Letters to the editor

Try this catch-phrase on for size

So Carson City is looking for a catch-phrase to lure in tourist dollars. With the increase in new hotel rooms, I'm sure we can handle any extra business we get. Carson City's catch-phrase will have to incorporate our rich history and abundant scenery around us, so we need to include Lake Tahoe and Virginia City to some extent. Well, I have the perfect hook - first picture the famous image of the 19th century miner, on bended knee, at his feet, Lake Tahoe, behind the lake the Capitol building, and behind that, Virginia City, with the catch phrase...

"CARSON CITY- NEVADA'S MOTHERLODE OF FUN AND FORTUNE."

Brian Brabazon

Carson City

Please avoid stereotyping

It's a shame that in 2006 we are still pointing fingers at the wrong crowd. To all of you out there who thought that the graffiti was done by a Mexican/Hispanic kid, guess what? This time it wasn't. It just goes to show you that there is bad in every race, and we should stop stereotyping. I am also Mexican, Mrs. Letter Writer, and I think you should have a little more faith in our race. We are not all here to commit crimes. I, too, love this country and this town.

Ana Fernandez

Carson City

Immigrants have much in common with our ancestors

Racism and nationalism are twin animals, hard-hearted, immune to reason, and very dangerous if left to grow. The beasts themselves don't do evil; they just inspire it in others. The current anti-Hispanic attitude, thinly disguised as wanting to protect our national borders, is a creature from that same family, and it is becoming very, very dangerous.

The "law-be-damned" attitude of people with the courage to risk their lives to make a better life for themselves and their families is a long- standing American tradition. Most of white America is keenly aware that our European ancestors came here uninvited, looking for a better life. Except for the names and a few other changes, the story's the same one with today's Mexican immigrants.

Many of us have been around long enough to see first-generation Mexican immigrants work hard to educate their children and teach them moral responsibility and a strong work ethic. We've seen second-generation Mexican Americans become civic leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs who add value to this country. And we understand the math that, with a dying/retiring generation of white baby boomers and zero-growth white American families, somebody's got to be the fresh blood paying into the Social Security system to keep it alive.

People don't immigrate to this country because we have taller mountains, deeper lakes, bluer skies or greener grass. Although our political climate is (debatably) better, that's not the attraction either. It's all about the economy.

We Americans have a pie, and everyone wants a piece. It is unavoidable that we are going to share this pie with our neighbors to the south. We can either take steps toward helping their own economy prosper, making it unnecessary to leave Mexico to enjoy the good life, or we can face the fact that no wall is so tall that it can't be dug under, climbed over, or gone around.

One way or another, we are going to be helping our brothers and sisters to the south, and like it or not, the complexion of this country is never going to be all white again. And thank God for that!

John Whaley

Carson City

Illegal workers drive down wages

I would like to pipe up and add my 2 cents on illegal immigrants. The problem is not really that they are here, the problem is they are here WORKING. The group that supports illegal immigrants lie to say that they do jobs that Americans won't do. This is true, but they also do jobs that Americans will do, if it was not for the fact that cheap labor keeps wages down.

I work in an industry in which 30 years ago a man could live on the pay he made. He could have a car, house and, if smart, he could send his kids to college. Now the wage is $10 an hour, $2 more than in 1975.

The real problem is the employers go out of their way to hire only illegal immigrants. They would not be here if the jobs were not here for them. I think there should be real criminal penalties for employers who do this.

Mark Holder

Dayton