LETTERS: In FBI vs. Apple, government has consistently proven untrustworthy

There appears to be a serious difference of opinion between Apple and the FBI (“Apple bets big on public’s thirst for privacy,” Thursday Review-Journal). The FBI claims it needs encrypted information from the phone of the perpetrator of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif. The FBI hopes to “possibly” find additional information on a crime that has already been solved.

While on its face, this sounds like a reasonable request, one must consider the fact that there hasn’t been a single example of the government requesting access to personal information or privacy rights that it hasn’t abused, misused or lost control of. Examples include the multiple times personal financial and medical information has been illegally shared between agencies or hacked by numerous third parties. There is also the gross abuse of asset forfeiture laws, the NSA’s gathering of information without proper legal authority and numerous other infractions.

I love my country and sincerely wish I could believe government agencies are following the law and telling the truth on a fairly regular basis, but past events have proven me wrong. If the government wants more access to anything, let it prove it can be trusted. President Ronald Regan said “Trust, but verify.” It is time for the government to give a reason to first trust. Right now, I have trouble with that.

Gordon Soeder

Las Vegas

Payback for Bork

Regarding Steve Sebelius’ column on the Supreme Court vacancy (“Senators must live up to oath, or quit”) and Sen. Harry Reid’s op-ed (“Republicans shouldn’t obstruct progress”), both in Wednesday’s Review-Journal, I would say to all those who can’t wait to get another gun-banning, left-wing authoritarian bureaucrat onto the Supreme Court: Remember Robert Bork? By the time this process is over and done with, they will remember Mr. Bork. Welcome to payback.

John Duck

Las Vegas

Peaceful protesting

After reading the article on Cliven Bundy’s arrest, I was reminded of exactly what peaceful protesting is not (“Cliven Bundy charged,” Feb. 12 Review-Journal). Some Americans have forgotten what the right of people to peaceably assemble means, or what it means to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

A good role model would be the Southwest Airline pilots (“Pilots air grievances,” Feb. 11 RJ). They were neat, marched in an orderly fashion and carried signs that indicated dissatisfaction with their present financial situation. On the other hand, we have the Bundy protesters, armed to the teeth, taking over buildings and property, while intimidating other citizens at gunpoint. Some of the Black Lives Matter protesters caused mayhem in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore.

I don’t believe committing crimes such as vandalism, arson, waving guns or throwing projectiles at the police, or other mayhem in an attempt to get one’s way is what the framers of the Constitution had in mind when defining peaceful protests. Not only were the Bundy-related groups and the Black Lives Matter groups defiant to authorities, they subsequently cost the public loads of taxpayer dollars in property damage, along with human suffering.

Ron Moers

Henderson

Housing and water

Regarding the article on another housing development set for North Las Vegas (“Master-planned community could restore city’s luster,” Monday Review-Journal), where do builders think all the water will come from to supply these houses? The article noted that this project will have about 8,600 homes. Along with two other projects cited — one in Henderson, one in northwest Las Vegas — there are about 30,000 housing units planned for construction, and Lake Mead is still at a record low level.

This winter, although not quite over, is still not dumping record amounts of snowfall in the western Rocky Mountains. We will need another five to seven years of heavy snowfall to ever get back to the days of a “full” Lake Mead. At the rate we are drawing from the lake now, we might as well plan on renaming it. We could call it the Colorado River.

Jim Jackson

Las Vegas

UNLV basketball

I am a UNLV men’s basketball fan who would love to see Stacey Augmon get the coaching job. Las Vegas is turning out great athletes in several sports. It would follow that coaches for these sports are also being developed.

Look at how the entire city has embraced Tony Sanchez and his vision for UNLV football. Wouldn’t Stacey Augmon bring the same kind of homegrown enthusiasm for UNLV basketball? Please don’t make him pay for Dave Rice’s struggles.

Vicki Bennett

Las Vegas