Letters To The Editor

ABORTION Killer seeks to intimidate, control

I read on the front page of the July 30 SpokesmanReview about how Paul Hill killed two people and wounded another. Why? Because he doesn’t believe in killing. He believes in pro-life, but clearly not all life.

Paul Hill’s warped sense of justice has not changed my opinion on pro-life. It has only filled me with fear and rage. I do not see a humane man. I see an insane man with blood on his hands who seeks to oppress and control people by any means.

I will not live in fear and silence because of some people like him who use God as a justification to oppress, frighten or even kill in the name of justice and give this lie to discolor the word “control.” Vicky Lamont Spokane

Abortionists’ question cuts both ways

Millions across our country are outraged at the death of Pensacola abortion doctor John Bayard Britton, and rightly so. It was a cold-blooded and unnecessary murder.

I wonder if all those who condemn Dr. Britton’s death also condemn the cold-blooded and unnecessary murders for profit which occur in abortion clinics every day?

I could hardly miss the irony in the statement issued by the National Abortion Federation, “How many more must die?”

This year, 1.5 million innocent children lost their lives to abortion. That’s over 4,000 per day. How many more must die, indeed. Cynthia Dilts Sandpoint

LAW AND JUSTICE Investigations vitally important

Your July 28 article, “Sheriff’s office investigates hero,” implied that the sheriff’s office should have hastened or made an exception in the investigation of this fatal shooting.

Clearly, we are all grateful for the decisive action on the part of Airman Phillip Brown, which unquestionably prevented further tragedy. However, the taking of a human life is a serious matter. Any time there is a fatal shooting involving a police officer, a thorough investigation is and should be required. There should be no exceptions and no special privileges.

When law enforcement officials steer away from making unpopular decisions in the execution of their duties or make exceptions or grant special privileges, it creates an opportunity for corruption to flourish and ultimately calls into question their integrity, accountability and commitment to serve the community.

As do all professional law enforcement officers, Officer Brown understands and accepts the necessity of this investigation.

In addition to assuring accountability to the public, a thorough investigation is essential to protect the rights of the officer involved, and it serves to discourage frivolous lawsuits and complaints that can lead to expensive litigation.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s office has worked hard to develop and maintain the trust and respect of this community. The sheriff’s office is committed to dependably serve all of Spokane County with integrity and accountability. John Goldman Spokane

Act to kill anti-gun crime bill

As bad as Clinton’s socialized health care bill is, an even more horrifying bill is coming to the floor of House and Senate this week. While media coverage has focused public attention on Whitewater, O.J. Simpson, Haiti, Rwanda and health care, little publicity has been given to the very dangerous threats to our freedom contained in the 1,000-page “crime control act.”

It is doubtful that many congressmen have read the bill. Who doesn’t want crime controlled? But this bill will soon lead to total gun control, leaving all law-abiding Americans defenseless against criminals. It will also give radical, police state powers to the federal government.

Only a huge public outcry will prevent its passage. Our lawmakers need to hear immediately from everyone who values freedom.

Call Washington Sens. Slade Gorton and Patty Murray and Rep. Tom Foley, or Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne and Larry LaRocco at (202) 224-3121 or their local offices. Do not let anyone tell you the objectionable parts of this bill have been removed. It is all bad and anyone who votes for it should be considered an enemy of all Americans. Dee Lawless Post Falls

Enforcers known for their bias

The behavior of the city and county law enforcers does not surprise me. You people at The Spokesman-Review surprise me.

Where have you been? Our city and county law enforcers are notorious for showing deference to those who are rich, powerful or otherwise privileged.

Check out the courtrooms. Most defendants are poor, of color, or both. Gloria Porter Spokane

Defense argument does not add up

In Pam Thornton’s letter, “Verdict sends disgraceful message” (July 28) she states that Barry Thornton was sent to jail for defending himself, that three men threatened his life and the lives of his family. She read in the July 26 paper about a white man chasing down three youths with a rifle, threatening their lives and making racial slurs.

The problem is, these three men Thornton came in contact with did not chase him. They did threaten him. He left, and came back with a gun. That does not tell me that he felt threatened. Yes, there was a threat made. However, no one followed him, no one chased him. He had time to think about it, and he returned to the scene.

