Letters To The Editor

‘TIS THE SEASON

Quit co-opting Christian holy day

How I wish Christmas would never be treated as anything other than what it is: Jesus’ birthday. In actuality, it’s “celebrated” by most everyone, frequently ignoring its true meaning.

For many, it has become an opportunity to party, with alcohol and dietary overindulgence, to overspend, to buy gifts with little or no regard for the example of God’s gift to us, and to be otherwise influenced by the gross commercialization that takes place at Christmas time.

References to the birth of Christ or anything “religious” are illegal in many public places, especially schools. How ridiculous!

Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth, so how can Christ be left out of it?

My question is, if you don’t believe in God and the incarnation, in Jesus himself, why would you want to celebrate Christmas at all? Likewise, at Easter, if you don’t believe Christ died (for you), rose from the dead and lives today, then why celebrate it? These holidays (or holy days, as they were originally called), are very special to the Christian. Yet they’re abused, commercialized, and adulterated by the secular world. I think the non-Christian segment of our society should create a secular excuse of their own to explain their desire to celebrate, and pick a different time to do it.

Unrealistic? Of course, but please remember there wouldn’t be Christmas without Christ, God’s son, who was sent for our redemption - to provide a way for us, as sinners, to be forgiven. Merrily Lowry Colbert

Guess what ‘X’ in X-mas stands for

In answer to George Perks (Letters, Dec. 20), who is shunning businesses that use X-mas as a substitute for Christmas written out:

Perks should know that the X is not x-ing out Christ. In the Greek alphabet, “X” stands for Christ. This shortened form is not disrespectful; it’s only a shorter version of Christmas. Ann Fennessy Spokane

Don’t give realistic toy guns

It’s Christmas again. Parents, please watch what you buy your kids. A prime example is what happened to me on Dec. 17 in the evening.

I approached a crosswalk at Illinois and Columbus with three kids, 7 to 14 years old, standing in the street. As I slowed my car and approached, one of the kids took a spread stance and pointed a gun at me. It was solid black and looked like a .380 ACP or a compact 9 mm.

Whether it was real or not, only the kids know. If I was armed, I might have shot in self-defense and then the parents would be writing an obituary instead of reading a warning.

Please, for everyone’s safety, purchase appropriate toys. Maybe we should all check our firearms to make sure they’re stored safely. Cheryl Lipinski Spokane

Catholic Charities still needs help

Re: The Spokesman-Review’s Dec. 19 report on the Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal. Could the headlines declaring the campaign “way ahead” be misleading to would-be-donors? If so, this good-news story could be bad news for the final outcome of the Catholic Charities campaign.

The facts are that we have to date received $225,948 from 2,204 donors. This year’s Christmas Campaign materials were mailed early in advance of the holiday rush. People have responded promptly and generously. But the final facts are yet to come. To reach our goal, we need $550,000 from 5,500 donors. In fact, the Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal has a long way to go.

A gift to Catholic Charities helps people throughout the entire year. On behalf of St. Anne’s Children’s Home, Catholic Family Service, St. Margaret’s Shelter, House of Charity, Partners for Community Living and Catholic Charities Housing, we appreciate all who have contributed. To those who haven’t yet given, please don’t be misled. The Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal needs your help. Mary Ann Heskett, fund-raising coordinator Catholic Charities of Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Welcome online; I’ll be in touch

I’m glad to see that the editor of the review now has an e-mail address to which readers can send their opinions. Welcome to cyberspace and the modern world. You’ll be hearing from me a lot more now that you’re online. Ron Belisle Spokane

LAW AND JUSTICE

Shaw right to let incident pass

The recent article about Q6 TV’s Randy Shaw biting into a metal nut while eating a McDonald’s fish sandwich caught my eye. The article explained that Shaw suffered only slightly from the incident and after checking with his dentist there would be no permanent damage. Shaw stated he holds no ill will toward McDonald’s and will continue to eat there.

