Letters To The Editor

RELIGION

James showing her ignornace

Religious prejudice shows in Jennifer James’ Jan. 1 column, “a pope who supports ancient, self-serving, reproductive mandates and mindless discrimination against women.” Obviously, Ms. James hasn’t read John Paul II’s writing on Genesis in which he gives convincing evidence that God created Adam and Eve as equals, or his other erudite works.

Discrimination against women? Pope John Paul venerates many men and women saints, including several honored as “doctors” of the faith. Of the acknowledged spiritual leaders, he chose Mary as patron of his papacy.

John Paul’s respect for women isn’t just ceremonial. Orphanages under his patronage accept boys and girls equally. The papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral care maintains missions where children are educated and women are instructed in economic betterment and given previously unknown health care. The intent is to raise status of all peoples, especially girls and women.

Likely, it is women’s-lib questions of abortion, contraception and women priests which anger trendy Ms. James. Man is subject to laws of his nature, just as any other creation. Only those who believe man can alter or create his own laws can argue that there are no moral absolutes.

The pope rejoices in what he perceives to be God’s plan. John Paul II was a respected scholar, theology teacher and author before he was chosen to lead his church. He was an active contributor to Vatican II and often quotes from its documents. Some disagree with his perception of God’s laws, but no scholar would call his conclusions “mindless.” Agnes Mullen Spokane

Religious coverage deeply appreciated

Your exceptionally positive coverage of religion in society in Sunday’s paper is very much appreciated. The stories of peace, love, truth and forgiveness within our diverse cultures inspires hope in the goodness of a humanity which places its trust in God.

The story of the march in memory of Felicia Reese celebrated her strong faith which overcame a troubled home life and it helps us overcome our grief and anger as we seek to re-integrate God’s justice and mercy in society.

The reunion of three ethnically diverse congregations of Southern Baptists to honor Martin Luther King reveals that our strength is in unity of belief lived within the beautiful tapestry of many cultures.

Coverage of Pope John Paul’s audience of millions in the Philippines reveals people’s enormous spiritual hunger to hear the truth that sets us free.

Father Joe Weitensteiner’s successful work of giving new life and hope to troubled boys at Morning Star Boys Ranch illustrates that everyone’s life is worth saving.

Finally, the profiles of Eastern Washington representatives point to how unity of moral beliefs among people of denominational differences can help move society toward the common good.

I hope that this uncommon coverage continues so that The Spokesman-Review will become a vehicle for building community rather than for fostering factions. Cindy Omlin Mead

Christian extremists are dangerous

Bill Maxwell’s fear of Christian extremists and their god has a firm foundation (Letters, Jan. 12). I have seen and heard the hate of these small-minded people in my native state of Alabama where I grew up in the ‘30s and ‘40s and where I later lived with my wife and children until 1963.

It would be convenient to believe that this intolerance is a “Southern thing,” but it’s not. It exists right here in good ol’ Spokane, as it does in every community in the country.

The credo of these extremists seems to be “all people who commit what we perceive as violence should be taken out and shot” or “you’re dead wrong if you don’t agree with us, therefore you should be dead, wrong.”

In the 15th century, the Christians tortured those accused of heresy until a confession was extracted, then burned them. In 1692 the Christians of Salem, Mass., accused 20 women of witchery and burned them. In the final decade of the 20th century, physicians and employees pursuing what the extremists consider “acts against God” were tried, convicted and executed by three Christians, Michael Griffin, Paul Hill and John Salvi.

These extremists, extolled by the ultra-conservatives and considered among Gingrich’s “normal Americans,” are dangerous and unpredictable and the rest of us should be wary of them. Perhaps they should be taken out and shot. Ed Meadows Spokane

IDAHO

Board should stick by decision

The Morton Cove development decision was made by the previous board of commissioners after the required public hearing, study and recommendations by the Planning Commission. The final decision included a 300-foot buffer zone.

Now the Realtor and developer are unhappy about the siting of one home and want to disband the buffer.

Without even consulting the Planning Commission, our new board of commissioner agreed to reopen the hearing. The initial recommendation of the planning board had been to not approve the subdivision at all. This board is headed by an employee of a developer. Isn’t it fair to assume that interests of developers and Realtors were given fair consideration? The majority decisions of the previous board of commissioners was to disregard the planning board recommendation and approve the development with the 300-foot buffer.

This isn’t totally a wetland issue. Sportsmans’ access and uses of Morton Slough must be considered. It isn’t a coincidence that IFG requested the 300-foot setback. It provides a buffer so that sportsmen can legally discharge weapons outside that 300-foot setback from an inhabited dwelling and homes won’t be peppered with birdshot.

