Levitan a clown, not a columnist

To the editor:

“Fear and Loafing” columnist Corey Levitan is not a cantor. For this he is not to be faulted because of his lack of training.

Mr. Levitan, by training, is supposed to be a journalist. Sadly, his most recent column (Monday, “No he cantor!”) demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge and a glaring absence of accuracy and objectivity — qualities which his career training should have nurtured in him.

Mr. Levitan’s glib misrepresentations about Reform Judaism were not just erroneous, but disgusting and hurtful. His conclusions were untrue and wrong.

He should be ashamed. He is entitled to his opinions. However, to offer opinion in the garb of fact is professionally dishonest, a huge disservice to the Review-Journal’s readership and a disrespect to Reform Jews.

Being a clown and imposter is one thing, but denigrating a religious faith is another.

Rabbi Kenneth I. Segel

LAS VEGAS

Slighting a faith

To the editor:

As the rabbi of the largest and oldest Reform synagogue in Nevada, I take umbrage at Corey Levitan’s slight on Reform Judaism (Monday Review-Journal).

While I admire his desire to educate the population about the cantorate, and the venerable Temple Beth Sholom is an excellent temple to emulate, his comment that a Reform temple “quite possibly would have allowed me to go-go dance on the pulpit while mixing milk with meat” only serves to reinforce negative stereotypes about the Reform movement.

Mr. Levitan’s slight knowledge of Reform Judaism, the largest movement of Judaism in the United States, suggests that Mr. Levitan should stick with his day job.

Rabbi Sanford Akselrad

HENDERSON

Overreaction

To the editor:

Last week’s commentary by Dani Doane is a great example of the average American’s inability to accurately assess risk.

Ms. Doane is almost hysterical over the amount of mercury released by breaking a single compact fluorescent light bulb on her living room floor.

She was gripped by fear for the health of her and her children and is willing to discard a $300 vacuum cleaner, which she used to pick up the broken glass. Yes, she should avoid breathing in the almost infinitesimal amount of mercury released into the room.

It would be a good idea to air out the room.

But if she doesn’t, it is not going to permanently damage her or her children’s health. Throw the vacuum bag away and take the vacuum outside her house and run it for a few minutes. That is all it should take to “save” her $300 vacuum.

In talking with friends and co-workers over the age of 50, I could not find a single individual who had not taken a bead of mercury and used it to brighten the surface of a silver quarter.

No one.

Somehow, even though we probably held that bead of mercury and the quarter in our hands, we all survived, and none of us came down with Mad Hatter’s disease (mercury poisoning).

I hope we are all a bit smarter these days. If Ms. Doane were really concerned about our exposure to mercury, she would be out there lobbying for us to burn less coal, the biggest source of mercury ending up in our food and in the air we breathe. Every ton of coal we burn sends mercury up the smokestack.

RICHARD D. FLOTARD

LAS VEGAS

Offensive plate

To the editor:

I recently saw a personalized Nevada license plate that read LTN PWR. I’m no genius, but I interpret that as “Latino power.” I am assuming this shows the driver’s perception that Latinos are a superior race. This is disgusting.

What if a white person or black person were to have a plate that says WHT PWR or BLK PWR?

In fact, the DMV plate personalization Web site will not let you choose WHT PWR, but it will let you choose BLK PWR.

What about all the other races that you could apply this to? A person could even request a personalized plate such as LA RAZA (meaning “the race,” which is reference to the National Council of La Raza, which assumes those of Hispanic descent are superior).

Last year, I remember the news that North Las Vegas resident Stacy Moore had her license plate of 20 years recalled, because it read XSTACY. I am appalled that LTN PWR, something far more offensive than “ecstasy” is allowed to be used.

I have e-mailed the DMV, and they advised me to fill out a complaint form on their Web site — and the form is nowhere to be found there. I am appalled, disgusted and outraged.

George Bessey

LAS VEGAS