Letters

Invest in the best

On March 14 we have an opportunity to support one of our country’s greatest success stories. A story in which dreams do become reality. A story where we find the great equalizer of society in practice on a daily basis.

This is an investment more important than stock, bonds or real estate. An investment where there are no limits on the dividends paid.

I am talking about the maintenance and operations levy for the improvement of our Spokane public schools. Each one of us has the responsibility to ensure that one of our greatest natural resources is not left wanting. Our children are indeed our country’s future.

Please vote “yes” on Tuesday, March 14.

Charles R. Mauro

Spokane

No enrichment without levy

Spokane Public Schools will be voting, this time by mail, on the three-year replacement levy for maintenance and operations this spring.

Although our state constitution mandates education as a constitutional responsibility, the amount allotted is very “bare bones,” without funding for special education or enrichment such as music. These must be funded by “special levies.” This replacement levy will run 16 cents less per $1,000 than the expiring one.

I serve on the Citizens Committee, working on the campaign with our many retirement communities in our district. Having worked on our levies for most of the past 55 years, I recognize the responsibility we all have, that as good citizens we must support our schools and our young people.

Ballots will be mailed during the last week of this month and must be returned by March 14. Please get yours mailed as early as possible. Thank you.

Doris Tryon

Spokane

Not out to steal jobs

What bill are you writing about, Michael Wiman (“Law too easily abused,” Feb. 3)? I’ve read the law House Bill 2661 amended and I see nothing in the 19 pages of text that says anything about included groups – gays or women, Jews or people with disabilities – getting any new or “special” rights.

It’s not an affirmative action bill, so your job is secure to the degree that any job in this “right to work” state is (a whole different can of worms).

All the new language does is formalize what most Washingtonians have long taken for granted, that no one should be denied employment, housing, access to insurance, credit or public accommodation on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Check the records. No city, county or state where 2661-like language has been adopted has seen any appreciable increase in litigation based on this inclusion. Ask any attorney; such cases are rare because they’re hard to win.

So relax, Mr. Wiman. The sweet elderly lesbian up the street who brings you cookies at Christmas and watches your house when you’re gone doesn’t want to steal your job. She just wants to be an equal and contributing member of the community.

Catherine D. Willis

Spokane

No reason to celebrate

Christians are always attacked for wanting to legislate Biblical morality. But when the anti-Christians in the state Legislature legislate immorality, Rebecca Nappi says it’s time to celebrate. (“Gay rights bill should end witch hunt,” Jan. 28).

The tiny minority of homosexuals will now try to legally force the Christian majority into the closet and keep us from practicing our faith. According to Nappi, that is OK because her belief in equality, tolerance and diversity obviously doesn’t apply to Christians.

Now that we are legally second-class citizens, I suppose Nappi will suggest we be fed to the lions for breaking this new law.

Jesus made it very clear when he said, “He that is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). The same is true for the laws people make. They will either reflect their Biblical morality or their immorality.

I know I’m being rather narrow, Rebecca, but I really can’t rejoice with you and the governor in what Jesus calls sin.

Steve Dunham

Spokane

Can’t take Bible literally

Kelli Burton’s letter interprets and takes Bible words out of context (“Can’t defend homosexuality,” Feb. 4). This is commonly done to defend one’s favorite prejudices. An alternative way to interpret the Bible would be understanding the words in their historical and ethnic contexts, but I assume many believe the Bible is God’s literal word to mankind.

Let’s take some phrases out of the Bible and think about the literal implications that they have had throughout history.

Bid slaves to be submissive to their masters (Titus 2:9).

The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one (1 Cor. 2:15).

Happy shall he be who takes your little ones (Babylons) and dashes them against the rock (Psalms 137:9).

You (the Jews) are of your father the devil (John 8:44).

The circumcision party, they must be silenced (Titus 1:10-11).

For the wife does not rule over her body, but the husband does (1 Cor. 7:4).

The women as the weaker sex (1 Peter 3:7).

Words become ideas and ideas can be dangerous, especially if true believers think they are the literal words of their God.

Roger Junttila

Post Falls

Forgiveness is power

Regarding “Diocese offers $45.7 million,” Feb. 1.

Why is the statute of limitations not being enforced in this matter? Why is our judicial system letting people file charges decades after the fact?

