Letters To The Editor

AIDS

Child taught us about life, death

My 7-year-old teacher died recently. Kara Claypool lived with AIDS her entire life. No, she put up with AIDS. She lived with joy and love her entire life!

I was fortunate to participate in that joy and love.

Kara’s parents didn’t know they had AIDS when she was conceived. Her father died in 1990. Her mother, Joyce, is alive and well, despite the virus. Remarkable, considering the incredible strain of raising Kara, two unaffected boys and dealing with her own illness.

Kara and her family have much to teach those of us. I wish we would be as courageous to learn as they have been to live.

We might learn that AIDS could be carried by its victims and their families much easier if the healthy of us would quit heaping our prejudices and stupidities on top of their pain. AIDS is not mortal judgment on homosexuals, heterosexuals, hemophiliacs or any group. AIDS is a disastrous result of terrible choices and tragic circumstances.

Kara helped me learn these things as I was touched by her. She also taught me about living life in the face of death. Death didn’t seem like a big deal to Kara, living was. She didn’t live like it would be her last day, it was simply her day to live. For me, learning from Kara is profoundly simple, although I suspect her teachings will be time-released within me.

As I reflect more fully, her legacy of individual joy in the moment and being part of a courageous and faithful family will continue to teach me. Hopefully, I’ll be ready for those learning moments when they arrive. Paul Graves Sandpoint

AIDS comes from many sources

In response to Jim Mertens comment that anal intercourse causes AIDS, oh yes, and one more thing: So do IV use, blood transfusions and heterosexual intercourse. Small children, who don’t even know the meaning of anal intercourse die of AIDS every day. Under no circumstance should your close-minded comments be taken literally. Katrina Smith Spokane

ANIMAL TREATMENT

Weed out bad trainers

I’m repulsed by the horror stories that are coming out of the Coeur d’Alene Greyhound Park.

I can’t understand how other kennel operators and trainers can stand by and let these heinous acts be carried out. Why can’t you help get the bad kennel operators and trainers out? Blow the whistle. Turn them in.

If a kennel operator or trainer can’t handle it when their dogs don’t come in first, take a spill out on the track or get injured while running, then they should not be allowed anywhere near these dogs or any other animal.

As a spectator watching these greyhounds, I am in awe. As soon as they take their first step out of the waiting area I see a magic about them, a sparkle in their eyes and a spring in their prance. They are happy to be out there racing and glad to be alive. Whether they come in first or last these beautiful animals always give it their all. They race their little hearts out and should be praised.

When are the authorities going to step in and punish these people and not with just a slap on the hand? Denise Shagina Coeur d’Alene

Toss bad trainers, keep track

I am no foe to proper treatment of animals. And I can be just as outraged when there are reports of animal abuse such as came out on the Greyhound Park incident.

But I am infuriated at the whiny self-indulgent people who would rather the dog track were closed than holding the animal trainers to account for their atrocious abuse of the dogs.

Let’s face it, the best thing to do is bar such trainers from the racing federation. If you don’t, and simply close the dog track, such trainers need only take their cruelty and dogs somewhere else. You haven’t accomplished anything.

Now, as for not needing the dog track. I beg your pardon? The Factory Outlets only came in after the Greyhound Park was opened.

Without the Greyhound Park, would there have been much incentive for the owner/operators of the Factory Outlets to move in? Probably not. Post Falls is so small a town as to not be able to attract new money-making businesses. Too small to attract tourists. Hold trainers accountable; don’t throw out the best thing you have going for you.

And one more thing, if you really cared for the dogs, you’d quit blowing smoke in the paper and get busy doing something constructive for their welfare. You can improve their situations by going to the proper authorities rather than venting - uselessly - in the letters columns. Joan Harman Coeur d’Alene

GRASS BURNING

A few days of burning worth it

In an area where nearly $105 million is made each year by the production of grass seed, why is it people can’t accept a few smoky days a year.

The editorial cartoon poking fun at the air pollution on Sept. 22 was just another slap across the face of farmers who are trying hard to produce a crop which everyone needs. Without this crop, the golf courses wouldn’t be lush. Yards would be nothing more than weedy dirt. Where do you think that bag of grass seed at your local lawn and garden store comes from?

