Letters To The Editor
SPOKANE MATTERS
Environment is everyone’s concern
In the past few weeks, the world’s eye has turned to Kyoto, Japan, as 150 nations converged to give global warming the attention it deserves. I hope we will begin to see some actual results, not just more economic hesitation.
What action can be taken now? As individuals, we Spokanites can make a difference too: riding bikes, rollerblading or even skateboarding to places we need to go in the warm seasons and car pooling in the winter. We can all make a positive difference for our town, motivation coming perhaps from our recent addition to the EPA’s bad air list.
When voting issues arise that concern the environment, each citizen should think how his or her vote will affect not only himself but the world. We’re all in the same boat; everyone’s pollution eventually affects everyone else.
A stand must be taken now. If governments hesitate to change, the people must work around them, toward the common goal of survival. Life is something to be enjoyed to its fullest and the Earth as we know it provides an endless playground for the restless child. But will the playground stand for more generations to enjoy in the same form of celebration?
The platform of Spokane’s Expo ‘74 was environment. “The Earth Does not Belong to Man, Man Belongs to the Earth” was the slogan we proudly displayed. Perhaps this part of our city’s history can remind us how we should treat our Earth from day to day. Zeke J. Maloney Spokane
Being absolved of crime rates story, too
Re: “Arrested pair suspected in coffee shop holdup” (Dec. 10).
The Spokesman-Review never printed the rest of the story, so as Kevin R. Chastain’s mother, I would like to.
Twenty four hours after Kevin’s arrest, Spokane police arrested two more men and they confessed to the robberies. Kevin was released with an apology. I just want people to know that Kevin is not in jail and never should have been for such a crime.
It seems so easy for the media to tarnish a person’s name, whether it’s right or wrong. LaDonna D. Moore Spokane
People of color get fairer deal here
Law enforcement and the court has convicted a murderer. The real story here is the manner in which the investigation proceeded by the Spokane County sheriff, Spokane’s police chief and the county prosecutor.
African Americans can’t forget the killings in Massachusetts, the Carolinas and several cities where we were automatically pointed out as a suspect by someone who wanted to escape prosecution. That didn’t happen here - albeit, it was tried - due to the professional manner of the investigation.
Through the efforts of publisher W. Stacey Cowles, people of color are not automatically splattered in this paper as suspects. We here in Spokane have come a long way and have farther to go. But today, these individuals deserve plaudits for an excellent job. Edward Thomas Jr. Spokane
FIREARMS
From youth, wisdom beyond educators’
As a child can only do, in his Dec. 16 letter, Kasee C. Goff effortlessly waded through the political quagmire of senselessness and hit the nail on the head concerning gun safety.
Regardless of any political rhetoric sure to arise from this level-headed seventh-grader’s direct approach to guns, the foundation of thought provided by this youngster is flawless. Every other aspect of a school-aged child’s education is based on combating ignorance. From sex to drugs to drinking, the school system is pounding information into our kids to protect them as they grow into adults.
To a smart kid such as Kasee, who sees all these problems being tackled by the school system, the obvious question concerning such a big issue is, why is gun safety one of the only big problems being ignored by our educators? Everything else is confronted early on in our schools, but any practical gun safety education that might create a safer community is purposely kept from our children.
As a nation, we need to come to grips with the fact that this country is full of gun owning citizens and will continue to be so until the day America is no more.
The school system has accepted sex, AIDS, drugs and drinking as aspects of our lifestyle and has confronted them through education. A rock solid refusal to accept that there are 200 million guns out there, of which 99 percent are owned by law-abiding citizens, is nothing more than belligerent ignorance in its purest form. Michael B. Harmon Spokane
Freedom can mean safety, too
Curtis E. Stone (Letters, Nov. 30) denigrated the banning of guns by Australia and England because it contributed toward the death of liberty. He failed to mention the benefits for this drastic step.
In Australia in 1995, there were 479 gun-related deaths while in the United States there were 36,000. New legislation caused 600,000 guns to be turned in by the Sept. 30 deadline.
Perhaps Stone could tell us what liberty Australians lost when they banned guns, except the liberty of not being shot to death. Walter A. Becker Pullman
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION
Schools not source of all problems
William Bender asks an interesting question in “What is wrong - and why?”
The school system is certainly important for the level of education. My experience with it (University High School) is not bad at all.
All teachers I had the privilege to cooperate with were excellent, and comparing them to teachers I met in Europe (e.g. Vienna International School) would be plausible for all of them.
A child’s education, however, is also dependent on the environment it lives in and that is his or her family (way before the village).
We somehow seem to forget that the primary function and purpose of family is to bring up children. We twist it a little and all of a sudden we have a Hollywood notion of a hysterical love being the main goal.
In that light, quite logically, marital infidelity is a good reason for a breakup while alcoholism and jealousy could be “worked out.” And also, every time the love diminishes, we think it’s all right to bail out, especially if there is somebody on the horizon we really love.
So, we then have families where yelling is a normal way of communication and then other ones where stability is based on feelings. Children, of course, suffer tremendously under these circumstances but we still can blame the rotten school system, the teacher’s union and condom distribution for their problems. Peter C. Dolina Veradale
Arts education not just a frill
Thank you for reprinting the article by Lisa Feder-Feitel, “The art of learning” (Dec. 15).
As the debate about how to improve our educational system goes on, the media often ignore the multitude of studies pointing out that an arts-based curriculum results in enhanced learning of the basics.
In “Frames of Mind,” Howard Gardner pointed out seven ways people learn. Sitting and listening is only one of them. The arts address the need to teach to different learning styles.
It’s time to stop the old-fashioned notion of arts as a frill and recognize that music, painting and drama are necessary teaching tools. Thank you for helping to bring that information forward. Jack G. Phillips Spokane Civic Theatre
LAW AND JUSTICE
Weaver killing obviously reckless
Re: “Weaver takes a stand against FBI sniper” (Dec. 17). I’m trying to understand why Magistrate Quentin Hardin finds it difficult to decide “was it done in a reckless or negligent manner?”
Lon Horiuchi of the FBI knew people were inside the cabin when he aimed his rifle at Kevin Harris standing in front of the cabin door. Consequently, he shot and killed Vicki Weaver, who had a baby in her arms. She was holding the door open for Harris.
The FBI had orders to shoot anyone moving at Ruby Ridge. That surely doesn’t cover Harris when known occupants of the cabin were directly behind Harris.
There was no urgency. Harris wasn’t running away. He was entering the cabin with his back to Horiuchi. The FBI was firmly in control. Horiuchi is lucky to be charged with only involuntary manslaughter.
I thought it was decided at Waco that government people would take more care when the lives of innocent people were at stake. James W. Galloway Spokane