Extremists also exist in Christianity
To the editor:
In Michael Kelly’s letter, “Islamic political correctness” (Wednesday Review-Journal), he writes that, “No one is willing to call jihad for what it is, a fanatical fringe of the Islamic religion that is dedicated to spreading through violent means its version of Islam.” Substituting the words “Christian” and “Christianity” shows that the opposite side of that coin is also true.
Ultra right-wing Christians use violent means to spread their version of Christianity. The law of “love thy neighbor as thyself” is the foundation of the Christian doctrine. One can disagree with someone’s lifestyle choices, but saying that someone who doesn’t share another’s beliefs should die is the same way all extremists use religion to force their beliefs on others — through fear.
White supremacist groups kill minorities in the name of Christianity, and religious groups with whom they disagree have their institutions burned and otherwise desecrated. While the radical Islamists may be Muslim, not all Muslims are radical Islamists. That’s like saying that all Christians spend their days bombing abortion clinics; those types don’t represent Christianity any more than the Westboro Baptist Church does.
JIM GRAHAM
LAS VEGAS
Reunion Trail Park
To the editor:
The Review-Journal article “Henderson park to receive improvements” (June 12) discussed the Henderson Parks and Recreation improvement project for Reunion Trail Park, at a cost of nearly half a million dollars. This park improvement project was awarded to JNJ Engineering Construction, located in Hildale, Utah — a town noted for its polygamist practices and beliefs made famous by convicted child molester Warren Jeffs.
Jacob Jessop, an owner of JNJ construction, is a follower and member of the hierarchy of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS). KLAS-TV and the Review-Journal did stories on Jessop, his large home in the valley and his 14 children and three wives. Jessop refused to answer pertinent questions from reporters, who looked into complaints from neighbors regarding construction on his land.
The Jessop name is synonymous with polygamy in the Colorado City and Hildale enclaves of Arizona and Utah. The Mormon faith doesn’t recognize the FLDS. Yet the city of Henderson granted a $475,000 project to the out-of-state company for city park improvements. Did this project go out for bids? Why was an out-of-state company selected, rather than a local company? And why use a company that supports the unlawful practice of polygamy? I wonder if Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen will explain this situation.
DAVE SEYLER
HENDERSON
Dodging death penalty
To the editor:
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who killed 16 innocent civilians in Afghanistan, many of whom were women and children while asleep in their villages, has allegedly stated that, “There’s not a good reason in this world for why I did the horrible things I did.” Sgt. Bales submitted his guilty plea, which allowed him to avoid the death penalty (“U.S. soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre,” June 5 Review-Journal).
Surely, the judge was aware that some of the relatives of those innocent victims have vowed to retaliate by murdering some of our brave and innocent military personnel currently serving in Afghanistan, in the event Sgt. Bales’ life was spared.
Apparently, the judge reached a conclusion that there was a good reason for Sgt. Bales’ action in taking the lives of innocent victims, notwithstanding Sgt. Bales’ self-serving statement to the contrary in order to save his own life.
I believe that a good reason existed for Sgt. Bales to forfeit his life for the actions he took.
I hope the relatives of the brave men and women currently serving in Afghanistan will not ultimately be burying any of their loved ones as a direct result of the incomprehensible actions of both the presiding judge and Sgt. Bales.
QUILLA J. BATSON
LAS VEGAS