Grass production helps with erosion, cooling, and cleaning of groundwater. Ground on which grass seed is produced creates 200 pounds of sediment per acre each year in runoff and dust. Ground which hosts wheat creates six to ten tons. Grass crops help clean the ground water as it seeps into the ground, unlike wheat which contributes to the murkiness. One acre of grass produces the cooling of a 70-ton air conditioner.

Grass must be burned to open the plant and expose it to sunlight. At this time there is no other way of doing this. If grass isn’t burned, the yield drops 60-70 percent in the first year.

Even when the area looks smoky, keep in mind that 80 percent of what you see is the steam released when vegetation burns. A few smoky days in the summer are worth the long-term benefit of grass. Jodi Walker Cheney

A little common sense needed

When local behavior makes it necessary to form new grassroots organizations to stop practices which put the profit motive ahead of human health, somebody is on the wrong track.

Citizens for Clean Air and The Council for Land Care and Planning have spoken out for years. Over 40 years ago, burning was the practice for many crops in this area, which has long been stopped. Topsoil erosion then was greatly increased as well as effects on human health.

Today the need is here for younger generations to become active.

Even grass growers have stated they would be willing to stop burning, but dare not be identified.

Burning may be cost-effective but certainly isn’t human health-effective. How many years do elected officials who come and go have to repeat the learning process of the use of common sense but defer the calling for more and more hard scientific evidence for delaying time.

Must suffering humans run for political office? Increasing numbers of people seek medical help and sales of over-the-counter products for relief multiply. Is there nothing to be learned by knowing why such products sell? Where has common sense gone along with 45 days of summer?

Let’s face the problem as it exists, not in midwinter when other problems need facing. Let’s get real. Ora Mae Orton Spokane

RACIAL ISSUES

Racial equality begins at home

This is in regards to the letter by Carl Maxey on Sept. 24 “Courthouse full of white faces.”

He says that only eight percent of people working in the courthouse don’t have white faces. Earlier this spring, I sat in his office for 45 minutes with a friend. The only non-white faces I saw that whole time, belonged to the two Carls. What percentage is that? Alice Struchen Spokane

Simpson being railroaded

A black man is being lynched today. The mob has tried and convicted him of killing two white Americans. His guilt or innocence isn’t important. Actual evidence, untainted or otherwise, is not required at the trial.

Liberals, like Milt Priggee, should be up in arms, but he too is crying “hang that black man.” The shoddy police work and investigation are being ignored by all, including the judge.

So far, they have a weak motive, no weapon, no bloody clothes and no bloody killer. The autopsy established the time of death as anytime the accused cannot account for his whereabouts. The lawyers are ripping into the bank accounts of the accused with glee. Millions of dollars are being divided by all. The families of the victims have filed lawsuits to get whatever is left. Everyone is sad they don’t have his money yet.

I don’t know if O.J. Simpson is guilty or innocent, and I’m far from liberal. What I do know is that this man is being railroaded by the media. Where is the real evidence, a fingerprint, a complete footprint, a witness, a weapon, a valid motive or bloody clothes? Why haven’t any reporters asked these questions? Eric Schaffer Spokane

SCIENCE CENTER

Center died for lack of answers

Priggee’s cartoon on Sept. 21 depicting the ignorance of Spokanites for voting down the science center only serves to show the true ignorance of Priggee and The Spokesman-Review.

It’s not that Spokane voters don’t want a science center, it’s the that fact that so many questions were left unanswered. When the hard questions were asked, they were sidestepped. Spokanites have proved many times that we won’t pay for something that isn’t fully explained.

If you’re going to continue printing these kinds of cartoons, then Priggee and the Socialist Review hierarchy should really get off their high horse and find out what the people are saying. We’re not as stupid as you think. Donn Gehret Spokane

Article came too late for center

If the Sept. 21 clear and factual article had run before the election, we might be well celebrating the affirmation of Spokane’s science center.

The media missed a golden opportunity to dispel the myths and misinformation promoted by the naysayers, who now appear to be backpedaling in the wake of their damage.

Spokane will grieve this missed opportunity for its city and its children for lifetimes to come. Susan Hammond Spokane

Not a good likeness of Barbieri

I didn’t quite get the meaning of your grotesque editorial cartoon, Sept. 21. It wasn’t a very good likeness of Don Barbieri - the facial expression and the whiskers were all right, but I never noticed he had such bad teeth.

