Letters To The Editor

IN THE REGION

Pullman hospital funding unfair

Shouldn’t everyone who lives in a community help pay for the services they receive? We were angered to find out that is not the case for services provided by Pullman Memorial Hospital to citizens of Pullman and the surrounding areas.

Evergreen community just voted to come into the city and receive its water, sewer, road maintenance, parks, police, fire, emergency and other services, but voted not to be in the Pullman Memorial Hospital District. Carol-Star and Earthtone additions are also not a part of the hospital district and are not paying taxes on the hospital bond.

We have been paying taxes on a hospital bond since we arrived in 1978 and are told the present bond won’t be paid off until at least 2001. If all rural and urban citizens who rely on hospital services were paying their fair share, our taxes would be lower and the bond could be paid off earlier.

The question is, why should some people pay and not others?

Please ask the PMH board why the costs of hospitals aren’t shared. Pat Griffin and Ron Jimmerson Pullman

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Clinton and crew de facto Chinese plot

The campaign fund raising foolishness by President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and the Democratic National Committee has gone far beyond the term scandal and involves foreign intrigue and possibly treason. I understand why the president is puzzled by the ongoing revelations of ties to foreign governments. The hubris of the president, vice president and Democratic Party, plus their abject greed for campaign funds, leaves them unable to see or understand how they are vulnerable to being used by foreigners who have less than the best interests of the United States at heart. These people are more than naive; they are truly dangerous to the interest of this nation, the government and even their own party.

Chinese government agents have been tied to smuggling guns into the United States. What is the purpose? I doubt for friendly skeet shooting. They are now tied to influencing and infiltrating our government, even to its highest level. What else is going on with those who do not have the best for our nation in mind?

Clinton, Gore and the Democratic Party have gotten away with their scandalous activities. However, it’s time to expose them and prosecute any who have violated U.S. laws. David M. Wallace Spokane

Chenoweth’s no Teddy Roosevelt

I take offense at Rep. Helen Chenoweth’s comments on public radio recently. Chenoweth stated she was a conservationist in the tradition of Teddy Roosevelt.

This is an utterly reprehensible debasement of Roosevelt’s legacy as a protector of our wild places and natural resources.

Chenoweth, despite her denials to the contrary, is an advocate of cut-and-slash forest policy, where the only important factor is the maximization of board feet logged from our forests.

I have no doubt Teddy Roosevelt would turn over in his grave to be in any way compared to an elected official who is essentially a lobbyist for the timber industry.

It is frightening that Chenoweth has ascended to the chairmanship of the House Subcommittee on Forests. From this position she has the potential to irreparably decimate our national forests. Robert Kerr Spokane

Clinton went beyond dodging draft

Re: “President not a draft dodger” (Letters, Feb. 13) by Janis M. Copher:

Facts are funny things, aren’t they? Copher was correct when she stated that “President Clinton took a deferment to continue his education,” but why not tell the rest of the story? It’s what he did with his deferment.

In March 1968, three months before his Georgetown University graduation, Clinton was classified 1A - most likely to be drafted. To avoid the draft, he enrolled in law school. There were no openings but strings were pulled to have him accepted into ROTC, thus receiving ROTC deferment (undraftable). Deferment safe in hand, he immediately left the country, never having any intention of honoring his commitment. He wrote his infamous letter to the draft board admitting deliberate deception to protect himself from harm - the classic definition of cowardice.

Clinton wasn’t finished. While behind the Iron Curtain, he participated in, some say organized, demonstrations against the Vietnam War. These rallies weren’t like demonstrations in the U.S., didn’t just urge a quick end to the war. They were calling for communist victory. This, along with his meetings in communist countries with North Vietnamese officials, he was clearly giving aid and comfort to the enemy in time of war, the classic definition of treason.

So, this wasn’t the common school deferment. This man admittedly deceived us to avoid physical harm while 58,000 Americans died. Michael Wiman Spokane

BELIEFS

What’s grim is prophetic word choice

I enjoyed reading staff writer Jim Kershner’s excellent article (Feb. 10) which detailed the noble history of Deaconess Medical Center. However, one phrase troubled me.

