Thanks for nothing

If Pahrump residents do not deserve a theater, Terrible's does not deserve our gambling dollars.

Please gamble elsewhere.

Thanks for nothing, Terrible's.

PAT AUSTIN

What a milestone

The Iraq war is five-years-old -- what a milestone.

I ask, what do we have to be proud of?

So many trillions of dollars in debt; just think of the good we could have done with all that taxpayer money. Maybe we could have cured a life-threatening illness or two; maybe we could have fixed our crumbling infrastructure -- our highways.

It seems to me that in all of the previous wars this country has been involved in, there were important battles defining that war: the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of San Juan Hill, Pork Chop Hill and so on.

This foolish war we are in now has no such battles or victories. The only things we have of any magnitude are the caskets coming home to be laid to rest -- 4,000 of them.

It's time to get out. You can't fight a war when you can't tell who the enemy is. We're supposed to fight clean, not torture.

Then they send women who are walking bombs into innocent market places to kill anyone and everyone.

All this is a waste of money and lives of our young men and women, while king George dances on the White House steps.

Well, dance little man, for this too will end.

JANE SCHMIDT

Gazsy deserves recognition at RCMS

I read the article about the staff at RCMS assisting a student and her father with getting medical assistance.

I am burdened by the fact that the individual who orchestrated the assistance was not even mentioned. I know this probably does not bother him, but it does bother me. He is the only one who set up the Shriner's Hospital for Sedona and even got money for her father to get there as well.

He did this solely because of his big heart but I think he should be recognized nonetheless.

Pete Gazsy is a substitute support staff member at RCMS who works in a variety of classrooms when needed. He gives his time to each student he works with and goes far beyond what most of us would do.

Pete deserves his thanks, even though I am sure he would have done this regardless of the kudos others received.

Thank you.

KENNY WEAVER

Affinity with domestic violence

I was pleased to read the article by Marsha Goldstein, L.C.S.W., explaining how domestic violence comes in many different forms.

Goldstein asked in her article one of the questions I consider the most important -- "Why do women stay in an abusive relationship?" I will add that this same question applies to men in abusive situations.

I experienced an emotionally abusive relationship with a former partner. I believed that if I just loved my partner enough, I could compensate for the damage done by his childhood experiences and the hurtful behavior would then "magically" disappear.

I didn't know my partner was suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder -- a thinking disorder that makes people misperceive the interactions they have with others, overreact and then act out all the rage they still have stored inside from their abusive childhoods. I didn't know my love wasn't enough, that it would never cure a "borderline."

I've learned from people who work with abuse victims that the most difficult aspect of domestic violence is the tendency of the victims to return to their abuser -- over and over again.

My book, "Breaking Free from Boomerang Love," seems to help abuse victims distinctly see how disturbed their partner is -- and the reality of their situation -- thus enabling them to clearly understand the danger they're living in and to begin to plan how to safely leave.

LYNN MELVILLE

Santa Maria, Calif.