Advertisement

Keep an eye on doctors

In response to "Guns only lead to trouble," I would like to first point out that most of the incidents your are referring to were committed by people who were criminals before they perpetrated their crimes.

I do agree with you that guns don't kill people, people do. I would like to refer to a bumper sticker I once had which summed it up most succinctly: "Blame the finger, not the trigger."

Here is something else I would like to point out. This is a survey done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000. Accidental deaths caused by physicians per year are 120,000. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.

The next set of statistics is from the FBI. The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. Yes, that's 80 million. The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500. Accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188.

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Remember, "Guns don't kill people, doctors do."

Fact: Not everyone has a gun, but almost everyone has at least one doctor. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand.

Out of concern for the public at large, I withheld statistics on lawyers for fear of the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical help. The last part was just to bring a little levity into the discussion.

But what is not so funny is people do lose it and do terrible things. Like drowning their children in a bathtub, or driving their children into a lake with the children strapped in the backseat, and then claim they were car jacked. The reality is people can do terrible things with or without a gun.

The truth is guns prevent crimes. From the beginning of the republic of these United States the gun has brought us freedom from tyranny. For the fact we do not bow to a queen or speak German, Vietnamese or French you can thank Winchester, Browning, Colt and Garand, as well as the proud men and women who fought (and are fighting) to keep our country free.

So before you lump every gun owner in the U.S. (all 80 million of us) as out of control crazies who potentially will kill his neighbor and/or himself, think about how many people go to the gun range every day and do a little target practice, or go hunting to feed their families and have never harmed or killed anyone.

So, having a gun around is not the real problem. The fact is some people do not like guns. It is their right in this free country to not own one, but it would be unconstitutional to take away the rights of law-abiding citizens to make themselves more comfortable.

MARK COSTANZO

Malonas comparisons odious

I abhor Mr. Malonas comparison of human slavery to animal ownership and/or companionship. Civil rights is not a suitable argument in regard to animals.

His ideals seem egalitarian in nature and are textbook animal-rights oriented. Our readers may have missed this when he referenced the writings of Gary Francione and Peter Singer, two well known animal rights philosophers. Singer's book, "Animal Liberation" is the widely regarded by Animal Rights activists as a "Bible."

Singer, hard utilitarian- minded, debated Judge Richard Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit with a very similar argument as Mr. Malonas, in 2001 at Slate Magazine, saying that formerly unequal rights for gays, women and oppressed races were justified using the same set of intuitions.

Posner responded that equality in civil rights did not occur due to ethical arguments and that there was no basis for inequality based on any of those facts. He went on to say that facts, not ethical arguments, will drive equality and that animals must be considered property, legally, in order for us to have pets.

Of course the whole concept of owning any kind of pets is against the animal rights movement's agenda. They will not advertise this publicly as it would lessen monetary donations by well-meaning people who want to help animals but have no concept that they are helping take animals out of our lives.

Their agenda is to prohibit rodeos, horse racing, circuses, hunting, life-saving medical research using animals, raising of livestock for food, petting zoos, marine parks, breeding of purebred pets, any use of animals for industry, entertainment, sport or recreation and companionship.

The animal rights movement does have an extremist branch. ALF, Animal Liberation Front, is an example. In 2005 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security added them to its list of domestic terrorist threats. Just this week, an American animal rights activist, Daniel Andreas, San Diego, became the first "domestic terrorist" to be added to the FBI's "most wanted" terrorist list.

My animals are members of my family and the very idea that there are extremists out there who threaten members of my family is overwhelming. I maintain my stance and still hold hope that Nevadans have enough info needed to make well-informed decisions regarding law and their pets. It is also our jobs as constituents to keep our representatives abreast of all relevant information regarding any type of legislation that special interest groups try to slip under the radar.

RHONDA KIKER

Reno

Horse loses battle

This is for all the horse lovers out there in Pahrump and my neighbors.

My Lippizzan mare suffered from a condition called laminitis. The Pahrump Times did an article on Heaven a couple of years ago explaining this deadly condition. She lost the battle.

I said my final goodbye to her and God knows I tried anything and everything to make her comfortable from the horrific pain in the hoofs. It is easier to understand as fever in the hoofs.

Just wanted my Pahrump folks to know I lost her and I cannot explain the terrible emptiness I have as I go to the barn.

You know what I mean for those who had to put down a horse. It is not just a horse, it is your friend.

Be sure and give your horse and animals, and family and friends for that matter, that little extra hug and time because when we lose them it is wonderful to know you gave them the "flowers" of your care and love while they were alive. Don't wait for the funeral.

Just wanted to share this information as many of you knew about my Heavenly Star.

LYNDA CROSSLEY