Letters

Don’t hold your breath

Mr. Dave Hunt ends his letter (“Stop the Obama smears,” Aug. 20) by saying, “I am tired of the lies, distortions, hidden agendas, whitewashings and charades that we’ve had to endure, especially the weapons of mass deception these past eight years.”

Mr. Hunt, one of the great things about America is we can freely express ourselves, regardless of the limited knowledge of the subject.

You feel deceived during the past eight years. Well, if my historical memory serves me right, in 1828 John Quincy Adams smeared and slandered Andrew Jackson; in 1864 Lincoln’s wife was alleged to be secretly aiding the Confederates; in 1884, James G. Blaine, with the help of an unbiased newspaper, began a smear campaign against Grover Cleveland.

American politics has never been fair or balanced. Harry Truman is credited with saying, “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

However, today it’s a blood sport and not for beginners.

Remember this when you’re tired of distortions, hidden agendas, whitewashings and charades: There are only two rules in politics.

Rule No. 1: In a cesspool, scum rises to the top. Rule No. 2: Rule No. 1 always prevails.

Study history and you’ll find few presidents are free of baggage.

George C. Rekow

Post Falls

Pity poor ‘Mr. Charismatic’

After reading through all of Dave Hunt’s blather (letters, Aug. 20), I cannot help but to ask what lies and how did he disprove them?

Like most fickle Obama supporters, he cannot show how Obama has a workable plan, experience to justify his election or that any of Jerome Corsi’s book is not true.

All Hunt seems to do is to cry foul and call names, whining that Mr. Charismatic is being picked on.

John Weyant

Priest River, Idaho

Learn from Duncan

If Joseph Duncan wants to make amends, why not leave his brain – dead or alive – to science, so that one day we may get some insight into why some human beings turn into such monsters.

Diane Pooley

Coeur d’Alene

Idaho case calls for execution

I have been following with absolute horror the Duncan trial. After reading accounts of the proceedings in Wednesday’s paper, I have come to this conclusion: I am in favor of the death penalty in cases of this magnitude.

Kurt Laven

Moscow

Humanity divided

There is one human species. When judging another as “different,” I destroy my unity with error.

There is one, but I split us in two. Unity enables peace, but my judgment of “separation” promotes fear, leading to attack.

Who is it that initiates this judgment that “separates” us? Only me. Because of judgment, “others” now represent “threat.”

On a larger scale, we now build another wall around Russia. Judgment “separates” Russia again. Instead of unity, we experience fear again.

Fear always leads to attack. The perceived weakened party feels forced to recover their loss of power and justify initiating some form of mass murder, i.e., war to recover.

If I defend myself in advance, I am unequivocally stating I don’t trust you, I judge you to be “separate” and deny unity, blindly promoting fear, attack and war.

I then only wish to justify my actions and blame it all on you, no matter how many “others” have to die for me.

Pogo eloquently puts it: “We have met the enemy and they are us.”

Us. Help us! You can deny it, but our commonality as one species on one globe is obvious. Try denying erroneous separation judgment, thinking instead.

Frank Percy

Spokane

U.S. should seek balance

The fighting in Georgia is more complicated than TV images and talking heads can convey. Important context is missing.

In 1991 after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Georgia’s leaders decided to end autonomy for the South Ossetians. An armed struggle for independence followed, which was resolved by a successful cease fire and peace-keeping effort maintained by Russian, Georgian and Ossetian forces.

By the way, major oil and gas pipelines go through other areas of Georgia.

There are conflicting versions as to which side initiated small arms fire on Aug. 6. Early on Aug. 8, the Georgian military began a major incursion into the South Ossetian capital, supported by multiple rocket launchers whose only real use is to devastate large areas and kill innocent civilians.

The Russians, believing that it was the Georgians who ended the cease fire, responded with their counter-invasion.

The Georgian armed forces were trained by U.S. instructors, served in Iraq and possessed more advanced weapons than the Ossetians.