Describing the 1890’s deaconesses who generously tended to the physical and spiritual needs of the impoverished and the ill, Kershner wrote, “Bibles clasped grimly under arms, making visits to poor families.” How does one clasp a Bible “grimly”?

Many compassionate Christian couriers of joy, hope and comfort shared God’s wonderful words of life with me during the dark days preceding my recent surgeries. Not only did God’s uplifting holy word dispel my fears, God graciously honored his scriptural promises to heal my body.

In better times, the Bible was aptly and lovingly referred to as the Good Book. Although I find the present-day media’s politically correct, anti-Christian bias discomforting, it is a fulfillment of prophecy proclaimed in Scripture, where God warns that in the last days, men will call evil good, and good evil. Sharon Gurley Spokane

Bible bashing reflects on basher

Ignorance is bliss, and there is no happier man alive than George Thomas (“Bible vastly overrated,” Letters, Feb. 13). His thinking on the Bible is like the pot calling the kettle black.

It so happens the Bible was written by well-educated scholars, not ignorant desert tribesmen. Everyone, with the exception of atheists, cares about the Bible.

Holding a master’s degree in law and a bachelor’s degree in business, I believe I am educated to the degree to state the Bible is the source of all goodness. If more people were to abide by its teachings, we would have less crime and hatred worldwide.

Thomas refers to Jews and Moslems but left out Christians. The Lord made three religions: Christians, Jews and Moslems. Atheists are outcasts in the eyes of the Lord.

Goodness flows entirely from religion, which in turn brings love into our families.

Don’t worry, Thomas, there is truly a Christ and he is not or would not be appalled at homophobic reactions. Hal Robinson Spokane

Power is of God, not things

On the front page of the Feb. 12 paper we have this headline, “Aphrodisiacs: Do certain foods have seductive power?”

Such thinking as is reflected in this question indicates that we somehow see a form of matter (such as a pill, food, shots) as having power to do something in us or for us.

Another way of looking at this is that there is no life, substance, intelligence or truth in matter. Life is only to be found in God. We attribute certain powers to some some form of matter and because of this belief find help or hurt according to what we are desiring. We think a certain entity can either hurt or help us and it does. Why? Not because there is inherent power in that thing but because our thinking makes it so.

Great freedom may be found in undoing the concept that things outside of us have power over us for good or evil.

Power is found alone in God and therefore is in us as his extension or creation. Tom Durst Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Helpers of the abused also a story

During the last few years there have been many movies, television shows and news stories about sexual assault and incest. The Spokesman-Review has printed several stories on the subject recently, i.e. “$3.5 million awarded to counselor’s victim; Jury rules Davenport district, principal liable for damages” and “Top enlisted men accused of sexual harassment.”

I believe it’s an important trend to have these crimes, which not so long ago were not even mentioned in polite company, openly dealt with by the media.

What I do not often see in the media is the story behind the sensational headlines - the story of what happens over the years to the survivors of these very personal crimes. How do they ever heal from such devastation?

As a mental health counselor who has worked with sexual assault survivors who are putting back together their shattered lives, I know the value of programs such as the Spokane Sexual Assault Center of Lutheran Social Services.

The center’s administrators, staff and volunteers serve men, women and children of all ages throughout Eastern Washington who have suffered from sexual assault, by helping them move from victim to survivor. These unsung heroes, who work quietly and effectively behind the scenes, deserve acknowledgment and support from our city and county agencies and governments. They are, in the words of Paul Harvey, “the rest of the story.” Jo Stowell Spokane

Finally, some credit for police

Thank you, staff writer Rebecca Nappi, for the excellent editorial of Feb. 8, “Cops kept cool, city not inflamed,” giving credit to our chief of police and his department for the discretion used relative to the DiBartolo case. It was refreshing to see praise, not criticism, as we often read.

I would indeed like to read something telling what the vendetta is that the head of Civil Services has against Chief Terry Mangan. First, he gave full cooperation to Chris Anderson a couple years ago in trying to fire Cheryl Steele. Now, the chief cannot keep Dick Cottam as the media representative for the Police Department, an individual doing a superior job in the position he holds.

There are questions to be answered in this situation and if the Police Guild is involved, it should support both the chief and Dick Cottam. M.E. Yates Spokane