LETTERS: Woman who shot stalker merits praise

To the editor:

Regarding the story on Dasia Washington, I am glad she is still alive because of a gun (“Las Vegas woman shoots stalker,” Saturday Review-Journal). Ms. Washington was stalked and terrorized for several months. She did everything she was supposed to do, including filing a restraining order and calling the police multiple times.

Her stalker tried to break into her house four times previously. When he got in this time, Ms. Washington grabbed her gun and saved her life by shooting this madman. If she didn’t have her gun, she would probably be dead right now, holding that restraining order.

So where are all the women’s rights groups, celebrating Ms. Washington’s heroic action? None will be found, because when a woman saves herself with a firearm, it goes against the agenda of most of these groups. I wish more stalker stories ended like this, but sadly, many people think a restraining order is enough. A woman’s best defense is to train with a firearm and always have it by her side.

CHARLES MAZZA

LAS VEGAS

Stadium not a winner

To the editor:

Let me see if I can let this sink into my thick skull for a moment. Our beloved Las Vegas City Council is contemplating whether to allow a privately held company to build a soccer stadium in Symphony Park. May I be naive enough to ask why? Is it because there is an empty piece of ground there? No, I’m told it’s so we can secure a Major League Soccer franchise. And one of the selling points is, if the team doesn’t meet attendance goals, we the taxpayer get to help out with operating costs. Not to mention what we will be asked to chip in to build the place.

A few more questions come to mind. Where will people park? If there are events at the stadium and The Smith Center on the same evening, isn’t this a nightmare scenario? The traffic would be like bumper cars. Are we willing to back a potentially losing franchise? Will people pay for the not-so-cheap seats to watch two teams kick a ball around for a couple of hours, with a potential outcome of a 0-0 tie?

Las Vegas likes winners. When UNLV men’s basketball was hot in the late 1980s and early ’90s, you couldn’t get a seat. After that, you could go to a game at the Thomas &Mack Center, yell and hear an echo. The Canadian Football League and Arena Football League have tried and failed here. The Wranglers and 51s have had winning seasons but few capacity crowds.

A partially publicly funded arena and an iffy MLS team doesn’t sound like a winning formula. All of the great minds in our wonderful city need to come up with a better solution than this.

RICHARD RASMUSSEN

LAS VEGAS

Minimum wage

To the editor:

Regarding Bradley Kuhns’ letter (“Let marketplace set minimum wage,” Sept. 15 Review-Journal), perhaps his theory that jobs at fast-food franchises be considered part-time work should carry over to include franchise owners. If indeed the profit margin for these franchises is as small as Mr. Kuhns suggests, then maybe these owners should treat their franchises as a part-time venture and seek alternate or supplemental forms of employment.

If wages were increased, all franchises would be in the same boat and would have to raise their prices. But fast food is here to stay and remains a cheaper alternative and less time consuming than eating at home. As a plus, people working two or three minimum wage jobs could cut back to one job with decent wages, freeing up one or two positions for the large percentage of people seeking employment.

I assume that senior McDonald’s executives are living quite well on considerably more than $8 or $9 per hour.

GALEN RICHTER

LAS VEGAS

Troubled administration

To the editor:

It is no surprise that Julia Pierson resigned as director of the Secret Service. The administration has been riddled with corruption, incompetence and a lack of leadership, plaguing the White House since Barack Obama was elected president. This president cannot deny the numerous problems on his watch, and Attorney General Eric Holder — who also is resigning — was responsible for many of these problems.

Citizens of this great nation have watched the continued decline of respect for the United States. A buzz phrase commonly used by those in the administration is, “I’ll take responsibility,” knowing full well that it means nothing. Hillary Clinton has said as much, and she may become the next president. Mr. Holder has used his position to promote racism and did nothing to correct voter intimidation in the 2008 election. Mr. Holder’s highly publicized role in the Fast &Furious operation resulted in the death of an American citizen, yet again, he remains unaccountable.

President Obama has gutted the military, with disastrous results, and his golf game and vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard take precedence over leadership priorities. This president’s only skill is articulation, and even that is wearing thin with the voters of both political parties.

GERET KRITZER

LAS VEGAS