Obviously, Georgian President Saakashvili expected unconditional support from the West before he undertook this adventure, and thankfully he was disappointed.

The United States must take a balanced position.

Frank A. Malone

Spokane

There’s life beyond the tube

This is in response to the article in Sunday’s Business section concerning the switch to digital TV in February.

What an absolutely perfect opportunity for anyone who has ever wanted to get rid of the “idiot box” and for any family who feels that they watch too much.

Don’t get the converter. Don’t buy a brand new TV. Throw out the old one; stop paying a cable bill.

Instead, read a book, build a model, go for a walk, play a game, work in the garden.

I have been without a TV for over five years. It was hard at first, but now, if I do watch something it seems ridiculous, loud and crass.

A specific news program or sporting event is all I can stand.

After a while you will not miss it at all. You will feel a certain independence for not having to pay to be entertained every day, and having product after product shoved at you.

Take a stand, get a life. It feels great.

Marie Engle

Spokane

Housing questions

I see drama playing out in River City as stuff happens with a thrust that no news is good news.

In “Housing won’t go to poor” (Spokesman-Review, Aug. 6), $7 million was paid for 250 homes, that is $28,000 per house and below market value. We may have a story somewhere if rents are market rates.

I would be interested to learn whom Greenstone normally builds for in River City. Why are not our two senators and one representative addressing this tangled web?

The units may have been used to train vets in useful skills so units became quality housing for the needy.

Who is Belfour Beatty Communities LLC, of Newton Square, Penn.? Can the House and Senate explain when we sold off Fairchild Air Force Base housing with no talk or open-bid progress? Who is watching the hen house? Did I miss the story? What national security interest was served?

Maria, Patty and Cathy, ask why!

John Heffernan

Spokane

Where is representation?

How can we expect our representatives to represent us, when so many are beholden to oil interests or protect by their silence those who are? How many in Congress and the Senate are profiting from kick-backs and earmarks?

We, the people, deserve honest representation.

We have difficulty with our health care costs, while our representatives have abundant coverage, at our expense. Many of us are barely getting by on Social Security while our “servants” get great retirement plans, again at our expense.

We need the representation promised to us while they were running for election.

The automatic annual raises they have given themselves are uncalled for. We have given those folks barely 9 percent approval ratings; how can they have the nerve to allow themselves raises while the rest of us are suffering from a poor economy and no raises?

We need to eliminate the automatic annual raises.

Lastly, why are presidential candidates, who spend most or all of their time out on the campaign trail, still getting paid their Senate or congressional wages?

We are not a bottomless pit to be plundered by our representatives.

Gary Garrison

Kettle Falls, Wash.

McCain hasn’t grown up

The other day I read a quote that seemed quite contemporary, although it was probably written some 40 years ago.

Referring to the Vietnam War, the psychologist Thayer Greene said: “There is something still young, almost adolescent, in such nostalgic and heroic flexings of our national and military muscle.”

This immature attitude is still widespread and personified by John McCain, age and experience notwithstanding.

Moritz Kundig

Spokane

Whitewater park case made

The article in the Aug. 15 paper on the whitewater park only mentioned negative comments made by a minority of the many participants. More expressed their support for the whitewater park and appreciation of the work that has gone into developing it.

Yes, there were questions and concerns raised, but once explained, most were satisfied with the care that is being taken to design this properly.

Thanks to Friends of the Falls for their vision of the Spokane River Gorge.

Bob Horrocks

Spokane

Greed breeds hypocrisy

The greedy, selfish, hypocrites that claim to be evangelical Christians vote against health care for the poor children, yet they give welfare to the rich and super rich and call that tax incentives. The same ones complain about socialized medicine and Medicare and complain about their co-pays.

Lord, forgive me for I have sinned. In the past I voted for Republicans (Greedy Old People) but never ever again.

You wouldn’t hire a liar, a thief, or let them in your house, but you let them control your money? Re-elect no one. Clean house.

Gary L. Severance

Athol, Idaho