My question is, why did he not just stay at home instead of going back? The car of the man he killed had a dead battery, so he couldn’t go anywhere, and the other two people were helping him. So why did he go back? Had they followed him home, then it would have been a totally different situation. But he went back to the scene of the crime with a gun. That’s not defense; that’s ignorance. Otis Freelon Spokane

Restore sovereign immunity

No rational person could disagree with the writers of the many letters you received regarding the lack of personal responsibility evidenced in the student mooning case.

These writers, however correct they may be so far as they went, failed to put the blame where it really belongs. The basic fault lies in the collapse of the principle of sovereign immunity. With the taxpayer being the deep pocket, insurance companies and contingency fee lawyers are in total heaven.

Seventy-five percent of all that is wrong with our society could be corrected in one short session of the state Legislature, if the legislators would just do it. Specifically, they could restore sovereign immunity so that people using public facilities do so at their own risk.

As it is now, public administrators could care less. The risk factor is handled by the insurance people and the costs thereby are passed on to the taxpayer. The insurance salesmen and the contingency-fee lawyers have beautiful grazing rights.

As with so many other problems, the corrective action is simple and obvious. It is the politics of the problem that prevents a rational solution. Liberal victimology says that if some stupid kid climbs the fence and drowns in the pool, or if some weirdo public employee makes a sexually offensive motion, the taxpayer should pay.

As long as the voters elect lawyers - particularly liberal lawyers - things will get worse, not better. H.B. Porter Kennewick

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Halt unrestrained taxation

We, as taxpayers, pay the wages of our government officials. We pay the salaries of state and local officials. We pay for schools and teachers’ salaries.

We work hard for our paychecks, and we don’t vote ourselves raises. We need to say “stop!” Our paycheck is reduced by 40 percent. We don’t need a mandate on health care - another reduction in our paychecks.

We have become slaves to our government. We need a reduction in taxes in order to survive. Capital gains (taxation) needs to be abolished. Need I go on?

Our unrest should be looked at seriously by our officials. They are the ones living in fat city, on our paychecks.

Please, President Clinton and government officials, give us back at least 20 percent of our wages. And, please, state and local officials, look at a fair tax on all, not just the property owners.

We just want to keep the American dream. Don’t take it away from the American worker. Mark S. Mattern Post Falls, Idaho

Critic offers flawed premise

J.C. Ellefson (Letters, July 25) cites the 10th Amendment to prove a federal role in health care is unconstitutional. Jefferson would have agreed with him in the campaign of 1800.

Unfortunately, by ignoring the last two centuries of U.S. history, Mr. Ellefson has fallen into serious error.

The Constitution gives Congress unnamed “necessary and proper” powers. In McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819), Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that “necessary” here did not mean “absolutely necessary” but only “reasonable.” That is still the law today. Reasonableness was left up to Congress and, after Marbury vs. Madison (1803), the Supreme Court.

And Jefferson? He abandoned the Ellefson theory in 1803 because it would have kept him from making the Louisiana Purchase.

The further charge is made that polls and emergency powers have allowed presidents to create unconstitutional agencies and departments like the Social Security Administration and the Department of Energy. In fact, every organization he named was instituted and given its authority by act of Congress. Edward Keeley Spokane

Agency should expedite permits

Many of Congressman Tom Foley’s constituents in the state’s 7th Legislative District want to see some action taken regarding the current problem at the Kettle Falls Marina on Lake Roosevelt.

The National Park Service has not yet completed its environmental assessment and is holding up permits for relocation of the marina site near Kettle Falls to the mouth of the Colville River pending decisions about wetland mitigation and archaeological considerations.

The assessment won’t be completed for another month, but part of the marina, the D dock, where 77 boats are moored, urgently needs to be moved to deep-water moorage.

Drawdowns of the lake to save Columbia River salmon have placed a terrible burden on all marina concessionaires and have affected recreation at a time when tourists are flocking here by the thousands.

Most marinas are unusable at 1,275 feet, and Lake Roosevelt is now at 1,273 feet. More water will be released soon, leaving D dock high and dry.

