Letters To The Editor

SPOKANE MATTERS

Hot air won’t clean our streets

A recent letter asked these questions. How do we as citizens protect ourselves when cries to the Spokane Police Department go unanswered? What does it take to get our police to respond to those cries?”

I would like to ask that writer, what are you doing to help the Spokane Police Department help you and your neighborhood? What are you doing right now to help prevent undesirables from invading your neighborhood?

Do you draw your blinds in the evenings and shut out the real world to let someone else take care of the neighborhood? Are you active in Block Watch or supporting those who are? Do you volunteer along with many, many others throughout the city in community-oriented policing services?

Are you aware how painfully shorthanded and overworked our police force is?< You protect yourself by becoming involved. You can start by asking the right questions of the right people. Call the Spokane Police Department and ask to go on a ride-along in the downtown sector. This will open your eyes and help you appreciate the work and dedication of these men and women.

You will see what it takes to get our police to respond to our cries and what they are dealing with when many are crying out.

As you so glibly wrote: “The bud has bloomed and the roots are spreading. What now?”

You can start pruning! Joseph E. Zamora Spokane

Trail means something about living

I have read with interest the many perceptions of the Centennial trail.

One letter writer sees the Centennial Trail as filled with rude, aggressive, shouting people. I see individuals and families with laughing, exuberant children enjoying an outing in a beautiful setting where they all can walk, run, bike or Rollerblade without concerns about traffic.

Many of my family members are buried at Fairmont, but unlike many of your readers I prefer to celebrate their lives and their memory in an active environment. I agree with Willene Priestley that the trail plan would be a positive, life-affirming symbol.

In memory of my husband, I purchased a Centennial Trail medallion that is placed along one of the busiest parts of the trail. Throughout a long, painful illness he managed to find joy in his family and in each day he had with us, so I feel that there is no better tribute than to place a memorial for him along the trail where people are enjoying life.

As I walk along the trail and see families enjoying their outings, I feel sadness and a sense of loss. But I also feel privileged to have been a part of the life of a man who loved his family and loved living as he did. Dorothy Jo Allen Spokane

Home opponents’ reasons weak

I understand the neighbors are opposed to the operation of the senior care facility in the Manito Park area, on the grounds that commercial activities are prohibited in their neighborhood. I sympathize with their desire to keep the residential quality of their neighborhood, and would certainly support their position had the proposed commercial activity been a fast-food restaurant, a retail store or any function which involves high traffic, noise, odors, dust, an unattractive building or sign, or other physically objectionable elements.

However, I don’t believe a home care facility would result in excessive traffic, noise, annoying odors or dust, or would even be noticeably different from the other residences in the area. I don’t think a home care facility would generate more traffic or noise than a house with two teenagers or be any less attractive than nearby houses.

If you can prove a home care facility would create a physical nuisance in the neighborhood, then OK, I’ll support the exclusion. Otherwise, lighten up, folks. You’re sounding a wee bit reactionary. Martha Wiley Spokane

Care homes needed, harmless

On the Feb. 23 Roundtable page were letters addressing the issue of a proposed house in the Manito Place neighborhood for elderly people who can no longer care for themselves in their own homes.

Anthony House made statements that show an appalling ignorance of people who have developmental disabilities when he gave the example that young adult males with Down’s syndrome would be a threat to young girls living in the same neighborhood.

Children with developmental disabilities, including Down’s syndrome, attend our public schools and churches, and live in neighborhoods with their families. As adults they shop, work and live in apartments, duplexes and houses in our communities. To insinuate that people with such disabilities are, as a group, a threat to others is outrageous.

For over a year, our daughter, a young woman with autism, has been living in a house with three friends who have similar support needs. That support is provided by staff who come to the house. There are no signs in the window or yard, no parking lot - nothing to set this house apart from any other in the neighborhood. This is their home.

