS VEGAS