Robinson deserves a national holiday

I enjoyed Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith’s April 19 commentary, “Robinson deserves wider U.S. recognition,” in which he praises Jackie Robinson, the first black to play major league baseball (1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers).

Mr. Smith advocates a national holiday to honor Mr. Robinson. I agree — and urge the president and Congress to this year approve such a holiday.

Jackie Robinson exemplifies what is great about America. In conducting himself throughout his baseball career with dignity — in a then-segregated country — he won the support and hearts of America. In doing so, he paved the way for future black and Hispanic baseball stars such as Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Alex Rodriguez.

Mr. Robinson and baseball should have a national day honoring both, therein showing what’s great about America.

Clyde Dinkins

Las Vegas

Obama woes

Barrack Obama has destroyed the best health-care system in the world with a plan that forces the middle class to subsidize insurance policies for low-income workers that have $5000 deductibles, which is basically no insurance at all. His arrogant, my-way-or-the-highway attitude has raised political partisanship to an all-time high.

Mr. Obama refuses to enforce the laws of the land, a violation of his sworn oath of office. His anti-business stance has resulted in the slowest economic recovery in our nation’s history. More black Americans were unemployed and on welfare under his watch than during any other administration. He has turned more than $150 billion in frozen assets over to Iran, the enemy of all the free world. He has flooded the public with lies about Benghazi, the IRS, job growth, climate change and terrorism.

His refusal to confront Syria has resulted in nearly 500,000 civilian deaths and a mass refugee exit that has flooded Europe, creating chaos. He helped ISIS grow with an early withdrawal of military force, giving the enemy a timeline for the troop withdrawal that encouraged them to hang on. His passive attitude has resulted in Russia and China expanding their sphere of influence in the east.

Brian Aiken

Las Vegas

DMV is cool

I always equated going to the DMV with going to the dentist, only worse. I never thought I would praise Caesar (the DMV). But I recently found out that you can now make an appointment for a DMV transaction without having to spend a whole day there.

If you get on the DMV website, you can make an appointment of your choice. Right now, not that many people know about this despite the DMV’s media effort to inform.

I made the appointment, went to the appointment window in Henderson a little bit before my appointed time and signed in. My number came up within six minutes of my appointed time. Amazing. I was out of there pronto.

Another surprise: When they took my picture, they asked me to smile. How different. I had no trouble smiling after that cool experience.

Jerry Gordon

Henderson