Letters to the Editor for March 13, 2019

You make the law, you follow it

California Sen. Jerry Hill introduced SB360 on Feb. 20, which would force priests to violate the sacramental seal of confession in order to reveal anyone suspected in cases of child abuse or neglect.

Clergy are already forced to report such cases in California, but a legal exemption for material disclosed in the confessional.

A priest cannot violate the Code of Canon Law, which states, “The sacramental seal is inviolable and, therefore, it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to convey in any way a penitent in any manner and for any reason.” Any priest who intentionally violates the seal incurs an automatic excommunication.

And Hill thinks he can, by law, force priests to violate the law of the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ?

Does Hill think he can tell God how to run his church?

Even if disclosure were not forbidden, his bill would have to make every person, Catholic or otherwise, by law, responsible to go to confession at a Catholic church so the priests could reveal the sins of all mankind, including the lame brains who would try to enforce such a law!

Mary Santomauro

Stagecoach

Electoral college

I realize I am late with this letter. According to an article in the paper, we have another legislator who wants to do away with the electoral college.

It was put in the Constitution for a specific reason.

This leads me to believe he has been educated beyond his intelligence.

I would be more than happy to straighten him out on this subject.

Albert Wright

Gardnerville

AB236 would deny crime victims safeguards

We just returned from a hearing at the Nevada Legislature on AB236 that, in our district attorney’s words, guts public safety to empty prisons. This bill would redefine serious larceny and narcotics dealing crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. In some cases, the offender would be given a citation instead of taken into custody.

Sentencing guidelines in AB236 would make sex offenders and violent felons eligible for probation or parole after serving little or no time, and would otherwise take away judges’ ability to keep repeat offenders off the streets.

We urge you to inform yourselves about AB236 and tell your Assembly and Senate representatives that you oppose this bill that would deny crime victims their legal protections, including the safeguards guaranteed in Marcy’s Law.

Lynn Muzzy

Minden

Muthana should not be allowed to return to U.S.

I agree with Mr. Farmer that Hoda Muthana should not be allowed to return to the USA. If ISIS’s was not being defeated and her husband was still alive, she would not be requesting to come back to the USA.

Barbara Phelan

Carson City