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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Letters To The Editor

FIREARMS

Same old guns-as-culprits nonsense

Criticize Eddie Eagle all you want for being hokey and I won’t argue. But “Joe Camel with feathers”? Wow. I read Josh Sugarmann’s rant (Letters, March 16) with my jaw hanging open. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so alarming.

What’s really going on when people support gun control is a fundamental disconnection from reality. They persuade themselves that violence comes from guns and that they can do something about violence by getting rid of guns. In some ways it would be nice if violence did come from guns: gun control would actually work the way the gun control folks think it should. But it doesn’t, and it won’t.

What you actually get if you remove legal gun ownership from American society - not British or Japanese society - is New York City, as it was a few years ago. Lately, New York has had some success with the interesting policy of fighting crime by putting a cop on every corner, almost.

When the familiar Colt six shooter first became popular 120 years ago, it was one of the first widely distributed metallic-cartridge revolvers . People dubbed it “the Peacemaker.” Why do you suppose that was?

Guns and violence are hard things to think about. If you don’t want to think about things like that, I don’t blame you a bit. But if you’re going to vote about it, you really should think about it. James M. Dettwiler Spokane

Eddie Eagle not at all like Joe Camel

The March 16 letter by Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., describing the Eddie Eagle program in comparison to Joe Camel ads is ridiculous.

The National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle gun safety program is designed in a very simplified manner to get the attention of very young children about firearms: “Don’t touch,” “Leave the area,” “Tell an adult.” It coincides with the same meaning when parents teach their youngster not to play with matches, not to touch the kitchen knives and to keep away from the hot stove.

For young children to learn about safety, the message has to be short and to the point, without lots of explanation. The big difference is that Joe Camel smokes, attracting more smokers, while Eddie Eagle does not pack a gun. Tony Delgado Loon Lake, Wash.

Safety effort badly mischaracterized

Josh Sugarmann (Letters, March 16) should be better informed as executive director for the Violence Policy Center. Comparing the award-winning Eddie Eagle gun safety program to Joe Camel is absurd.

Eddie Eagle is designed to be a friendly, knowledgeable roll model. Eddie Eagle teaches children, “Stop, don’t touch.,” “Leave the area,” “Tell an adult.” It does not promote contact with a firearm, as Joe Camel does with tobacco.

Sugarmann should compare Eddie Eagle to Smokey Bear. Smokey doesn’t teach children to set fires any more than Eddie teaches kids to shoot. Eddie’s job is teaching children to stay away from guns. It’s still parents’ job to teach safety, whether it be gun, seat belt or bicycle helmet safety.

While many may not agree with the National Rifle Association’s position on all issues, there is one indisputable fact. No other organization spends more money on firearms safety, and it should be credited for the dramatic decrease in firearms accidents nationwide.

NRA instructors also teach “Refuse to be a victim,” which is not a firearms class but a safety awareness program. Education is what the NRA is about. You don’t have to be a gun owner to support gun safety, and no one wants gun safety more than gun owners, the industry and the NRA. Robin Ball, owner Sharp Shooting Indoor Range & Gun Shop, Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Legal releases dangerous and unfair

Again, our criminal justice system has displayed its affinity for fairness. I have long been baffled by the number of rapists released back into our communities, labeled “high risk to reoffend.” I’m sure these citizens, having served their paltry sentences, are released based largely on their “rights.”

Having been sentenced and having served their time, they have the right to try again. Unfortunately, our children are exposed as these folks, rarely rehabilitated, meld into our neighborhoods, “likely to reoffend.” I know there are no easy answers, but read in the paper last week that a father, his daughter victimized, will be made to pay her molester (first offense?) for injuries incurred when dad sought his own justice with a baseball bat.

I’m sure there are many legal reasons for these jerks being released. But I sympathize with the outrage a parent (spouse, sibling, etc.) must feel, and the helplessness when, as predicted, these worthless folks live up to expectations by reoffending.

As for dad, whose wages are now being garnisheed to pay his daughter’s nightmare, his only mistake was putting that bat down too soon. G.E. Tanner Spokane

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

Williams doesn’t deserve mistreatment

The media’s portrayal of Phil Williams creates a public image that couldn’t be more inappropriate for the person I have known for 25 years. I find few who are as generous, intelligent, resourceful and honest. He is an individual of great ability and impeccable character.

