Today's Opinions

Every year there are two big events that make me miss Las Vegas: the electric light parade in the winter and the Fourth of July Fiestas.

They are celebrations unrivaled anywhere else in the country.

This year I missed the fiestas a bit more because I noticed through Facebook that quite a few of my high school friends were going to be making a pilgrimage back to Vegas.

I also missed a spectacle: a rainbow decorated float with George Michael music and people dancing.

District Attorney Richard Flores has cleared Las Vegas police Officer Martin Salazar of any criminal wrongdoing in his handling of a suspect earlier this year. Earlier this summer, Flores sought a state police inquiry into jailers’ allegations that Salazar threatened a female arrestee with violence.

We don’t know why the DA cleared Salazar or why prosecutors didn’t give credence to the jailers’ version of events. But Flores hasn’t shied away from prosecuting officials in the past. So it’s likely that he had good reasons for his decision.

Often, I read stories in which someone reflects on his career or life and insists, “I have no regrets.”

Really?

Boy, some people must be perfect. Being an imperfect person, I have my share of regrets, especially after I read my stories in print.

Recently, I wrote a column using the word “jihad” in referring to a battle at City Hall. A local police officer, Clarence Romero, wrote a letter to the editor, rightly chastising me for the use of that word, noting that it creates negative connotations about Muslims.