As We See It

Conversation Starters: Videotaped beatings and voter ID

Street smart?

Las Vegas native Josh Elliott is on a well-intentioned crusade to name a two-mile stretch of Industrial Road after Sammy Davis Jr. He has the support of the Clark County Commission but now needs $20,000. Why? Because of the cost to the nearly 100 businesses on that street that would have to change their addresses on stationary, business cards, invoices, etc. He’s got nine months to get it done, and so far he’s raised exactly nothing. Maybe Elliott should have chosen a residential street.

Viral justice

Two Las Vegas brothers, ages 15 and 13, were arrested last week after a video of them beating another student was uploaded to YouTube. They were recorded punching a special-needs student in the face and then punching and kicking him on the ground. The video had more than 50,000 views before it was removed—and the teens were arrested based on the footage—but in light of the New York subway death this week of a man no one tried to pull from the track, we should be asking the person behind the camera why his or her instinct was to film the incident, rather than find a way to help.

Picture perfect

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller has a plan to solve the voter ID issue. He’s sponsoring legislation for the 2013 session addressing election fraud: If a voter doesn’t have photo ID, they would be able to get their picture taken at the polling place and sign an affidavit. This would put an onus on election officials and probably wouldn’t be cheap, but it sounds like a good idea. Whether you’re a proponent or opponent of voter ID requirements, this would pretty much take care of the issue once and for all.

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