Letters To The Editor

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Wallace an exemplary educator, friend

With reference to your recent coverage of events in the life of Dr. James Wallace of Eastern Washington University’s government department, I offer the following.

For the past 28 years Jake Wallace has been my colleague. Throughout those years his performance in the classroom has provided a standard of excellence by which we, his departmental colleagues, could measure our own efforts. His grasp of political philosophy is equal to that of anyone I have met in 40 years of academic life. And his worth as a colleague and friend is immeasurable.

Twice during my own tenure at Eastern he has unselfishly come to my assistance in very significant ways, at considerable cost to himself in time and effort expended, and without any possibility of reward except that of being a friend. My colleagues will testify that he has been equally helpful in day-to-day matters, and that his sense of humor has brightened the day, or an otherwise deadly dull department meeting, on many occasions.

In short, he is an admirable colleague and a gentleman. The measure of a man, it seems to me, is not any “mistakes” he may have made. Rather, it is the way in which he deals with such situations and accepts his responsibilities. Those of us who know Jake Wallace know that now, as always, he is meeting his responsibilities straightforwardly and with courage.

I have been privileged to have him as a colleague, and I am proud that he is my friend. Joseph F. Shuster, professor of government emeritus Eastern Washington University

Spray clean annoying trash buildup

Re: “Take your depraved business someplace else,” Your Turn, July 13:

I suggest that Richard A. Reeves go out immediately and purchase a long garden hose with a power nozzle. The next time he has working girls and their hot-to-trot johns performing in front of his home, he should go out, do them a favor and hose them down. This would be much less dangerous than using a semiautomatic weapon and he would be doing himself and them a favor by cleaning up the neighborhood. Theresa Fears Spokane

Too much being taken for granted

My boyfriend and I both enjoyed and detested your front page article on the Pham family (“Freedom came on Independence Day,” July 4).

It is refreshing to know the American dream is still alive and well. It is equally refreshing to see such an example of hard work, patriotism and responsibility, especially on Independence Day. Then reality struck.

Sitting on the porch, looking up and down the street, we reflected on the fact there was only one other flag flying. Plenty of Fourth of July partying, to be sure, but only two flags flying on the entire block.

We reflected on the fact that in the last election we found the voting booths empty, as voter turnout in some areas in Spokane was estimated to be as low as 9 percent. Yes, 9 percent.

Bet the Pham family had a flag up. Bet the Pham family voted in the last election.

If you did these things I hope your Fourth was a great one. If you could have done these things but didn’t, and you celebrated the Fourth, you didn’t deserve to. Virginia Johnson Spokane

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Tobacco firms function as parasites

Recent publication of the R. J. Reynolds internal memo that recommended targeting younger adults as replacement smokers for marketing its products brings to mind visions of parasites looking for new hosts.

A parasite is a living organism that lives off of another live organism, drawing its sustenance from that organism. Smart parasites have learned to coexist with the host. Others are so deadly that they kill their host either immediately or after long periods of sapping the vitality out of the organism. Often, the weakened organism dies from other illnesses.

The tobacco industry functions as a parasite. As tobacco users (hosts) either overcome their addiction or fall prey to and die from related illnesses such a lung cancer, the industry searches for new markets (hosts).

Younger adults, black youths, Third World and other international markets are targeted to spread the lethal organism (smoking tobacco) as previous hosts are no longer available to sustain the industry.

Our society recognizes the importance of public and personal efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases which are often caused by a virus or bacteria that, like parasites, lives off the human host. The public outcry about salmonella food poisoning and the resulting increased stringent regulations regarding meat inspection is only one example.

If we are to reduce the deadly effects of tobacco use, we must make the same efforts to control the spread of the parasite promoted by the tobacco industry. Zana Rae Higgs, Ed.D., R.N., professor of community health nursing Spokane

Drivers can make 395 safer

I can certainly appreciate the change in speed limits on various roads. I drive Highway 395 from Spokane to Colville five days a week and have for some time. As we who use it can attest, it is a crowded highway.

Here are a couple of suggestions that might help. It would be a safer road if drivers would use their headlights. Also, it would be a huge help if slower vehicles would use the shoulders where permitted and/or safe. Even someone going 55 mph who has a string of vehicles following might want to use the shoulder to clear the bottleneck.

On four-lane roads we still need some courtesy in allowing a following car to pass. It would certainly help traffic congestion. A blink of headlights from a car behind does not mean, in most cases, “Move over, idiot; let me pass” but merely, “May I pass you?” Nathan Nall Spokane

THE MEDIA

Tribute to cat ‘heartwarming’

Thank you for publishing Kathleen Corkery Spencer’s moving tribute to her cat, Misha (“Soul of a lion,” July 8). The touching and heartwarming piece made my day.