A larger issue is at stake. Can a pro-development board of commissioners ignore their planning board’s recommendations and the will of the voters to serve special interests? If Realtors and developers can revisit decisions unfavorable to them, then shouldn’t the same privilege be afforded the Sagle Advisory Committee, “Friends of the Eagles” and “Tree Huggers Anonymous”? We haven’t given this broad mandate to our elected commissioners and should not set this precedent. Gary W. Carlson Sagle, Idaho

Firings by Fox have gone too far

It’s been said that a new broom sweeps clean. New state Superintendent of Public Instruction Anne Fox, however, seems to be using a bulldozer to clean the kitchen floor. Her decision to fire highly respected chief of finance Marian Hylen, the latest in a long string of incomprehensible terminations, is going too far.

For public instruction to be successful, we need people running things who know their jobs and do them well. It is the people who meet these qualifications that Anne Fox is choosing to fire. What, exactly, is she trying to accomplish?

Ms. Fox should bear in mind that her election to office did not include a mandate to replace highly competent individuals with political cronies. At some point she will have to answer to the public for the decisions she makes. Trish Gannon Clarkfork, Idaho

AROUND SPOKANE

Cooperation makes thing happen

We have often heard “Spocain” referred to in other parts of the state as the “big little city.” Tidyman’s reflected this attitude during a recent Downtown Spokane Optimist Club youth project in which Tidyman’s not only provided the cookies and punch for 100 homeless children, but four Tidyman’s employees actually spent time sacking the items individually to add a personal touch for each of the recipients.

As a volunteer service organization and “friend of youth,” the Downtown Optimist Club is only one of an infinite number of organizations that must call upon the business community for donations. The generosity and support the Optimist Club has experienced over the years is astonishing and more reflective of what one might expect in a much smaller community.

Spokane has problems just like every other city, but let us not forget that when the community supports business and business supports the volunteers and programs within the community, great things can and do happen. Jacqueline Sandberg, secretary/treasurer Optimist Club of Downtown Spokane

Test scores could be skewed

The school academic test scores have been published (Jan. 5) and appear to be improving. However, it is noted that the number and percentage of children were not listed.

Why is this information important? Because it directly affects the accuracy of the scores.

With the advent of education reform, we have seen a continuing drop in scores. To combat this problem, many districts have been allowed to invalidate tests of children not achieving up to standard. Said invalidated tests are then not included in the final scores. What this does is effectively skew the scores, making them look better than they actually are. One school district in Washington is down to scoring 49 percent of the children tested - invalidating 51 percent of the tests and excluding them from the scores.

Only when you know the number of children in the class and the percentage of tests included in the scoring do you know how accurate the scores are. Lynn M. Stuter Nine Mile Falls

WWP deserves thanks

I have read with interest your coverage over the past few years of Washington Water Power (WWP) and their alleged disregards for the environment. I do not have enough facts with which to take an intelligent stand on these issues.

I would, however, like to commend WWP, especially their line department (you know, the people who keep your power lines clear of branches from trees they didn’t plant; the same people who come out at 3 a.m. in the snow to get power going to your house) for their continuing support of local high schools that use Christmas tree recycling as a fund raiser.

I had the privilege of volunteering in one such event recently, and lineman Randy Halvorson spent his entire Saturday, without pay, braving the first snowstorm of the new year to chip 330 trees so the Ferris Class of 1995 could raise money for their drug- and alcohol-free graduation party. WWP did not charge Ferris for the chipper, the truck, or for hauling away the three loads of chips. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last I am sure, that WWP puts back into the community for which it serves. Jack Cosby Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Contract missed campaign reform

A November New York Times/CBS News poll revealed that 78 percent of voters surveyed felt most members of Congress were less interested in serving people than in serving special interests. A look at congressional campaign contributions vs. the environmental record of the 103rd Congress shows why.

Reform of the General Mining Law, which has diverted billions from the U.S. treasury into corporate coffers, was blasted by the American Mining Congress and died in committee. Mining industry PAC contributions: $1.9 million.

The American Forest and Paper Association helped to ax a renewal of the Endangered Species Act. Timber industry PAC donations: $2.3 million.

Legislation regulating pesticides in our food was overdosed in both houses by pesticide lobbyists. Chemical industry PAC contributions: $3.8 million.

Renewal of the Safe Drinking Water Act stagnated after a coalition of water utilities voiced opposition. Just one of the coalition’s hundreds of members spent $20,000 a month on lobbying against the act.

The Clean Water Industry Coalition, a group of industry, agriculture, state and municipal organizations, poisoned an extension of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The coalition was only one of 263 PACs opposed to stronger clean water legislation. In all, they donated $56.9 million to congressional campaigns between 1987 and 1994.

