Letters To The Editor

BELIEFS

Christ is in some TV fare, too

In response to the Nov. 14 letter, “Choose Christ over TV,” it strikes me how prone we are to want to isolate Christ from American culture.

Yes, family faith is indispensable for the betterment of society. But no, it cannot be separated from cultural realities. The power of holy inspiration comes in multitudinous forms and not the least of these is television.

Television is not for everyone. But for a great many it can be a wonderful source of God’s healing, transforming love. The trick is to discern God’s creative presence or energy - dismissing that which is not life giving and enjoying that which is.

I have shed tears in each of the episodes I have seen of ABC’s “Nothing Sacred” because of what I see as the sheer quality of the scriptwriting and the real-lifeness of the dramatizations.

May we pay heed not to forget that Jesus lived as a man embracing his particular culture and not in some kind of religious vacuum. The cause of Jesus - the cause of justice and mercy - is a lifelong journey of deepening our relationships with all people and with all things. Doug A. Demeo Spokane

There’s irony in how some behave

So Warren L. Barry thinks it’s a “very sad day” when the president promises “a crusade on behalf of equal rights for homosexuals.” (“Shame on you, Bill Clinton,” Letters, Nov. 15).

Of course, to reinforce this bigoted view he stands on the soapbox of Christianity. Is it not written that Jesus said “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”? He didn’t put any stipulations in there. Black or white. Short or tall.

This kind of blatant ignorance of one’s own faith reminds me what the philosopher Spinoza wrote a few centuries back.

“I have often wondered that persons who make boast of professing the Christian religion - namely, love, joy, peace, temperance and charity to all men - should quarrel with such rancorous animosity, and display daily toward one another such bitter hatred, that this, rather than the virtues which they profess, is the readiest criterion of their faith.”

Perhaps Barry and others who are so quick to play the role of arbiter of morality should remember the words attributed to Jesus. “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Guy D. Stancliff Spokane

Different-ness should be cause for love

Shame on Warren L. Barry, who claims that it is absolutely un-Christian to rally in support of (gasp!) equal rights for homosexuals. I question his understanding of Christ’s message.

Christ called us to love all people and recognize their unique and special qualities. Believe it or not, Barry, this love should extend to people who are different than you. It may be a personal struggle, but that is what being a Christian is all about. M. Erin Tillery Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Expression of fairness heartening

Thank you, Karen Silva-Sanborn, for your enlightened and encouraging letter of Nov. 15.

I am constantly amazed to find that there are heterosexual people like you who are intelligent, informed and accepting. I am sure you will receive many negative letters in response to yours. Don’t let it get you down. It is what we, as gays and lesbians, face daily.

When will people recognize that equal rights, guaranteed by the Constitution, are not special rights?

On behalf of gays and lesbians, I enthusiastically accept your apology. Your letter gives me hope that change will happen. We shall overcome. Darren E. Reed Spokane

One-income life liberating, too

I found the article about living on one paycheck (Nov.15) entirely too negative.

My husband and I have been a one-income family since our first child was born. The article was about all the things you couldn’t do and couldn’t have. I find this to be a misrepresentation of life on one income.

Being a stay-at-home-parent is all about the things you can do and can have. You have freedom. Freedom to be a room-parent or volunteer at school, to run a Cub Scout pack and den, to play with Play-doh while still in your pajamas at noon, to volunteer at church, to drop everything and take off and go camping. Mainly, the freedom to be with and share life with your children.

You can do all of these things on two incomes, but it sure is harder and more hectic.

Granted, we have two aging, but paid for, vehicles and my husband has had to become a budgeting mastermind. But we are healthy, happy and having fun. Life on one income does not mean you have to buy see-through toilet paper or settle for a house that is falling down around your ears. It is all about choices.

Our choice may not be right for everyone, but it is perfect for us and our children. Betsy Weigle Spokane

SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY

The answer is ride-along parents

It hardly seems the stuff of front page news, but there it was: a mini-brawl involving a school bus and some elementary school student passengers. Only in Spokane!

The event escalated into a parked bus, a distraught bus driver, complete with company reinforcements, angry exchanges with parents, the daring escape of a child through the bus’ emergency exit - the whole thing climaxed with tearful reunions.

Spokane audiences are used to this kind of major news but others reading our paper might wonder why this material didn’t appear deep inside the region-local news section. Any number of stories on the inner pages of the A section were worthy contenders for the coveted front page exposure.

Unfortunately, such attention only encourages more such behavior. It really isn’t news. It’s been true for a long time that school buses can become little riot zones. I remember that when my classmates and I acted badly on our school bus, we were asked to get off and make our way home any way we could.

If parents don’t like the way the school buses are run or their children are disciplined, I’m certain they would be welcome as observers on the buses. The task could be shared by all, so that all could learn and those with work conflicts wouldn’t be unduly burdened. Just as parental involvement in the classroom has been shown to be insightful for teachers, students and parents, similar participation on the school buses might create a much more enlightened situation there as well. Jon A. Holloway Spokane

Put cameras on school buses

Re: “Driver, pupils face the music in bus incident,” Nov. 13. It’s too bad each bus isn’t equipped with cameras, to show parents how their little angels behave. A picture is worth a thousand words. Debbie K. Matlock Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

There’s another way to handle Iraq

Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Instead of dropping bombs all over Iraq, once again, why don’t we issue the Iraqis a public, formal apology for decimating their country and starving their children, and then drop food and medicine all over Iraq?

Oh, but then the stock market would plummet and all the wealthy people would be unhappy. Never mind. Margaret E. Koivula Spokane

Liberals get their way or sue

The liberal mentality will never cease to amaze me. Liberals will tell you to vote, let your voice be heard, i.e. “the will of the people.” Yet, when the vote does not go the way the liberals want, i.e. California’s Proposition 209, the liberals and their American Civil Liberties Union buddies will sue “the people” and have the will of the people overturned.

So if the vote goes the way liberals want, it’s the will of the people. If not, so much for the liberal version of democracy! William A. Hall Spokane

Announcement timing revealing

Recently, the secretary of defense announced he was going to eliminate 30,000 jobs from the Pentagon.

I won’t argue with the merits or demerits of such a decision. However, I do think the timing sucked. Why was Veteran’s Day the day for this? Was it a political favor to the Department of Veterans Affairs? The national holiday to commemorate the sacrifices for our nation by the armed forces doesn’t seem the appropriate time to say we’re now eliminating another 30,000 employees of the Department of Defense. As far as I could see, it was the ultimate slap in the face to the nation, the holiday and to the armed forces.

We really mean a whole lot to the guy who is in charge, I can tell. Jack D. Guske Washtucna, Wash.