Spencer’s use of language is quite eloquent. I’m so grateful that she was willing to share her recollections of Misha with the rest of us.

I look forward to having the opportunity to read more of Kathleen Corkery Spencer’s writing in the future. Louise B. Sullivan Spokane

Must media drown us in drivel?

I’m growing weary of the gossip busybodies and self-appointed public scolds passing themselves off as serious journalists.

With all the critical issues that need to be intelligently debated - especially in this election year - why are our newspapers being filled with mindless drivel such as Cheryl Lavin’s column of July 10 concerning Hillary Clinton’s talk with Eleanor Roosevelt? Does this have any bearing on the policies of the country? If so, how? Does Hillary Clinton’s private life really affect the average taxpaying citizen?

How about some content, if there is any.

So Hillary is a frustrated baby boomer who got married in a granny dress. So what? Maybe Cheryl Lavin was a repressed woman of the 1950s who got married in a beehive hairdo and danced the jitterbug. So what? What was the supposed purpose of the article?

If I was interested in this kind of adolescent posturing I would watch a soap opera, read People Magazine or perhaps something written by D.F. Oliveria.

Let’s get serious, newspeople. It can be a better world with some intelligent exchange of ideas and opinions. Cheryl Lavin is part of the problem. John Baran Chattaroy

Look beyond cleavage

Fathers going to Disney movies are not attending for their children, claims Melissa Dribben (“Busted: Artists display fantasies,” Region, July 10). Disney heroines magically need larger bra sizes for each new flick.

While many, myself included, agree that Disney is “busting out,” I find it very unlikely that is the reason dads see cartoons, boys have erotic fantasies or girls have inferiority complexes, as Dribben would have us believe.

Aside from altering history in “Pocahontas,” Disney has been on track and wonderful. Admitting that creators have brilliant imaginations is not enough when you knock down various parts of their characters’ anatomy. In “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Esmeralda’s beauty is part of her character, and of the fantasy.

Maybe we should watch Quasi and Esmeralda, and pick up on that part saying not to judge by appearances. I ask that when you go to see Disney’s latest movie you keep an open mind, and even open eyes. If you see the beauty of the fantasy, the magic of the characters, and hear the phenomenal music, you will go away far from disappointed.

Thousands of insidious problems challenge the bodies, minds and spirits of each new generation, but so far Disney is not part of the problem. I hope that in the future, writers such as Dribben will use their incredible talent to communicate something truly needing criticism. If you wish to condemn the corruption of our society, please look beyond the cleavage of Disney’s G-rated films. Janelle Gunning Colbert

OTHER TOPICS

Bad leadership fleecing taxpayers

Spokane County purchased Myer’s Park at Fish Lake for an outrageous price. Now the property owners find their taxes jumping as much as 1,000 percent of last year’s assessed value. Many of the lots in the Fish Lake Homes are 40 feet wide, cannot be developed because of size or terrain and have no access to the lake.

This is just one grain of sand on the county’s beach of tax increases. The assessors say it’s a case of jumping taxes or losing their jobs. The property owners find themselves up to their necks in taxation, trying to stay afloat with a short straw in representation. Hal Meili Cheney

Accusations ring hollow

In answer to Nancy J. Keller’s July 13 letter (“Women shouldn’t support Clinton”), I am not embarrassed to vote for President Clinton.

Keller is finding him guilty because two women claim he made a pass. Why didn’t they blow the whistle when he was governor?

When a man asks you to come to his hotel room alone, you should say no. If you are dumb enough to go and he makes an inappropriate suggestion, don’t wait - slap him and holler loud so everyone hears. Then you have a case.

Would any governor take that chance? He has too much to lose.

You can’t make me believe a beautiful, smart woman like Hillary Clinton would put up with an unfaithful husband. She was making $100,000 a year and could have her pick of men.

I think we were lucky to get two talented people for the price of one. She doesn’t deserve what people say about her. Everyone should read her book before judging the Clintons.

Yes, I do think he is sincere. As a professional woman who worked with many men, not many fooled me. I let them know early on that married men belong at home. Claudia Kampfer Spokane

Expose gasoline pricing practices

I see that gas prices still have not dropped much here in the Valley. It fascinates me that prices are five to six cents cheaper downtown and in Otis Orchards than on the Sullivan and Argonne corridors. And let’s not forget the plaza in Post Falls, home of the least expensive gas in the area, but also the slowest pumps.

I would like to see an article with some teeth covering gasoline cost breakdowns, i.e. crude prices, gallons of gas per crude barrel, local, state, and federal taxes, transportation costs and, of course, the unknown profit from the different prices around the area. I also would like to see information on the 0.9-cent amount included in gasoline prices to make consumer think it’s less expensive than it really is. The practice should be abolished.

Where else does a consumer pay for a product that has a cost that includes a fraction of a penny? David R. Moore Greenacres