Letters for Sept. 18, 2022

The fault is not in our stars

As Vestal states in his recent column (“Our vibrant city blends terrific, terrible realities,” Sept. 9), “the best of the city lives side by side with the worst” and “there’s always been this tension between the city’s rough side and its striving, aspirational side.” His conclusion is that, “It’s frankly impossible to see any way out of the crisis with the current array of public leadership.”

To the extent that this is true, the dilemma is hopeless. We have chosen this “public leadership” and this is the existential truth that condemns humans to personal, local, national and worldwide distress. Until and unless we the people “own” problems, nothing can be done to either help solve or avoid them. As Shakespeare has Cassius say in Act I, Scene III, of “Julius Caesar,” “the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves …”

Only by awareness and acknowledgment of the integral conflicted character of the human animal can we hope to learn ways of coming to terms with his negative, destructive tendencies and “let the light shine in.” It is no mean task because we have so many ways to conspire to evade the inconvenience and discomfort of self-knowledge. But with a purposeful and inventive education system and an intentionally supportive social system, it is possible. Our lives, literally, depend on it.

Peter Grossman

Spokane

Expect to lose educators

A second Idaho librarian quit last week citing political and religious threats and nastiness from religious zealots objecting to many books. Expect more librarians to quit. Also expect censored teachers, who have also put up with divisive political threats and nastiness for three years, to leave the profession or leave the state to teach in free states.

Lastly, expect doctors in women’s health care to flee the state. They, and other health care workers, have put up with divisive political threats and nastiness for three years, too. The threat of jail for the “crime” of upholding their oath is enough incentive to go practice elsewhere.

There are other states in our failing, fading United States that are going to see the same things happening to them after passing divisive anti-woman, anti-science and anti-education laws that also join anti-voting laws.

These states must have forgotten that the United States is supposed to be free and democratic. Shame on them for doing this to their citizens and their country.

Jennifer Bates

Spokane

‘The Bear’

Talk about new TV series “The Bear,” the most recent entry by a famous chef of Spokane once again shows one of the chefs without a beard cover (“Cooking up the truth,” Sept. 9). This seems to be a common theme. I have been collecting beard hairs from all of the chefs The Spokesman-Review is promoting and taping them on the articles. Look for them on eBay when the chef becomes famous.

Mike Smith

Spokane

Madsen’s column hits the mark

Madsen’s recent column describing the president’s divisive speeches hits the mark (“Biden’s speech could embolden both extremes,” Sept. 8). As the midterms approach, voters can hopefully identify the leaders and party, along with the media, who have continued to polarize and paralyze our nation.

The threats to our country come from misguided economic, social, energy, health and international policies which have produced inflation, increased crime, attacks on the judiciary branch, stifling of education and increased tyranny abroad. The failure list for the party in power can go on forever. Think immigration reform, increased taxes and let’s not forget the inevitable blame game. The Russians, the Chinese, the supply chain, corporations, local gasoline retailers and, above all, Trump.

The obsession with the former president reflects an ongoing disease known as the Trump Derangement Syndrome. The Dems and the media continue to use him as a distraction from the realities of 2022 while the party goes after student votes by negating loans, capture the Medicare crowd with drug caps two-three years from now, and fuel more money/taxes onto the current inflationary fire.

Make no mistake, Republicans are no angels and we all know how citizens rank politicians and the media, but the hypocrisy of the divider-in-chief and his allies merits a critical review as we head to the polls.

Joseph Harari

Spokane

Water conservation

In May, the Spokane City Council passed a “Drought Response Measures Ordinance.” The ordinance essentially prohibits watering outdoor vegetation from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. between June 1 and October, limits watering outdoor vegetation to four days per week.

Unfortunately, there are no means for tracking, enforcing or holding people accountable. In fact, the leadership mentioned not wanting to be punitive to the community or foster an atmosphere of neighbors tattling on neighbors. How then do we solve the problem? How about spending resources on educating the public?

This sounds eerily familiar to decisions being made with regard to the increasing crime in Spokane and the growing homeless problem. Some decisions are hard ones, but have to be made to benefit the whole community. That’s called leadership.

A recent article in The Spokesman-Review referenced the Spokane Riverkeeper’s urgent call for water conservation. Specifically, he mentioned recent monitoring by the U.S. Geological Survey, showing river flows at drought-like levels.