I must assume Shaw has no intention to sue the restaurant, even though it’s (apparently) the popular thing to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if several local attorneys read the same article and offered to represent Shaw in court.

Hold out, Shaw. There are many like me who feel you’re doing the right thing by letting the matter pass. Life is too short to worry about the small stuff. I will watch you on Q6 with a more understanding and satisfied feeling. Daryl E. Way Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Better a spouse than government

Has government taken the place of the community center, church, neighbors, friends and family?

Some say there’s too much crime. How much is enough? If I became a problem to neighbors when I was a kid, they told my parents. Shortly after that my parents would deal with me.

Justice was swift and sure. I might be restricted from play. Pleasures were temporarily taken away. If I was deemed willfully disobedient, a spanking was imminent.

If our neighbors were having a hard time, we would invite them over for dinner, talk it over and do what we could to help. Maybe fix their car, give them some food or help them find a job. It isn’t that way anymore.

Now the government is our friend, family, church, community center, doctor, employer, parent, mentor and moral leader. What a frightening thought.

If our spouse abandons us, don’t worry. The government can be our husband or wife, our provider who’s never away when needed, who never breaks a heart, never misses a paycheck.

So what’s missing? How about a face, one that shows happiness, pride, disappointment, pleasure, love. No wonder there’s so much crime; there’s no one to answer to.

Is this the kind of world you want to live in? Can we remember what it takes to make a community, and change? W.R. Parr Nine Mile Falls

Narrow views don’t help anyone

AIDS is a very serious, deadly disease that doesn’t discriminate. AIDS doesn’t care about race, color, creed and most certainly not about morals.

Eugene Fields’ letter, “Claypool a heroine? Think again” (Dec. 17) shows just how narrow-minded he is. He must have led a sheltered life. But I can tell him that it’s because of that kind of attitude that the world is at a standstill.

There is a saying: If you don’t know the flavor, stay out of the Kool-Aid. Meaning, if you don’t have all the facts, don’t pass judgment.

Let’s hope AIDS doesn’t come to his sheltered life in Electric City, Wash. Larry Swanagan Spokane

BUSINESS AND LABOR

Fine the scabs

My sons walked the picket line during the Boeing strike, sometimes two days in a row.

As a retired Boeing employee, I’m proud the majority stuck it out. It was difficult for all of them. Pattie Diacogiannis and the others who crossed the picket line shouldn’t be allowed to benefit from the strike. Why should they?

The union should take action against them. There’s no excuse for crossing the picket line, ever. Retirees benefited, thanks to the strikers. Scabs should be fined the $8,100 all the strikers lost. Nina Sinclair Spokane

PEOPLE AND ANIMAL

More carnivore than Christian

Stravo Lukos’ barbarous and vulgar suggestion that we eat dogs and cats to solve pet overpopulation is repulsive and ignorant.

Anyone who’s in the 20th century and knows anything about animal welfare is well aware that the simple, effective and responsible solution to pet overpopulation is spaying and neutering, not cooking.

Lukos apparently hasn’t a clue about the thousands of pounds of dog food that Dog Patch has donated to the food bank in Colville. He’s completely ignorant of the fact that 90 percent of Dog Patch efforts specifically target the poor and disenfranchised. We offer low-cost spay/neuter, vaccine, free pet-sitting for the homeless and aged, advice, placement, dog houses, wormer and more at little or no charge for the poor.

Worse, Lukos has not discovered that the one loyal and most unselfish friend a down-and-out person has is his dog. It is well documented that pets are positive influences on our health and sense of well-being. He appears devoid of the common knowledge that dogs do not desert us when we are tired, poor, cold, without money or reputation. Unlike many humans, dogs are loving and loyal to a master who has no food to offer. Humane aid is human aid.

Lukos claims to be an ardent student of Christ. Good Christians look for examples of Christianity everywhere. Nowhere can we observe Christian lessons better than in the unconditionally devoted, forgiving dog. Joyce Tasker, director Dog Patch, Colville, Wash.

