Ballot questions can result in poor law

After reading the Review-Journal’s lead article on Thursday about the recently passed voter initiative mandating background checks for firearm transfers, I was struck by the irony of Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford’s remarks. Mr. Ford laments that the attorney general has “succumbed to out-of-state special interests.”

The irony lies in the fact that the background check law itself resulted from Nevada voters succumbing to out-of-state special interests.

Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety, a national political activist organization, filed the initiative and used its considerable financial resources to dupe Nevada voters with a profoundly deceptive campaign promising that such a law was sound and essential to the public safety of Nevadans. In reality, the passage of this initiative is simply the first step of the orchestrated strategy of Everytown for future ineffective and unreasonable gun control measures in Nevada.

This is yet another reminder of how poor legislation can result from voter initiatives, especially ones crafted by out-of-state vested interests focused on a national agenda with little regard for the actual interests of the people of Nevada. As evidenced by the result, this background check initiative was bad law.

It is time again for the voters of Nevada to allow their elected representatives in the Legislature to consider whether such a law serves the interests of Nevada. And I hope that can be done without the interference and propaganda presented from an elitist east coast special-interest group.

Robert Hodges

Henderson

Not caving

“A two-state solution” is the modern day “final solution” for Israel. Just like, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” the crocodile gradually lures Goldilocks up his snout for eventual consumption. The ultimate “solution” now is that Israel and its Jews are to be subjugated or drown in the Mediterranean.

Biblical history: God gave the eastern section (Levant) of the Mediterranean to Jews. From that, Israel occupies an itty-bitty section, the size a bit smaller than New Jersey, of which 65 percent is desert. Of that, Israel will not give away or divide the eternal capital of Jerusalem. Technically, Tel Aviv is the capital.

Muslims have 50 countries. Two or three touching countries need to portion off a section of their land for their brethren. India gave the Muslims Pakistan. Jordan has a high percentage of Palestinians. That should be their homeland.

Israel is not caving. It has the defenses, offenses, intelligence, fortitude and resilience of 5,777 years to keep its existence.

Ardelle Bellman

Las Vegas

Liberal hyperbole

Regarding Carol Kerner’s Dec. 28 letter, “Terror and grief,” my first question is: How old is this person? If she is under 25, she might possibly be excused for her extreme reaction to having her hopes dashed. My next question is: Does she know terror?

Many were not happy when Barack Obama was elected, but I never heard of anyone thinking they were being “terrorized” — discouraged, dismayed, disgusted and even heartsick, but not terror-stricken. This, too, shall pass.

I hope in the next few years those who are feeling “terrorized” will gain a better understanding of how the world works. Perhaps for a clearer perspective, they should think about joining the Peace Corps or a refugee assistance organization and see how the other 90 percent of the world lives.

Robin Skone-Palmer

Las Vegas