The great range and number of people who have shared similar high regard for Williams’ character is not surprising: fellow City Hall managers, advocates on both sides of development issues, and many friends and business associates who recognize his commitment to Spokane.

Like the rest of us, he isn’t perfect. One of his imperfections is being too pure of soul to recognize what others might judge as wrong behavior. His high personal standards do not allow him to even conceive of the violations of public trust that have been asserted. Because of this, he is both blind and vulnerable to appearances, such as his relationship with Dr. Kelly. Williams’ management conduct is, reasonably, grist for public scrutiny. However, to date, there has been no proof of any wrongdoing no violations of law, no evidence of malfeasance, no breach of trust. Even the asserted conflict of interest relies heavily on presumed facts and events.

Williams is someone in whom I would place the well-being of things I care most about: my family and friends, my co-workers and my community. For his years of service and caring for Spokane, he deserves much better treatment than he has received the past five months. Chris Hugo Spokane

Something doesn’t compute

I see where Sgt. Maj. Gene C. McKinney received a slap on the wrist, making all the charges against him by these women as if nonexistent. His word, their word, his favor.

What about President Clinton? He’s doing a great job. How about his word, their word? How about “equal opportunity”? Does that phrase mean anything besides race? K.V. Flores Chewelah, Wash.

Hearsay is all the Clinton phobes have

Steve J. Dunham (Letters, March 14) points out, correctly, “The Constitution says that the president shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason, bribery or other high crimes or misdemeanors.” Then Dunham lists many names: the Lippo Group, John Huang, Johnny Chung, drug lords, Whitewater, Ron Carey and Arthur Coia, indicating that this list of names makes President Clinton a candidate for impeachment.

Dunham adds Travelgate, Filegate, Ron Brown, Vince Foster, the new Aliengate, Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones and now, Monica Lewinsky. But Dunham doesn’t indicate how this list constitutes an impeachable offense against Clinton. He doesn’t accuse the president of treason, bribery or other high crimes or misdemeanors. No prosecutor or legislator has accused the president. There has only been conjecture and innuendo.

Until someone is willing to make an accusation of treason, bribery, felony or misdemeanor, and specifically say which action constitutes treason, bribery , felony or misdemeanor, then it is all partisan rhetoric. They want it so bad, they pretend it is true.

Clinton is not perfect, nor does he claim to be. But after $40 million have been spent, no one has found treason, bribery, felony or misdemeanor.

Partisan hatred is not constitutional grounds for impeachment, as much as Dunham wants it to be. He and others seem determined to create a lynch-mob mentality.

I can only say it would seem fair if they would charge him or shut up. Jack McLean Omak, Wash.

Thomas column a real piece of work

Cal Thomas’ March 11 Opinion column, “He’s guilty as sin,” struck me as a tad controversial and judgmental. He flagrantly displayed his contempt of “preachers … schmoozing with presidents” and Billy Graham’s statements on the “Today” show. His irrational thoughts proved nothing and I oppose his bashing of Graham.

Graham was asked for an opinion on Clinton’s current situation and he contributed his input. However, Thomas picked apart Graham’s statements and refuted them with evidence from the Bible that was apparently meant to “prove” the good preacher wrong. He said only God can forgive. On the contrary, Christians are called to have a forgiving spirit. God is the only one to judge. Of course, as the editorial stated, preachers should “focus solely on building the Kingdom of God.” The truth is that Billy Graham has devoted his whole life to that one purpose. As a result, when asked a simple question on that show, he simply responded in a forgiving manner that showed no sign of judgment.

Clearly, the situation did not call for Graham’s words to be contorted or proved false. Instead, the column was just a filler to fit in a space dealing with Clinton, a scandal and a topic the public is tired of hearing about. Collin Page Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Republicans veer off course

I read in the paper that George W. Bush, President Bush’s son, is the Republicans’ top choice for president and he is confident he can win. Doug Clark’s column? I could only wish.

What has happened to our party? We have spent the last eight years trying to win the voters’ hearts by telling them how bad the opposition is and not one word about what we can offer. Oh, unless you count the abortion issue - a fight that somehow our religious associates feel is ours to wage, along with prayer in schools. I’m sure the creationism issue will be at the top of the list soon that you know our party leaders will get behind, furthering our credibility.