Allowing people to remain in their neighborhoods, with the assistance of paid staff, has improved the quality of life for many. This should be fostered, not shunned. Patricia Garvin Spokane

ANIMAL WELFARE

Attitude problem needs addressing

In a perfect world, those in charge at the Spokane Humane Society would be accountable for their actions, stop pointing fingers and work harder to improve conditions at the shelter.

As a member and volunteer, I have donated much time, money and food, all of which were appreciated - until I applied for a job.

The executive director’s attitude - and the fact that another volunteer was tagged a political activist and asked to leave - make me uneasy about volunteering at the shelter.

There’s a crisis now because there’s no communication between those who are in charge and those who want to help. I hope the current management is able to change its focus so that helping hands are appreciated, not slapped. Bonnie Van Delft Spokane

Poor management hurts cause

I have always encouraged people to take to the Humane Society animals that need compassionate care while finding new permanent homes, or to adopt a new family friend.

I expressed my concerns five times between August and January: to the chairman of the shelter committee, at a board meeting, to the executive director, at a shelter committee meeting and in a letter to the board. As a result, I am now the former editor of the newsletter and am no longer on the shelter committee.

So much for speaking to the people in charge.

I still feel very strongly that the staff and volunteers are caring and compassionate, and that they worry about the animals’ fates. How the executive director and board of directors feel remains a mystery.

It doesn’t take a magician to dial a telephone to order repairs. The management skill of someone who waits seven months to make repairs to “inherited” condition is questionable, particularly since the repairs appear to have been started only after the news media pointed the problems out.

The shelter needs help - always has, always will. It’s a nonprofit organization that depends largely on donations and volunteers.

A hatchet job is defined as a malicious attack. Trying to improve conditions for God’s creatures who are unable to speak for themselves falls more into the category of mission of mercy.

I proudly wear my Humane Society “Saves Lives” pin. Do you? Louise Long Spokane

THE ENVIRONMENT

It’s about clearing all pollution

I am an Eastern Washington University student who moved here from Olympia. I’ve noticed that every time I look through The Spokesman-Review, there are many articles on grass burning. These always make it seem like grass burning is the culprit for all of Spokane’s pollution problems.

I hate to break it to everyone, but there are other forms of pollution: cars, wood stoves, etc. Along with grass burning, these other pollution sources should be hit head on.

We all need to put in an effort to carpool, quit burning grass and quit using wood stoves, just to start. Perhaps we could finally breathe in peace. Carmen Rodriguez Cheney

Industry’s lame, all-purpose excuse

On Feb. 19, Channel 4 aired some footage showing the numerous landslides in North Idaho forests. The film clearly detailed clearcutting without regard to streams, logging roads built on steep, erodible hillsides blown out and flowing mud into what once was fish habitat.

A former fish biologist looked over the catastrophe and estimated up to an 80 percent loss of fish populations in the river.

It was all there for even the most myopic to see. You couldn’t dismiss it as environmental extremism or Earth First! lunacy. It was plain ecosystem destruction.

Keep in mind these forest management techniques were done before the logging-without-laws bill went into effect. What chance do wild salmon and trout have now?

Timber spokesman Ken Kohli was asked what his take was on the area in question. Like North Idaho forests, his explanation didn’t hold water. He stated that if the trees had not been harvested a fire would have caused the same damage.

In other words, if we wouldn’t have destroyed it a fire would have. The old fire suppression card gets played again and again. Yet fires don’t build roads, which is what contributed to over two-thirds of the 300 or so slides. Fires also can be controlled with good forest management practices, none of which were evident in this case.

I will wager this footage won’t be used in the timber industry’s next we-love-the-woods commercial. Wes Ebel Colville, Wash.

Global warming figures do compute

Concerning Chris Warren’s puzzlement (Roundtable, Feb. 24) over how recent near-record and record snowfall in the West could be the fault of global warming, in light of records that were set 50 and 75 years ago. The key to understanding this is the fact that global warming is based on continental measurements.

A two-year review of the changes in global averages by several thousand scientists points toward human-influenced global warming. One-hundred-twenty governments have agreed with this conclusion. Sharon Leon Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Views about Down’s people appalling

I’d like to comment on the obstinate, ignorant remarks of Anthony House (“Covenant, rights, take precedence,” Letters, Feb. 23) concerning Down’s syndrome males.