This is opening a door that I don’t think our justice system can handle. You let one person ignore the statute of limitations and then you have to let everyone one else for any other reason.

I don’t think people should be able to file charges years later against their church. I see this only as a money issue, nothing else.

You cannot blame how your life turned out on your offender. Not now. You made choices in your life as did I. I’m a victim of childhood molestation and Catholic. My attacker wasn’t a priest, but he was someone that my parents and I trusted.

Is putting people out of work and closing schools going to make you feel better? Don’t punish people who have nothing to do with what happened to you. The churches and schools didn’t attack you. The priest (the man) did.

Forgiveness is a powerful, powerful thing. You will never feel such peace as I have felt until you forgive your attacker.

Alexandra Talley

Spokane

Where’s the compromise?

Eden Lake asks how one can refuse the smoking ban (“Smoking ban a compromise,” Feb. 3). Allow me.

Cigarette smoke is obnoxious, offensive and unhealthy. No argument from this smoker. That is why I have always smoked outside – as a courtesy to non-smokers.

I will quit smoking someday, and so I would’ve voted for the smoking ban were it not for the 25-foot buffer zone. This greedy addition to the well-intentioned law is no compromise; it’s having your cake and eating it too.

Is it not enough that I smoke outside? Doesn’t that solve the problem for any reasonable non-smoker willing to compromise?

Voters in favor of this law have knee-jerked us into more financial burden for the state without thinking the matter through. Exceptions to the law are already being created for businesses with at least a 10 percent profit loss from the ban and for areas where the buffer zone is not possible. Creating these exceptions wastes time and money, and gets us right back where we started from.

Please, voters, read more than the first few lines of what you are voting for. It’s your responsibility to carefully consider the entirety of what you find on the ballot.

Greg J. Miranda

Spokane

Give us new columnists

Why in the world do keep printing Molly Ivins’ columns? They are all the same, bashing or blaming Bush about everything that’s wrong with the whole world. What a waste of column space. I quit reading her column more than a year ago. Why don’t you get somebody worthwhile with some new ideas?

Ron Petersen

Spokane

Funeral no place for debate

Coretta Scott King’s nationally televised funeral was no place to ambush President Bush on differences of opinion with his policies or person.

I worked for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, at the time of his assassination in 1968. I knew Rev. Joseph Lowery and Mrs. King from that time. I was embarrassed and ashamed that Rev. Lowery and former President Carter used this funeral to pursue their personal criticisms of the president.

They gathered in Georgia to honor a well-lived life before God and the nation, not for political debate. Leaders craving our respect need to recover their manners and conduct civic affairs with more decorum.

David M. Wallace

Spokane

Hindsight is 20/20

In his State of the Union speech, Commander in Chief Bush stated that “Hindsight alone is not wisdom.”

That must have won him a lot of support from history teachers throughout the nation. Maybe that is why he didn’t recommend more history teachers, just more math and science teachers.

What about Vietnam? Shouldn’t the history of that fiasco have offered us wisdom into the war with Iraq? Didn’t he learn that modern war is no longer fought between two armies dressed in different colored uniforms fighting on a well-defined battlefield?

We went to Vietnam to save the world from communism and we went to Iraq to spread democracy. Same purpose, same problems. Except now we are getting beat by guys in turbans and sandals in the desert instead of rice pickers in the jungle.

We fought in Afghanistan and couldn’t catch a tall guy riding a white horse despite having superior weapons and manpower. Where are the leaders of the Taliban?

Doesn’t history show us the difference between Western politics and Middle East religion? Doesn’t it prove war will fail in Iran, Palestine, Syria, etc. unless tactics are changed?

Hindsight does have wisdom, it is the leaders of this country who don’t have wisdom!

Ross Yearout

Spokane

McMorris is uncompassionate

So Rep. Cathy McMorris provided the swing vote that allowed the House of Representatives Republicans to hurt poor people, seniors and college students (“House OKs $39 billion in cuts,” Feb. 2).

Overall spending on Medicare for seniors is reduced by $6 billion, prescription drug costs will now increase and lender subsidies are reduced for student loans. Later on this year she will vote to continue the tax cuts to rich people.

Certainly our representative can vote her way. Yet why do 60 percent of voters in Eastern Washington elect her to hurt poor people and help rich people? Don’t voters in the 5th District have any sympathy for seniors, poor people and students?

David Thorin

Veradale