Who represents freedom, small business, less government, lower taxes? No one, that’s who! Special interests have drowned the Republican Party. While we stand on the deck of the Titanic, George W. Bush with water wings looks good. How pathetic. Rich W. Schirman Spokane

Ethics just prattle of ‘the loony left’

Re: “Free market has no business intruding” (Opinion, March 12). Ellen Goodman somehow connects China’s human rights abuses, death row legislation in Missouri and the black market to conclude that the free market isn’t appropriate for providing human organs to transplant. The illogical contortions she puts herself through to avoid addressing the capacity of a free market to alleviate organ shortages reveals her ideology.

Despite the admitted failings of the current collectivized, altruistic, bleeding heart, can’t we all get along, brotherhood of man system, which leaves someone dead for lack of a transplant every three hours, she only comes up with an unlikely, bumbling, imaginary ethics argument, to avoid admitting that the tried and true free market is the solution.

It’s disgusting that those on the loony left are so deluded by their misguided hatred of money and self-interest that they would let thousands die. It’s hardly surprising that then-Sen. Al Gore led the charge when selling organs became illegal. Gore thinks he owns your body parts, as well as your income, property, business and children. Goodman and Gore come from a long tradition of statists, including Mao and Stalin, who are willing to ignore freedom that works in favor of ideology that kills.

I own my body, not the government, and, in protest of their unjust, unworkable system, I will never donate my organs until my right to do with them what I please is legally restored. Greg D. Holmes Spangle, Wash.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Reverse worsening conditions; Vote yes

We moved to Post Falls almost two years ago. We had hoped to provide a safe and quality atmosphere for our children. We saw the new Prairie View Elementary and were very excited about the children attending such a modern school.

Then we soon realized they wouldn’t be in that school, but actually outside, in the old portable classroom because they already had outgrown the school’s capacity. Then to hear, as they advanced in grades, the overcrowding was to get worse. But with each bond issue vote we were optimistic that things would change.

Boy, have they changed - for the worse. My seventh grader, who has second shift, comes home in the dark and is trying to learn in overcrowded classrooms. His teachers have to share the classroom with another teacher. There is not time for lunch period, home room or even year-round PE classes.

Is this what is called a well-rounded education? I think not! I have four more who are following in his footsteps and I hope they will not have to endure this type of educational experience. I’m voting yes on Tuesday. My children deserve better for their future and ours. Lisa and James Mertens Post Falls

Add new school and we all win

My husband and I have raised four wonderful children in Post Falls over the past 20 years. Three of them already have graduated and gone to college. The youngest will graduate from Post Falls High School in June of 2000.

The new high school is scheduled to be open sometime after that. Does that stop me from voting yes on the school bond? No way! As a member of this community, I realize that even though my own children will not directly benefit, we all will benefit. Teresa E. Olson Post Falls

New school benefits worth small cost

We owe our children of Post Falls a quality education. That’s not an easy task when we are asking these children to double shift or attend facilities that are overcrowded.

The Property Owners Association does not represent the best interests of our community. They certainly do not represent me. They are only concerned with a few dollars on the property tax bill. They are not interested in finding a solution. They have not offered an adequate alternative to the housing needs of the Post Falls School District.

The school board is not asking to build a fancy high school. It’s trying to meet the educational needs of our community for the next five to 10 years. We could build a cheap stick building, but the maintenance costs of such a building over the long run would probably exceed the cost of building a quality facility to start with.

The life of a double shifter is no life at all. Families can’t eat together or spend time together. Kids are either up late doing homework or up very early to get off to school. Parents are unable to spend time with their children and the children (especially afternoon shift), have no time to spend with family and friends.

Our children’s education and future is worth more than the few dollars that this bond issue will cost us. Vote yes on Tuesday. Judy L. Stahlbush Post Falls

Show our children they count

Support the children of Post Falls School District by voting yes for the school bond issue.

Where are our priorities? Our children are our most valuable resource. As parents and responsible adults, we need to provide them with the best possible learning environment. Our children need a good education to equip them to take over as our future community leaders and business people.

Don’t sell our children short by our apathy, our attitude that our individual votes won’t make a difference. Each vote is important, to give our children the message that they are valuable and they count.

If you aren’t registered to vote, register at your child’s school. Take the responsibility to vote yes and show your children by your example that you care. You can make a difference. Linda Johann Post Falls