Letter: Goodman has courage to attack problems

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005 | 8:25 a.m.

When I read that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was criticized by University Regent Howard Rosenberg for Goodman's suggestion of cutting the thumbs off graffiti criminals, it reminded me of what is wrong in today's government.

Goodman, in my opinion, was using a radical example of punishment to emphasize that we have a serious problem in the defacing that is going on all over our city. He is right when he says that the mischief is an outcome of parents who are not parenting.

The critics, and this goes for those at every level of government, instead of providing a solution to a real problem, attack the person who has the courage to admit that the problem exists. Our society is too quick to bash a leader and too slow to provide alternative solutions.

Those of us who have been to Singapore notice immediately that the urban areas are safe and clean because the criminals are expected to be punished summarily.

Ken Anderson

Las Vegas

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