Protesters not a problem

Just when we feel overwhelmed by car thefts and burglaries, our sheriff warns us of another menace: outside agitators from Vermont! Guard your children, fellow citizens! The enemy is at the gates.

Actually, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich’s enemy is already within Spokane. I have spoken with people living right here who do not want more coal trains coming through town. We don’t need outsiders to alert us to dangers to our health from these trains. We who attended last year’s hearings to speak against the proposed coal ports were either from Spokane or from Montana and Idaho, through which the trains would travel.

Civil disobedience is native to the Northwest. The recent demonstrations against the tar sands shipments by the Nez Perce and their allies exemplify this. I hope to see more. I don’t fear demonstrators showing their concern about environmental dangers of coal shipments, tar sands development and fracking. I will probably join them, and I encourage others to participate.

Sheriff Ozzie needs to concentrate on car thieves and burglars. If he has contacts with the railroads, he might use them to try to get improved daytime passenger service. That sort of increased rail traffic would be appreciated.

Marian Hennings

Spokane