Letters To The Editor

Thu., April 10, 1997

LAW AND JUSTICE

System fails parents, son, society

My 15-year-old nephew has been out of control for two years. Smoking, drinking, running away, truancy and drugs have become his way of life. So has an attitude against authority.

His response to warnings that he’ll get into trouble with the law is, “The cops don’t care.”

His dad has sought counseling and help from various arms of the legal system only to be considered a suspect himself. The boy learned from friends how to effectively tie his father’s hands. He learned that repeated calls to 911 made his father a suspected child abuser. He felt free to do whatever he wished, as well as curse his parents relentlessly when they tried to intervene.

The father knows better than to strike the boy, but the boy has physically attacked both parents. Once, when guests were at the home, the boy lit a cigarette just to show he could. “Son,” said his embarrassed dad,” I’ve asked you not to smoke.”

“Go to hell,” the boy replied.

The courts told the parents hard evidence was needed to get him incarcerated and into treatment. When his parents found satanic messages and drug paraphernalia in their son’s room, they called Crimewatch. They were told such things are commonplace and they should just dispose of the items.

There’s now a kid on the streets with a bad attitude and substance abuse problems. When kids learn to manipulate the system that was designed to protect them, not only do parents fail, but the system fails, too. Mike Ruskovich Athol, Idaho

What’s needed most is forbidden

This letter is in response to John Rosemond’s March 31 column, “Parents need the strength to set rules.”

Rosemond had a perfectly good point. Parents do need to start controlling their kids. However, he did not suggest how to go about it. In this day and age, I have slowly come to realize that our youths can do anything they please, get away with it, and there isn’t a thing parents can do about it.

There are two choices for punishment: grounding and spanking. Grounding doesn’t really solve anything. A kid who gets grounded by his or her parents can easily sneak out in most situations. Therefore, grounding often sounds more like a joke than a threat. That leaves spanking. But spanking no longer seems to be an option for parents. If parents so much as try to physically discipline their children, they can get slapped with charges of child abuse.

If we are not allowed to discipline our children, who is? The police? Society wonders why there is prison overcrowding. Many prisoners are in jail because their parents either couldn’t or wouldn’t take disciplinary actions to remedy the developing problem. Our duty as parents is to set standards and good examples for our kids. When did this become illegal? Destiny M. Shover Spokane

Deputy is being railroaded

I am dismayed by Sheriff John Goldman’s action (using the euphemism, “Office of Professional Standards”) that Tom DiBartolo “faces additional allegations of misconduct … which could result in the 18-year deputy being fired.” Goldman then refuses to elaborate on the alleged “rules and regulations, civil service laws and, of course, criminal laws” that DiBartolo violated.

Goldman and others forget that DiBartolo (or any charged person) is innocent until proved guilty in court. Goldman’s action is so transparent it shouts of extreme prejudice against DiBartolo. It also appears to be the beginnings of a kangaroo court against a deputy who has not been convicted of any crime.

Nationwide, particularly in our community, the entire law enforcement-criminal justice system has gone awry. Examples: the repetitive, published escapades of Police Chief Terry Mangan; Prosecuting Attorney Jim Sweetser’s inept and demoralizing labor-management relations during negotiations with attorneys in his office; some unbelievable decisions by our judges and juries; and the disgraceful behavior of some of our attorneys at trial.

We citizens have not demanded fully just treatment by the system and demanded oversight of all. Less than 50 percent of our citizens even vote. That’s how free people give their rights away, by not voting. D.C. Zachary Spokane

Newcomers should fit in or leave

Re: legal and illegal immigrants who have come to our country for freebies on the American taxpayers:

I am very proud of my father-in-law, Frank X. Krause. He came to the United States when he was 23. He had a sponsor (who lived up to his promise); he would not be a burden on anyone.

Krause applied for citizenship, and over the required time, he learned to read, write and speak English. It took him until 1929 to fulfill the requirements and take the oath for citizenship, here in Spokane. I have never heard him complain about fulfilling his duties as a citizen.

Krause was born in 1899 in Bavaria, Germany. He served in the German army in World War I, won a first class Iron Cross, was a Russian prisoner of war twice and was wounded twice. He hated war then and hates it now.

I write this letter to point out to the complainers about English-only laws that they may not be able to live off taxpaying citizens anymore. If they cannot make it here on their own, let them go home or make their original sponsors fulfill their obligations. Horace E. Ramsey Spokane

Justice done - at 50 percent off

Why do we waste taxpayers’ dollars passing laws and penalties for violating those laws when they will not be enforced?

On Feb. 20, my boyfriend and our 2-month-old son were crossing the street, in a crosswalk, when they were struck by a pickup truck. The driver was cited for failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian and for not having insurance.

On April 3, the driver went to court to contest the violations. It was at that time we discovered he had prior convictions for the same two charges from less than two years ago. Despite his prior record and the fact that he still does not have auto insurance, the judge reduced both fines by half. The driver’s only excuse was that he could not afford insurance.

Unfortunately, we cannot afford the thousands of dollars in medical bills, but I can guarantee that the hospital will not cut our bills in half.