Our underground aquifer is not limitless and it should be common sense that watering your lawn during the hottest part of the day is fruitless with most water evaporating into the atmosphere. Yet, even after the ordinance passed, there are countless violations occurring every day from the South Hill to the North Side. These are happening in city parks, multiple businesses, private residences and even out at Fairchild AFB (admittedly in Airway Heights). Again, we need common sense and leadership to address this issue.

Jerry Anderson

Spokane

Seattle teachers protest for higher pay

Seattle teachers are protesting for more pay. One protester was interviewed asking why they are protesting. The teacher protesting says cost of living in Seattle keeps going up. That’s the fault of the party that the West Side of the state keeps electing year after year, the Democratic Party.

When Democrats in government spend more, the cycle continues. Where Democrats find ways to collect more from businesses and individuals. They impose more taxation and regulation costs on fees that everyone must pay. Businesses then have to adjust the costs incurred and pass it on to consumers causing the cost of living to rise. Look at what our federal government has done over the past two years with Biden in the White House and Democrats control both the House and Senate under Pelosi and Schumer.

Failed Democrat policies have caused significant increase in fuel costs along with the inflation we have seen in price for goods and services we all pay for.

What happens when Democrat government spends? They keep spending and increase more debt.

What happens when businesses and people spend? They become aware of their debt and begin to cut their spending.

It’s sad to see teachers protesting in Seattle, where kids are the ones who are being hurt. Not getting their education. Until the voters consider my points I’ve shared, we will continue to go down this downward path. I sincerely believe it’s time for the people to be more conservative and begin to vote Democrats out of office.

Todd Snarr

Clarkston

The Epoch Times is dangerous

The Epoch Times is a dangerous newspaper, which appears to be owned by the Falung Gong religion. Although the Falung Gong and the Chinese Communist Party hate each other, they seem to be united in their desire to see China emerge as the dominant world power. To that end, they both are working to weaken America.

The Epoch Times is normalizing conversations of secession or civil war, encouraging American self-destruction.

“Pondering this while driving across middle Tennessee the other day to visit a friend who lives in a rural area, gazing out at the endless farms with the strong men and women working the land, we can call them unabashedly, ‘The Patriots.’ I knew that they would win in the end, bitter as it would be. They’re godly, they’re brave, they would persevere and they’re armed and know well how to use those weapons.” (“Would the Indictment of Donald Trump Lead to Civil War?” by Roger L. Simon, Opinion, The Epoch Times, Aug. 3-9, 2022, p. A15)

The Epoch Times is in a hurry. “The second U.S. civil war may already have begun with the arrests of Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon because of their refusal to speak with the Jan. 6 committee.”

Are we going to allow foreign organs of influence like The Epoch Times to lead us into shooting ourselves off the list of major powers, or are we going to come together and repair what’s broken, like the administrative state?

Wiley Hollingsworth

Pullman

9/11 coverage

The Spokesman-Review lost me. Sept. 11 should always be on the front page on Patriots Day. You really blew it. Not even a mention, but you got the new king of England in. Priorities. Not the Spokesman.

Signed,

Widow of a 100% disabled veteran.

Helen Chabot

Mead

No 9/11 coverage

I was very disappointed and appalled not to find coverage of the 9/11 tragedy in the Sunday paper on Sept. 11. You should have had front-page coverage; this was an attack on this country that should not be forgotten! Why you chose not to cover it is beyond me. News media across the country covered the story.

Robert Arleth

Spokane

Kudos to Inland Northwest Opera

When I moved to Spokane nearly 15 years ago, I never expected to experience an opera performance of high professional quality akin to those I have seen elsewhere by some of the world’s most renown opera companies. In locations such as New York City, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Munich, London, Palermo, Naples and Savonlinna, Finland. Such was my delight earlier this month by the Inland Northwest Opera’s production of “La Traviata.” Exquisite singing by Raquel Gonzalez as Violetta and by Andrew Stenson as Alfredo, was accompanied perfectly by the orchestra conducted by John Baril. I can’t wait to see what Inland Northwest Opera has in store in the future. Nothing can match live performance of opera, especially when done well as I witnessed right here in Spokane.

Janet Grossman

Spokane