Nothing can be done now about these fruitless drawdowns and their subsequent detrimental effects on the regional economy and on resident fish and wildlife. But with a few phone calls, Foley could cut through government red tape and mitigate some of the effects by speeding up this permit process.

Since all appeals to the National Park Service have fallen on deaf ears, we remind them that this is not a national park, but a national recreation area. They have an obligation to accommodate those who recreate here and to provide the best possible facilities in a timely and fair manner. Anne Andersen Lake Roosevelt Water Quality Committee, Curlew, Wash.

Dole does not deserve harassment

I was appalled at the picture of a group of yahoos condemning Sen. Robert Dole in the July 28 SpokesmanReview. Sen. Dole served his country and was seriously wounded. What did their president do? He ran like a turkey, an Arkansas turkey. George S. Knapp Medical Lake

OTHER TOPICS Emergency responders due kudos

All too often the efforts of the emergency medical services in this community are recognized only by the citizens who request their services. I feel it is time to recognize the pre-hospital emergency medical careresponders of Spokane and the surrounding areas. This year we experienced several incidents that tested the community’s preset plan for mass casualties. The mass shooting at Fairchild and the B-52 plane crash followed by the Riverside State Park fire resulted in the care and transport of 130 patients total.

Several agencies involved included a mix of public, private and volunteer services all working side by side. The hundreds of responders ensured the availability of emergency medical services to those directly involved in the incidents.

LifeFleet, like other agencies, remained in its usual system status to ensure regular-delivery emergency medical care. Additional personnel and equipment remained available to continue the daily operations of all responding agencies to their communities.

It is the combined efforts of these agencies and their personnel that make the current emergency medical services system in the Spokane community one of the best in the entire country. Tex Loncon Spokane

Starter marriages a sorry concept

In regards to “I do … for now” (IN Life, July 24):

Part of the “traditional” wedding ceremony says “marriage is not to be entered into lightly.” If those words are to be taken seriously, how can anyone consider a “starter marriage” as an acceptable and normal part of a commitment?

Perhaps more young couples today should take a little more time to consider the lifetime commitment they are making.

One couple in the article said the man was 25 and the woman 21 when they were married and that they were divorced after only four years. My husband was 22 and I was 20 when we were married 25 years ago, and we are still “adjusting” to marriage.

Yes, there have been difficult times. There have also been wonderful and joyous times. We are changing and growing every day. We become a stronger couple through the difficult times more than at any other time, for it is during those times that we depend on and draw strength from each other, even if we are in disagreement.

It would appear that more couples who have lived together prior to marriage get divorced than do the couples who didn’t live together first.

If we put our faith in God, live by and draw strength from his word, we would all be much better off. When “society” accepts immoral situations as normal it doesn’t work because we are then not in harmony with God.

I’m not saying all divorce is wrong; even in the Bible there are situations where divorce is acceptable. Tari Bernard Spokane

Authorship misattributed

I read John Craig’s Sunday article on the poetry shouting contest at Newport. He mistakenly gave credit for the poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” to Rudyard Kipling.

Actually, Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote that. Kipling wrote “Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear.” Those two poems are often confused. Frederick J. Lukens Spokane

Picture had unintended bad impact

Your journalistic coverage of a wide spectrum of events and issues is quite admirable. I deem it one of the best in the West.

Although it is a pleasure to read the display of language and editorial style, I was somewhat disheartened by the picture and caption which graced the front page of the July 17 issue. My concern here is for the effects of the negative symbolic image that the picture projects of black people, and rightly, the humorous concern expressed by the little girl.

African Americans are under siege every day from all quarters in America today. Ellis Cose’s study published in the “Rage of the Business Class” attests to this.

So to have an outstanding paper like yours innocently helping to promote, in jest, the image of children in handcuffs in the company of a respected officer of law and order is a bit much.

I hope that in the future some black person on staff could be a little more insightful about these issues and offer their input before publication. Baz Greiy Veradale

Consider dogs’ comfort, safety

The next time you want to put your dog in the back of your pickup, or take him/her for a walk and it’s 90 degrees outside, take your shoes off and stand on the pickup bed or on the sidewalk/street where the dog will be walking. Dogs’ feet have feelings, too. Louise Long Spokane