I admit I only saw Mr. Barbieri at a few board meetings of his subsidiary, City of Spokane, Inc., but I doubt he’d dress that sloppily at any time. Furthermore, to depict his belly hair and to allege that he’s a smoker and a boozer is really out of line. Most puzzling was the fact he’s shown wearing a “No Pacific Science Center” T-shirt.

I always thought his real estate empire was behind the whole scheme. The opponents of the PSC shouldn’t laugh. How would they feel if they had been represented in such an insulting and malicious way?

The issue of the PSC was fought in the wrong court. It wasn’t a matter of education versus rides. The Pacific Science Center is a wonderful business, but that’s it, a business. Private business can’t be erected in our most precious park land and shouldn’t be lavishly funded by taxpayers. Since the city government isn’t allowed to play favorites, any other worthwhile private ventures would be entitled to the same citing and financing privileges in the future.

I feel sorry for Mr. Barbieri and his friends, though. To spend nearly $130,000 and be bested by a mere $650, and a lower voter turnout to boot. It must be hard to take. Maurice Vial Spokane

Spokane: love it or leave it

I’m sure the intent of Mr. Reeder is his Sept 25 letter to the editor was to expand on the “insult” Mr. Priggee previously launched at Spokanites. I have to regretfully inform you that I don’t take it as such.

I see no disgrace in wanting to keep our comparatively relaxed lifestyle. I see no insult in allowing our children to see opting out of the hustle and bustle, which is so prevalent in this nation’s larger cities.

One of the problems we have in this area now, are those who moved here and really don’t want to be here because the Inland Empire wasn’t what they had originally imagined it to be. So, they try to change existing policies and insult our community’s psyche. I say to them, and yourself, find a location more comfortable for you.

Don’t try to turn Spokanites’ view of their home into something demonic just because you don’t agree with it. You will find that most homegrown Spokanites, like myself, see this as unattractive. It also leads to more antagonism towards Californians than already exists. Matthew Wood Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

The stakeholders must lead

The science center went down because the people who cared most weren’t out front. The backers spoke passionately after the polls closed. Kate McCaslin, a “paid consultant” appeared on KSPS’ “Spokane This Week.” She was very professional and, therefore, ineffective.

The Cowles family is making the same mistake in the “I love downtown” campaign. Frank Bartel and Chris Peck, while passionate in their support, are still just employees of the major stakeholders in downtown property. The Cowleses and two other major downtown land-owning families have to get out front, personally and publicly.

Jim, Stacey and Allison Cowles, Don Barbieri and Paul Sandifur Jr., all have to stand up in public, admit their stake in downtown, take the criticism, abuse and inevitable accusations that they want public money to enhance personal gains, shrug it off and then be passionate leaders in pursuit of a common good. They need to demonstrate that they’re all civic leaders as well as business leaders.

If the Cowleses, Barbieris and Sandifurs save downtown, it will be to the benefit of us all. If they get rich for doing it, we’ll all celebrate their good fortune. If they continue to hide from the hurley-burley of life in their Hawaiian condos, they’ll deserve all the pent-up envy and resentment this town harbors toward them. The Cowleses can’t just want more of downtown. It’s time they demonstrated publicly that they believe in the community of Spokane and take a high profile leadership role.

Stacy, Don and Paul, put your faces in front of the cameras, call a press conference and lead! Doug D. Attwood Spokane

Anti-business stance destructive

I’m appalled at the blatant anti-business bias of John Webster’s Sept. 22 editorial. A debate about Legal Services is one thing, but his (and hence your) antibusiness bias in that editorial seems, to me, to be destructive.

The Review must realize that without business there’s no economy and without a strong economy there’s no quality of life here in Spokane. It’s important that you use the pulpit you have to convey that message. Larry M. Brown Spokane

Justice for everyone, including poor

I was disappointed, but not surprised, by the Sept. 22 editorial attacking Legal Services funding, with a boot at those nasty lawyers for good measure. Why is it that laws of legal representation are always to blame for all social problems? To think that legal services would dare try to enforce laws to protect migrant workers or homeless people, and, even worse, sometimes succeed.

The real question to be asked, comes from our Pledge of Allegiance: What does it mean when we say that our republic is “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all?” Bob Beaumier Spokane