In their words
A selection of quotations from people in recent news stories, big and small
“It is important to bear in mind that unsubstantiated does not mean untrue.”
– Washington state Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen, in her dissent to the court’s decision that will allow school districts to keep secret the names of teachers involved in unsubstantiated charges of child abuse.
“Will there be a cap, ever, on how many machines or whatever the tribes can have?”
– State Sen. Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma, at a hearing where state legislators discussed Gov. Chris Gregoire’s approval of thousands more slot machines in tribal casinos.
“We have observed that wildlife don’t tend to hang out around shooting ranges.”
– Department of Ecology spokeswoman Jani Gilbert, regarding the chances that birds might swallow spent bullets at the Spokane Police Department’s present shooting range, the replacement of which is one of the projects for which the city might seek property tax funds.
“We all cross bridges, and I’m not talking about metaphors.”
– Methodist Bishop Sally Dyck, speaking in Minneapolis on the one-year anniversary of the deadly collapse of that city’s Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River.
“We’re in a different climate now. It’s not conducive to regrowing them. It’s a one–way process.”
– Trent University researcher Derek Mueller, who refrained from saying global warming is at fault for the seven-square-mile expanse of ice that broke away from an Arctic ice shelf in Canada.
“It’s not as though we don’t have the capability to take care of ourselves. My concern is we’re not used to it.”
– Former Alaska Republican lawmaker Jim Whitaker, noting that his state may see less federal funding steered its way after the indictment of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens on corruption charges.
“We had not done right by these soldiers. The Army is genuinely sorry. I am genuinely sorry.”
– Assistant Secretary of the Army Ronald James, who was in Seattle on July 26 to issue a formal apology over the wrongful convictions and dishonorable discharges of 28 black soldiers – including Samuel Snow, who died the next day – over a riot and killing nearly 64 years ago.
“This was an extremely unfortunate and tragic incident. Our deepest regrets of sympathy and condolences go out to the family.”
– Army Col. Allen W. Batschelet, chief of staff for the 4th Infantry Division, acknowledging that U.S. soldiers killed three law-abiding Iraqi civilians on June 25 in an incident that the Army falsely described at the time as an act of self-defense.
“It’s my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want.”
– Milwaukee resident Keith Walendowski , who faces criminal charges after shooting his lawn mower when it wouldn’t start.