See to need for spaying, neutering

This is written for those who cannot speak: the animals that fall prey to human disregard, ignorance and cruelty.

People disregard the fact that animals we humans have domesticated are abandoned and abused every day. In fact, there are so many homeless animals that it’s impossible to house them all. For every person born, 15 dogs and 45 cats are born.

To have a pet spayed or neutered takes a day and costs little. It prevents the unavoidable price many animals must pay. Each week many are euthanized.

During this holiday season open your heart and go to an animal shelter, to open your eyes and realize what is happening to thousands of helpless animals each year. If you think there is nothing positive you can do, you will be happy to know you can make a difference. There are rescue groups that sponsor these animals and find them good, permanent homes. There are opportunities to educate others. Although there is sadness, there is also hope and genuine reward.

People are often reluctant to go to shelters because they feel it would be too depressing. Most shelter animals are highly adoptable, loving creatures. The shelter isn’t a bad place and the workers truly care about the animals.

What’s depressing are homes where people don’t have their animals spayed or neutered. They ensure a hopeless future for thousands of dogs and cats. Kit Jagoda Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

It’s bad and growing worse

Much has been said lately about the so-called militia movement and anti-government feelings in general. I feel a definite kinship with anyone who no longer trusts our elected officials to do right by us ordinary citizens.

Today’s bureaucratic, bloated governments bear no resemblance to the ideals envisioned by the framers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

We suffer taxation without true representation because our Congress people have their own agendas. Our national forests and other public lands belong to special interest groups.

What kind of government allows foreign investors to buy American businesses and send the profits home? What kind of government spends billions on foreign aid and then claims there is no money for our own disadvantaged? What kind of government sells raw timber to other countries, cutting short the supply for our own sawmills?

What kind of government is so afraid of me that it would deny me the means to protect myself in case the police or armed forces can’t or won’t do so?

I wish we could go back to a time when success was measured by how well a person took care of his family, not by how many cars are in his garage. I wish we could return to a time when we weren’t too apathetic to vote out any official who failed to serve his electorate.

I wish fair trade again meant that if we buy a dollar’s worth from another country, that country would have to buy a dollar’s worth from us. Edward B. Hanson Spokane

Right wing getting the hang of it

Michael Hanly’s letter of Dec. 17 was rather acrimonious. He spoke of laughing at conservatives for complaining that your paper has a liberal slant, while taking a swipe at your printing of conservative articles and at home schooling principles. He gave a pretty clear indication of his perhaps unwitting complicity in the far left’s organized misinformation propaganda strategy.

I submit that Hanly’s laughter was simply nervous laughter, bubbling to the surface from some subliminal hostile impulses, born out of fear that an increasing number of conservative thinking citizens are beginning to exercise their First Amendment free speech rights and are wise to the far left’s misinformation propaganda strategy.

I encourage Hanly not to fear the constitutionally protected free marketplace exchange of ideas but rather welcome that process as a way of ultimately providing the opportunity for more citizens to enhance and crystallize their understanding of these issues so as to make better informed, future critical, moral and ethical decisions facing our nation.

We Christian and conservative believing people are becoming better able and willing to enter this free marketplace of ideas and believe our ideas are better or we wouldn’t bother.

Fear not, Hanly, just know that America’s democracy is the world’s best hope for the emergence and maintenance of principles that will ultimately bring us peace on earth and good will toward all people, which I believe is God’s desire. Ken Van Buskirk Spokane

Welfare an entomological view

In the Dec. 14 Roundtable, Chris Farnam calls food stamps “a subsidy for slum lords” and Bryan Burke protests corporate subsidies. Both make good points.

Our welfare system is a lot like ants and aphids. The ants transport the aphids to the tree and look after them while they eat, then the ants milk the aphids. The system works well for ants and aphids - not so well for the tree.

Likewise, the welfare state works well for recipients, their providers and protectors. It destroys those who produce the wealth and pay the bills. Jim Shamp Cheney