Letters to the editor for Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015

More on Stewart Indian School

Stewart Indian School did have at one time a museum and gift shop where the new welcome center is proposed.

During one Father’s Day Powwow several years ago, I met a Native American man finishing a beautiful painting on the front porch. Not in oils, but a mixture of his own, similar to acrylics.

He told me most of his paintings were of stories his grandfather had told him when he was a young boy. This one had Native designs all around the edges — a rose with no thorns, a rabbit and a snake. No, I don’t remember the story.

When the school was in operation, its band marched proudly in the Nevada Day Parade. It had a very good football team. The girls came into town on Saturdays to earn some extra money dusting, ironing and cleaning in households around the area. Most of the boys worked at Lake Tahoe, mainly at Thunderbird Lodge, a beautiful place.

Sherry Rupert and her family are certainly an inspiration to the Native Americans. Maybe Sherry will run for governor some day.

Sincerely,

Nancy Sweetland

Carson City

Cisco article doesn’t bode well for us

The Cisco article of Jan. 30 brought back memories of “Jurassic Park.” Jeff Goldblum’s comment that science is less concerned with whether it should do a thing than if it can.

These sweeping changes on the horizon bring with them a very real human impact, and I think it does not bode well for us.

I formed an opinion long ago that altruistic motives were in short supply in the world. Nothing I’ve seen since has convinced me otherwise.

In the blush of the technological era, it was predicted we’d work less and retire sooner with the advancements of technology. The concern went out. What shall we do with this new freedom? Though unreservedly, because the wages began to fall in the 1970s. Before long, jobs started to disappear from the landscape, and the rest is history.

Those of us fortunate enough to have a job are not working less or retiring sooner, and two incomes are required now to support a household.

In this brave new information age to which guru Charney eludes, many more of us will become expendable. I may be wrong. I hope I am, but scientists and the wealthy alike consider overpopulation a grave concern for the future.

I think the only question that remains is, to what length are they willing to go to solve their problem?

Kelly Jones

Carson City

Semper fidelis: A fitting memorial

Several weeks ago I looked out of my window up toward the ridge running west from C Hill. I saw an American flag sparkling in the breeze on a high rocky outcropping at the highest point.

It is a small flag, and I had to squint to see it clearly. As I look up, I am reminded of another flag that was raised on a rocky crag almost 70 years ago.

On Feb. 19, 1945, the U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima in the south Pacific to capture the island from the Japanese defenders. After three days of ruthless, hand-to-hand combat, the Marines fought their way up the rocky slope and raised a small American flag on Mt. Suribachi to the cheers of Marines on the beach and sailors on the ships close to shore.

Several hours later, a larger flag was sent up, and Joe Rosenthal, a Life magazine photographer, went along. He took the iconic picture of this larger flag being raised, which was later sculpted and cast in bronze. It is now the famous Marine memorial that stands at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington.

The little flag on our own “Mt. Suribachi” is a fitting memorial for Carson City to remember the bravery and sacrifice of these Marines and all our men and women today who continue to sacrifice in defense of our freedom. Semper fidelis.

Charles H. Smith

Carson City

Weighing in on governor’s plan for education:

The governor wants more than $400 million in new taxes for education. To pay for this, he wants to raise taxes on business — and not just a little.

The governor sounds more like a Democrat than a Republican. People in power do not seem to understand that businesses do not pay taxes, they pass the increased cost on to the public.

If the governor wants to run for the Senate against Reid, he should change his party affiliation to Democrat and run against Reid in the Democratic primary. I am sure he will not get the vote of conservative Republicans.

Gene Carhart

Carson City

How tragic that our governor wants to increase school spending. He and others believe that increase school spending will generate a better education for our children. Can anyone produce evidence that increasing spending has bettered our schools? No! In fact, there is a perfect correlation between increased spending and worsening results. The answer is more spending? Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?

Only when we dismantle the political ­union education complex will we see better school performance. The unions protect jobs and income; politicians seek more money and control. Neither do any good for the kids. Parents should have school choice in a truly free marketplace.

Sell the schools to private enterprise and have them compete to provide for the best education. Use the excess money to secure the current teacher pensions. Let schools that fail go out of business and those succeed thrive.

Government should be out of the education business. What we have been doing has been an abject failure. And it will continue to be until we allow a market based educational platform. Let’s make Nevada No. 1 in education.

David Cantwell

Genoa

Responding to the governor’s State of the State address, I can’t see how spending $85 million for full-time kindergarten and preschool will help school graduations. However, it will help parents with day-care problems.

Gov. Brian Sandoval’s first term as a conservative Republican brought new businesses to Nevada. That added jobs and improved the unemployment rate.

Now in his second term, with the economy growing, Gov. Sandoval has become a tax-and-spend Democrat.

A couple old adages are still true: “There’s no such thing as a temporary tax,” and, “If it moves, tax it.”

J.L. Renner

Gardnerville

Submitting letters:

Letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number and be no more than 250 words. The Appeal reserves the right to edit them. Letters also may appear at nevadaappeal.com. • Only one letter can be submitted every 30 days. • Mail it to Letters to the Editor, Nevada Appeal, 580 Mallory Way, Carson City, NV 89701. • Send emails to editor@nevadaappeal.com.