It is not society we have to protect from the Down’s syndrome population. Rather, we have to protect these beautiful, sweet, loving, trusting individuals from people such as House.

I adopted a Down’s syndrome infant boy 16 years ago. It makes me ill and frightened to know that now I have to prepare him, for when I am gone, about ignorant people such as House.

I would like nothing better than to have the houses surrounding me filled with Down’s syndrome adults. I’d never have to worry about noise, my boat being broken into, beer bottles on my lawn, tire tracks through our landscaped lawn and parties every weekend. And the gasoline would stay in my gas tank.

I live in the Spokane Valley, in an area fairly equal to House’s. My close neighbors are wonderful to my son.

Move the group homes to the Valley. There appears to be less ignorance here. Or perhaps there’s a greater concentration of people educated in the field of developmental disabilities. Sandie Lowry Spokane

Terms revealed subtle bias

Thank you for the coverage of “A Tour of Prejudices” at Whitworth College (Feb. 24). It’s encouraging to see groups striving to understand race relations.

A couple of biases are reflected subtly in the comment by Melissa Schnase, who is studying elementary education. She said, “When I have people of different races in my classes, I’ll know how to deal with that.”

What does “different” mean here - different from what? (Answer: different from white). “Different” is a comparative term, implying a set standard. “Various” would be a more appropriate word.

The second bias is, to my knowledge, we only “deal with” things what are considered to be negative. We deal with problems and challenges. We don’t deal with assets and bonuses.

A dominant culture sees minorities as at least a challenge if not a problem. Minorities often see their ethnicity as an asset or bonus, until exposed to a dominant culture, at which time ambivalence, and sometimes shame, develop.

To illustrate my point, I doubt that Schnase believes she has to “deal with” the fact that some of the students are girls and some are boys - what’s to deal with? That’s just the reality. To a minority person, our ethnicity is as natural as our gender, no less real, distinguishing, and if properly valued, is advantageous.

To us, only the views of others would make ethnicity “different” or something to “deal with.” Angie Alden Spokane

Preventing violence is parents’ work

Re: “Death penalty makes things worse,” (Letters, Feb 26.):

I don’t believe the death penalty or the good-vs.-evil battle have links to gang violence, or any violence. What are the factors that help cause these crimes? Lack of consistent preventive action.

I believe it all goes back to how we are brought up and to our family values, which increasingly seem to be in decline. If you teach your children morals, discipline, self-worth and the importance of family, they are less likely to become prison numbers or death row inmates.

Society may preach what it wishes, but only we can instill in our children what is right and good. The best teachings can only come from our parents and His word. Lynette Campbell Airway Heights

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Massive cover-up afoot in D.C.

Whitewater sure has a lot to do with partisan politics. Democrats on the committee apparently are unable to ask a tough or probing question of any witness unless the person’s testimony conflicts with the version put forth by the Clinton administration.

All we ever hear is that the various probes into this affair are a waste of taxpayer money. No evidence of wrongdoing by the Clintons.

Meanwhile, the list of the indicted grows and grows: Web Hubbell; Jim and Susan McDougal; and current Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker. Two prominent Little Rock bankers were added to the list last week. People seem to forget there is also a dead guy, Vince Foster.

Reuters News Service voted as the most underreported story of 1995 the conclusion of a number of respected handwriting experts that the supposed suicide note was an apparent forgery. Of course, you didn’t hear about it on the networks or read it in The Spokesman-Review. Where are Woodward and Bernstein when we need them? Where is the Democratic counterpart of Howard Baker, the Republican who asked so directly during the Watergate hearings, “What did the president know and when did he know it?”

Fact is, the cover-up has gone on in this affair from the beginning with the aid of the president’s partisan cohorts.

Get your head out of the sand, America! If you can’t trust these folks personally, how can you trust them with our nation’s future? John E. Johanson Coulee City, Wash.