The money-power connections go on and on. Now, with a PAC-fattened, anti-environment Republican Congress, special interests are in an even better position to dismantle health and environmental protections.

It’s not surprising that campaign finance reform, obstructed by Republican special-interest bagmen in the last Congress, is absent from Newt’s contract on America. Russ Moritz Sandpoint

Cut tax and fees on autos

As the Legislature considers tax cuts to help the people of Washington keep more of their money, I would like to see them cut the excise tax on automobiles. It is a crime the rates residents have to pay each time they register their cars or renew their tags.

I would also like to see eliminated the inspections carried out by the highway patrol. The licensing bureau can check the VIN numbers and titles to verify ownership and leave the State Patrol to more pressing issues like assuring that crucial evidence like DNA results are available to the court when needed and is processed appropriately.

Emissions testing should also be changed to allow more than just two stations to participate. With this service being monopolized, taxpayers do not have the benefit of competitive pricing and the system is open to corruption, since no other test results are acceptable.

I was told the reason the rates are notoriously high is because there is no state tax to cover the expense of maintaining the roads, but with all the other taxes considered it is not a sufficient reason to me. I think the state would be better served if they used inmates convicted for non-violent offenses to pave and re-pave highways at $1 a day and gave residents a decent break, not just a mere $19 cut on their property tax and more excuses about overcrowded prison conditions and known felons being freed on technicalities. N.G. Green Fairchild Air Force Base

Taxpayers not liable for NAFTA

Now the NAFTA pigeons are coming home to roost (“Clinton goes to mat for Mexico,” Jan. 14).

The Clinton administration now tells us we must put up a guarantee of U.S. dollars for Mexico’s possible use to stabilize the plunging peso. We are not to be told the precise amount, although $40 billion is currently mentioned as a possible upside. It could be any amount at all. We are not given any specifics about what will happen if we don’t do this, or what will happen if we do it and Mexico collapses financially anyway. Sen. Dole opines that if we did nothing and there’s a collapse, we’d have a real immigration problem. Seems to me the thing to do is defend our borders, not send them billions of dollars with a polite note to please keep their citizens at home.

It is claimed that this is being done to support our big U.S. investments in Mexico. We taxpayers don’t need to restore investor confidence in Mexico. Big business and big banks wanted NAFTA and the big investments in Mexico. Let them now finance the big risk.

NAFTA was supposed to drop tariff barriers and bring benefits to U.S. consumers by allowing lower-cost Mexican imports into this country. With the peso devaluing by 35 percent or more, the imports will be an even bigger bargain, so what’s the problem? Of course, our own manufacturing will suffer, but that was never a NAFTA consideration anyway. Richard T. Brown Spokane

Culture needs public support

This country undoubtedly spends more money on treating victims of violence than the government does on the arts and public broadcasting. To remove entirely the funding for the arts would dissolve interest in real culture. It is the arts that allow us to know that we are alive. A bullet can instantly cause disability or death.

The funding of controversial artists should be viewed in terms of ethics, not morals, due to the plurality of race and religions in this society.

Removing NEA funding supports Newt Gingrich’s political agenda of reducing governmental involvement in our lives.

Wouldn’t it be wise to deal with the issues that negatively affect Americans on a daily basis? Every 22 minutes in the United States a person is fatally wounded. Is this a gift we are insisting that current and future generations receive?

Give life a chance. Art doesn’t kill. Gayle Newnham Spokane

A conspiracy against the unborn

There may or may not be a conspiracy in the abortion clinic shootings. There is a greater conspiracy against half of the human race in the greatest exploitation of women possible: the continuation of anti-life abortion mills.

It wrenches my heart to know that we are allowing untold numbers of babies to be cut up, poisoned and harvested for body parts. The remains - 10 perfect toes, 10 perfect fingers and the rest - are dumped into garbage sacks and burned as a sacrifice to the god of convenience.

And am I not a woman? This is not “an angry white male seeking to keep women in the role of submissiveness” as the media would be apt to portray. I am a woman and I say we have been horribly, horribly deceived. Deceived into regarding a fetus as non-human “tissue”; deceived into putting personal convenience above caring and nurturing; deceived into destroying what is good in our nature as women.

This is so very, very wrong.

I grant that there are cases of medically necessary abortions, but in reality these are very few. The overwhelming numbers of abortions are performed for exploitive purposes.

We do not know, will never know, what Einsteins, Nightingales, Lincolns, Livingstons or Curies have been destroyed.

This rampant assault on the unborn child must stop. Now. Deborah L. Harder Spokane