Once again, the laws that are supposed to protect the innocent are worthless. Lydia Farmer Spokane

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Traffic safety prospects brighten

Congratulations to the Spokane community for recognizing that traffic safety issues are of the highest concern and for taking a lead role in addressing the very preventable carnage on our roads.

The “D Zone” corridor project has helped to combine education, engineering and enforcement on the Division-Ruby street projects, with a resulting decrease in injury and fatal collisions. The red-light-running campaign has started to change the way we drive, causing us to slow down as we approach intersections and to stop for red lights instead of speeding up. Increased awareness stimulated by this campaign has and will continue to have positive impact on us all.

Two terrible double fatalities prompted significant changes in the way we prosecute murders involving vehicles and drinking drivers.

The first, on East Trent, caused us to upgrade vehicular homicide and assault to class A and B felonies, putting vehicular violence on a par with crimes involving any other kind of weapon. The second, at Mission and Hamilton, was prosecuted as first-degree murder.

Victims’ families, the prosecutor’s office and the jury that rendered a swift guilty verdict all showed insight and courage, sending a strong signal that this was not an “accident” but an accountable series of decisions and actions.

Spokane will soon employ photo radar and photo red light technology to assist in traffic law enforcement. A reduction in the number of injury and fatal collisions is sure to result.

We applaud Spokane’s citizens for a cooperative atmosphere of community action. Cpls. Tom Sahlberg and Harry Kennedy Spokane police traffic investigators

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Gifted students underserved

I am responding to the people who disagree with District 81’s decision to start a school for the gifted.

My brother, Dan, started reading when he was 2. At 4, he spent his time engrossed in a children’s encyclopedia set meant for fifth- and sixth-graders. He entered high school one year early to take all the honors courses and pulled a 3.9 grade-point average with minimal effort.

What surprised us at this time was that there was really nothing affordable in Spokane that would challenge him. We found extensive programs for the slower students in almost every school but few programs for the gifted. There was nothing for a 12-year-old who studied Latin and the C computer programming language in his spare time.

I am highly in favor of programs for slower students. But why is there nothing for those at the other end of the spectrum? There are others like Dan. Unfortunately, many kids who are unchallenged in school tend toward delinquency.

Kevin Kovalesky stated in his April 1 letter (“School for gifted a poor idea”) that public school funds are “supposed to be used to better educate all the children enrolled, not just a select few.” So, why are the slow ones singled out for special education while the smart ones are ignored?

Haven’t you ever wondered where all the Einsteins of the 20th century are? We have stifled them in an education system that leaves no room for advancement. Cathy McMath Spokane

Elitism: where to draw the line?

I am really confused by the controversy over the proposed school for the gifted in Spokane. I am especially surprised when I see the word “elitist” and statements to the effect that our schools must institute programs that benefit all the children, not just a select few.

The athletic programs in our schools put the more gifted athletes on varsity teams and either completely cut the others or consign them to junior varsity teams. This is done, I believe, to allow the better athletes to more quickly develop their skills. Does that not sound sort of elitist?

When we first came to Pullman, I spoke to the middle school band instructor about my son, who likes to play his instrument but is not a great (or even a very good) musician. She told me that her band students work very hard and she did not want them held back by someone who could not keep up. Does that not sound elitist?

Band and sports are adjunct activities for our schools, whose main mission is supposed to be education. Why are we unwilling to have our young athletes and musicians held back by their less able peers but appalled at the mere notion that our young scholars should be accorded the same advantages? Darlene Bay Pullman

Programs put son back on track

Hats off to Spokane School District 81 for the programs available for so-called “throwaway kids.”

My son was one of these throwaways. He had made choices as a teenager that caused his school to expel him and send him on his own for education. He was not a bad child, but as his mother, I was one of the very few who realized this.

After he was discarded from his school, I went begging to District 81’s superintendent. He sent me to the Havermale Alternative School, where I spoke with truancy center director Kathe Renner. She very kindly said, “Of course we will take him.” This was our new beginning.

My son was placed with the Unity program. Unity teachers saved my son’s future. They made him feel good about himself again and helped him realize his potential. He has, after two good years at Unity, moved on to a regular high school and is working hard to succeed. I am confident he will.

I am very grateful for the special program that helped my son, as well as the educators who are willing to work with the children no one else wants. M.S. Bates Spokane

Schools wrong about legal drugs

The school officials who suspended the kids for bringing Alka-Seltzer to school had no business taking such action. I have heard of other people being suspended for bringing Advil or Tylenol. These are all legal and mild drugs. Students often use these for sports injuries or colds.

A more responsible action would be for the school to contact the student’s parents and make sure they are aware the child is using this medicine. If so, there should be no problem. Colleen Early Spokane

Go after guns, not antacids

I was happy to read that those Bremerton students suspended for licking Alka-Seltzer at school were able to get their suspensions shortened.

Schools should focus more on tighter control of guns and illegal drugs in the classroom. Our schools need to prioritize and realize what the real dangers are. Elizabeth Damore Spokane