Letter: We must decide if we want to surpass cavemen

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003 | 8:52 a.m.

Back in caveman days, life was hard. Men were measured by their ability to protect and provide, women by their ability to prepare meals, make garments and bear children. Defective children, and adults who were injured, sick, or old were often left to die.

A few thousand years ago societies blossomed in places like China, Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The people were pawns of their rulers, made to pay taxes, and often being called upon to provide labor for a variety of public projects, or serve in the military. They had value only as instruments of the state.

Fast forward to present-day Nevada, where government has done a 180, and now our Gov. Kenny Guinn is trying to provide for the needs of Nevadans.

He wants our children to attend schools with good facilities, taught by well-trained teachers, in classes of limited size (conservatives would have you believe that you can pack 40 children in a class and still get good results, but that is self-serving nonsense).

The governor wants to maintain or improve programs for needy seniors, the handicapped, the mentally ill, transportation, emergency services and other necessary needs. What he is proposing will cost average families about $200 more a year (less than $20 a month). Yet to hear the screams and cries of outrage you would think that he is driving every Nevadan off a financial cliff.

We have to decide what kind of a state you and our children should live in, one based on the caveman model, or a state where there is thought and caring for the needs of its citizens.

RICHARD J. MUNDY