Letters to the editor for Friday, March 7, 2014

Nation isn’t ready for attack on power grid

While watching the Jeanine Pirro show on Fox News the other night, I was surprised to learn that the leadership of our country has done practically nothing to protect this country from the very real threat of an attack on our electrical power grid infrastructure. Whether the attack comes in a physical form, such as what happened in the Silicon Valley a few weeks ago, hackers gaining control via the internet or a possible Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack that could render all electrical devices and vehicles useless. Perhaps citizens would rather employ the “head in the sand” approach to preparation and not worry about it. Kind of like what people do about earthquake preparedness.

Let us suppose that one day you wake up to find that all electrical power is off. No television or radio service is available. Cell phones, computer, iPads, etc., are not working. Even battery powered radios are not working. What do you do? How do you feed yourself and your family? How do you stay warm if it happens in winter or cool in summer? Do you have an emergency supply of food, water and a way to prepare the food? Do you know in what order to consume the perishable food you have on hand in your refrigerator? Will you just rely on the kindness of others to help you or maybe blind luck?

Don’t just stumble along blindly thinking that nothing will happen. Like the old Boy Scout motto; be prepared, or not!

David Knighton

Carson City

Columnist wrongly blasts Burning Man

Last year, at the age of 71, I attended my first ever Burning Man festival. I was not there for just one day as Guy W. Farmer was in 2008, but for 6 days. It was an incredible experience, a gathering of like-minded people working together to create an experience of a lifetime. The handmade art, non of which was pornographic, was awe inspiring.

Keep in mind this is not a public event. Every person in attendance is there of their own volition. As to drugs, the only one I observed being consumed was alcohol. I observed no illegal drug use, no sex acts in public or children in areas they should not have been in, and I road my bicycle around the various streets, about 10 miles each day. Was there nudity? Of course there was. But given the amount of people there, I would say it was a small percentage of the 40,000 plus participants.

It is obvious that Guy’s views of this festival are not those of a person that has an open mind, but that of a closed, prejudiced one.

As to the Black Rock City LLC making a profit from the festival, his article did not indicate that they made one or if it was unreasonable, only that there was a gross income of $20 million. What was their profit margin? Was it larger than Chase, or Morgan Stanley or any of the other large corporations? I bet not. As a Republican, he should be supportive of businesses making money and supporting our local economy. How many local businesses bring in the kind of money this festival does?

Should children be allowed to attend the festival? I believe this is a parental decision and not one the government or Guy Farmer should make. I thought the Republican platform called for less government intrusion in our lives, not more. And yes, I am returning again this year.

George J. Gosselin

Carson City