Letters To The Editor

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Racial bias plain for all to see

In the Sept. 28 Spokesman-Review there is a story about alleged inequity relating to the Spokane Sheriff’s Department’s handling of an ongoing case (“Race called reason woman not arrested”). This case involves the stabbing of a young black man, allegedly by the mother of a young white man.

Approximately one month has passed since the stabbing took place, and despite the presence of scores of witnesses an arrest has yet to be made. Defending his department’s response, Lt. John Simmons claims that “race has nothing to do with any delays in arresting a suspect.”

Come on, Simmons. You know very well that race is as much a part of this case as country music is a part of Nashville.

If the tables were turned, with a young black the primary suspect in the stabbing of a white person, that black man would have been sitting in a cell before any of the area’s donut shops were open the next morning.

Maybe Simmons and others can fool themselves into believing that racism does not exist in such progressive and culturally diverse places as the Spokane Valley and Spokane County Sheriff’s Department. Those of us who have friends who are of minorities and/or must live with a little more pigment in our skins than do other Americans, know better. Tom McGirk Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Murder should mean execution

Barry Loukaitis is a human being and should be tried like a human being. Many would say that he is merely a youngster, 14, and that he could have a productive life ahead of him. Thus, we should not incarcerate or execute him. Such notions are illogical and foolish.

If Loukaitis is only 14 and has already taken the lives of innocent people, how much more screwed up will he be when he is an adult? People who have murdered do not need to be corrected, they need to be punished. The only appropriate punishment for such a crime is execution. Josh Gibbs Moscow, Idaho

We’re crucifying an unfortunate

I am profoundly troubled that an Ephrata judge has ruled that 15-year-old Barry Loukaitis should be tried as an adult for the schoolroom murder of three persons. Only 14 at the time of the crime, Loukaitis seems so obviously insane that locking him up for the rest of his life is a miscarriage of justice.

Is our judicial system so inflexible and benighted that the youth can’t be treated for his madness and released only when he’s judged able to be free? Are we as people so frightened and merciless that only the lifelong imprisonment of a pitifully miscreant child will satisfy us? Rev. William H. Houff, Ph.D. Spokane

At war with ourselves - and losing

Drugs are not the enemy in the so-called war on drugs. We are the enemy - all of us. Bob Dole says when he is president he will win the war. I guess victory will come when Americans have been wiped out.

If you look at the staggering casualties so far in this war on ourselves, candidate Dole just might be able to keep his promise. Even now we are spending $150 billion a year on the war, a figure that’s sure to keep ballooning. We are making organized crime’s dreams come true by protecting their drug business. We are shooting the Bill of Rights full of holes. We are packing prisons and building more to keep up with the overflow. And drug use has changed very little, despite the damage to ourselves.

I agree with letter writer Rand Clifford (“Kids need to hear truth about drugs,” Sept. 25). “When all else fails, resort to the truth.”

We need to take that a step further. Not only the truth about all drugs and human drug use should be emphasized. The truth about the war on drugs should be told loud and clear. We are wiping ourselves out and supporting organized crime, doing more damage than all the drugs in the world would ever do if legalized.

Dole is not the only politician raving about escalating the war. We Americans had better start making a lot of loud sense about new ideas, new tactics and serious damage control, or the war on us may be won. Kevin Fisher Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

To fight drug abuse, listen and care

The Sept. 25 “News Hour with Jim Lehrer” included a segment on the increasing use of drugs by our youths. To me, the most significant moments were those with about 10 teenagers from Denver sharing with a skilled adult leader their views on drugs and youth:

“Pressures of growing up…” “Expected to be an adult one time, a child another.” “Adults release their pressures with tobacco and alcohol, and we need to release ours, too.” “Chemical drugs are not good. Marijuana and mushrooms are better as they are plants.” “Doing drugs is an adventure; gets us away from reality.”

Toward the close of the youths’ comments, came from one young lady what I sensed was the key to freeing youths from drugs: “If you can talk to someone who cares about you.”

I would add listening to caring. That engages the heart with the mind or reason. Reason alone (law, logic, restrictions) does not reach the emotional part of us. Youths need heart-and-head understanding.

A question arose in my mind. Has research been done on drug use by youths who had adult listening and caring from their toddler years through high school, whether by parents, relatives, adult friends, teachers or neighbors? Mariana Murphy, SNJM Spokane

Spirit, source are inseparable

Syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts (“God is in the rain, not the thunder,” Sept. 29) tells an inspiring story of Chris Carrier, who was nearly murdered as a child, but in his adult life visited his attacker in order to share God’s forgiveness with him.

Pitts contrasted this vision of the Deity with the image of “TV preachers” who tell us how to vote. He creates the impression that you can be one or the other, but not both.

Pitts should have considered the most famous preacher of our day, who is pleading with us to vote in such a way that our society will not abandon the most helpless of our human family, the unborn. Interestingly, this same preacher was also the victim of an attempted murder, and he, too, went to visit the man who tried to kill him and extended God’s forgiveness to him. That “TV preacher” was John Paul II, whom many historians believe will be known in future centuries as John Paul the Great. Pitts rejoices in the capacity of people like Carrier to act in such a fashion. But that capacity is the fruit of something that occurs when we surrender to God on a regular basis exactly what the TV preachers ask us to do. And yes, they ask us to submit our nation and our laws to the same kind of lordship.

Pitts likes the image of God as a nurturing rain, but objects to portraying him as righteous thunder. Yet Christianity insists that God is both righteous and loving. He is compassionate and holy.

If you admire the fruit but despise the vine that produced it, what are you saying? David K. DeWolf Spokane

We earn politicians’ contempt

We, the people, seem concerned that big money and special interests appear to be buying politics and writing legislation.

The ballot box is the only sure way to make politicians sit up and take notice. Yet only about half the eligible voters turn out to vote and the percentage seems to decrease with every election.

It’s no wonder many politicians treat us like they think we’re a bunch of dumb jackasses. We sure don’t do much to change their opinions. Dave Perkins Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE

Beware who pays the piper

In “State must follow teachers’ money (Our View, Sept. 24),” Opinion editor John Webster states that election campaign finance laws must be enforced to be fair and just. I agree totally. Only voluntary contributions, separate from compulsory teacher union dues, are allowed to support candidates.

Webster refers to the controversial issue of tax-paid vouchers for those dissatisfied parents to send their children to private schools: “Some who support public schools - including the teachers who work there - consider such vouchers a threat to the schools’ stability.”

I allege the opposite: Tax-paid vouchers will undermine private schools. When government pays, control is the expected eventuality. In other words, he who pays the piper calls the tune. C.J. House Spokane