To the Editor:

A recent letter writer shamed, blamed, and chastised the local populace for not attending a recent event featuring a Waylon Jennings impersonator. She went on to include the lack of support for local businesses in her criticism. I’m sure it was a great concert if you’re a Waylon fan, and maybe even if you’re not, but we need to stop blaming the consumer when businesses or event coordinators fail to offer a compelling reason to patronize those shops or events. She further states that “if you would support these shops with things you don’t need immediately, then they could afford to order things you need”. I don’t know how everyone else feels but that statement strikes me as very odd.

Not every business or event is going to be a home run. My wife and I do the vast majority of our shopping locally but we’re not going to purchase things we don’t need to prop up a failing business model. We also attend many of the wonderful events put on by the Mesquite Art’s Council, but don’t get mad at us because we don’t share the same affinity for Waylon. Given our age and many of the other retiree’s age in Mesquite, a nice Jenny Lind impersonator may be more relatable.

I’m sure the writer has the best intentions and the best interests of Mesquite in mind, but I am curious as to how many members of the Art’s Council attended the concert, or maybe more importantly, how many did not.

Jimmy Wike
Mesquite NV