Get over the Rainbows

Having just completed the online renewal process for my truck tabs and contributing $5 to the Washington state park fund, I found the S-R’s Sunday front-page article about the Rainbow Family (“In a Family way”), complete with color photos, more than mildly irritating.

Why on Earth anyone would consider these societal parasites worthy of mention is beyond my understanding. Shame on those donating food to these wandering beggars.

“Food should be free,” states one of these freeloaders. Really? And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. No doubt they believe “pot” should be free also. What a sad commentary on this nation when we applaud these groups.

Carl R. Smith

Spokane

Nothing characterizes how clueless the news media is more than the “news story” out of Gainesville, Fla., regarding Pastor Terry Jones’ Quran-burning idea.

First, the group is described as composed of 50 members. What makes Dove World Outreach Center anything more than a completely irrelevant tiny splinter group? World Outreach, my eye!

And then, how does such a tiny splinter group become a voice for anyone with even a hint of common sense? Media coverage of this story is sensationalism (a religion in itself) in the extreme.

Terry and company would have left a carbon footprint of a couple of ounces if left alone to burn his bag of books. End of story without media coverage. He has a right to his views and how he chooses to express them. But the news media leads the charge in allowing such immaturity and sensationalism a voice. News media is solely to blame for turning this into an international incident. The story never should have seen the light of day! It’s journalistic irresponsibility to give such extremism a voice. How regrettable that this was treated as news!

Journalism – ever more a phenomenon of the dim and distant past.

Ron Harris

Spokane