Letters to the editor Sept. 18

9/11 memorial was touching

On Sunday, my husband and I, along with some friends, attended the 9/11 10-year anniversary memorial at Mills Park pavilion. It was very touching and brought tears to our eyes. I am proud to say the pavilion was full. There were wonderful speakers, and it was quite obvious that a lot of work had gone into the planning.

After the program ended inside the pavilion, everyone spilled out onto the lawn, some had come prepared, toting their lawn chairs. Others sat on the grass or stood in the hot sun, some leaned on the bicycles they had ridden. The planners were prepared with free water for all who attended.

Still reeling from the IHOP tragedy, speakers Governor Sandoval and Sheriff Furlong so eloquently expressed what we were all feeling at the moment, overwhelming sadness for both, the 9/11 and the IHOP tragedy.

They then unveiled the piece of the I-beam from the twin towers. If a piece of rusted steel can be beautiful, it was beautiful in its representation of those who died and will never be forgotten. As you know, the I-beam will have a permanent home here soon.

As the program progressed, I found myself looking around at the crowd. What I saw were expressions of concern and tenderness. I felt a profound sense of pride in our community.

Thank you to all of you who put the memorial program together.

Judie Hartwick

Carson City

Clear link between education and crime

Governor Sandoval is anti-education and pro-crime. The solid link between education and crime has been well documented for decades.

According to the FBI, 49 states have a lower per capita crime rate than Nevada. (The 2011 World Almanac, page 129.) Of everyone in U.S. state prisons, 40 percent are not high school graduates and only 2 percent are college graduates.

Prior to his election, the governor called for massive cuts to education. His policies will lead to more taxes for police departments, more taxes for court costs, and more taxes for prisons.

For decades, Nevada education has been underfunded compared to other states. This has contributed to the state having low high school and college graduation rates.

The media should ask Governor Sandoval what decade he came to believe there is or there is not a clear link between education and crime.

Mark Bird

Las Vegas

Writer questions accuracy of historical document

In the ongoing debate over Nevada's oldest settlement, Dayton spokesmen have long relied upon the Lucena Parsons 1851 emigrant trail diary to buttress their claim. The brochure issued by the town's chamber of commerce proudly devotes to Parsons four paragraphs in an attempt to stake its claim as Nevada's oldest.

It has now been determined that the original of that handwritten diary does not exist, and thus the earliest reference to the diary is at Stanford University Library in a 1928 typescript entitled "The Woman in the Sunbonnet," edited by two Bay Area women, Elizabeth and Elene Wilber.

These sisters wrote poetry, music and plays with strong western themes, and while doing so, the two women embellished the diary by unwittingly including several geographical errors and a few historical misstatements in the transcript. Henceforth, this Parson diary transcript should not be relied upon by historical researchers, and the Dayton claim of oldest settlement is similarly tainted.

What exists at the Stanford library served as the sole basis in 1983 for Kenneth Holmes' book, "An Overland Honeymoon," which reproduces the Parson transcript. During 1984-1993, that same editor issued an 11-volume set of numerous diaries authored by covered wagon women, and when introducing the Stanford typescript Holmes noted that the copyright was never perfected. This further renders questionable Parson's diary as a historical document.

Stanley Paher

Reno

Article of jobs bill was riddle with opinion

Opinions go in editorials; facts go in news. Coverage of the president's jobs speech is a good example of doing it wrong. "...Obama sought to achieve..." How do you know what he was seeking? It looked like that was his goal, but that is just your opinion, not a fact. "...Obama sought to put himself..." How do you know?

Also, he challenged Congress to pass his jobs bill. That bill does not exist; he has not offered it. That is a fact.

He uses his teleprompter well, though. That is an opinion. See the difference?

Dave Campbell

Carson City

Congress' gun control bill not in Nevada's interest

ProgressNow Nevada's members offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the deplorable shooting. It is never a good time to talk about gun violence, but it's harder to live with the grim realities of illegal guns.

Congress is considering the National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act - a bill that would override Nevada's ability to determine who can possess a concealed weapons permit.

It's not in the state's best interest to allow those with permits issued in states with lax regulations to carry concealed weapons within our borders. But that's what H.R. 822 would do.

The bill was up for a public hearing Sept. 13. Congress needs to hear from Carson City.

Nevada laws should govern our lives. Please join us in sending a message to Congress. We've partnered with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of 600 mayors, who oppose H.R. 822.

If you're interested in adding your voice to our message to Congress, please visit us at http://www.OurLivesOurLaws/pnnv.

Erin Neff

Las Vegas

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