Letters To The Editor

ABORTION

Abortion is killing, too

The horrific tragedy of two young boys killing their classmates in Arkansas should make us as a nation reflect on the fact that, unfortunately, we now live in a culture of death. How can we expect young people to have sufficient respect for the sacredness of human life while at the same time, in Oregon, we have made it legal for doctors to assist patients to commit suicide, and the president of the United States and the Supreme Court will not stand in the way of partial-birth abortions?

It is time for Americans to wake up to the fact that our society condones death in the above situations, putting a legal stamp of approval on killing. Yet at other times we are horrified when human beings are killed. How can we allow 1.5 million legal abortions per year and then be more horrified when five people are killed? Four unborn human beings are killed each and every minute in this country. John A. Perkins Loon Lake, Wash.

Does society benefit from abortion?

If abortion is such a good and legal right, how come the only synonym is … oh, there are none. The only antonym is delivery.

One dictionary meaning of abortion is: induced termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of survival as an individual. By this definition, it would make late-term abortion murder. Why do lawmakers and our governor have such a tough time figuring that one out?

Even though the dictionary has no synonyms for abortion, I have heard slang words used to describe abortion: gross, destructive, a catastrophe, detrimental, devastating, disastrous, costly, bloody, fatal, harmful, homicidal, killing, murderous, tragic. Antonyms could be: beneficial, constructive or positive. Which effect do you think abortion has had on our society since it was legalized 40 years ago? Which of these terms have become increasingly frequent in our newspaper headlines?

Is abortion really good for society?

Dan E. Meckel Veradale

LANDFILLS

Incinerator should be closed

The Hanford facility: a good neighbor, absolutely safe.

Agent Orange: just another ordinary garden-variety defoliant.

Desert Storm: the reported illnesses are psychological, not physical.

The incinerator: state-of-the-art technology to eliminate garbage and other waste without any potential risk to area residents.

Staff writer Karen Dorn Steele’s reports regarding the Hanford nuclear facility and Larry Shook’s and Tim Connor’s article about our incinerator (The Inlander, March 4) are the most important journalistic works ever written about Eastern Washington.

The reports by Shook and Connor are suspicions confirmed to the people who opposed the incinerator. This project includes bad technology, bad location, bad management and bad monitoring, all at a cost much higher than taking our waste to a landfill in Eastern Oregon, with zero health risk.

Locating an incinerator upwind from a city with an inversion condition and poor air quality is morally irresponsible. Oncologists will tell you there is an epidemic of certain cancers in our city.

Read the March 4 Inlander report and you’ll better understand how the people of Spokane were hustled into a dangerous expensive facility. To quote from that article: “about one-fourth of the polyvinyl chloride is used for packaging, discarded into the trash stream; it has turned the incinerators into dioxin factories…” and “Dioxin is considered to be at least as potent a carcinogen, gram for gram, as plutonium 239.”

The incinerator definitely should be closed. I hope government agencies consider this a top priority and act quickly. Dave Hamer Spokane

County not suited for landfills

Re: “Landfill change would be ruinous,” by Carol J. Larson, secretary-treasurer for Larson’s Demolition (Letters, March 25).

Yes, it is a very important amendment to be reviewed on April 7 by the Spokane Board of County Commissioners.

The amendment is great policy. Do we need any more Superfund cleanup sites in Spokane County? Do we need more Colbert, Marshall, North Side, Dishman or Fairchild landfills? How much will the county taxpayers have to pay to clean up another site?

Larson’s letter states we need proper waste disposal. Is dumping straight into an aquifer proper? Yes, we do need proper waste disposal. Spokane County has proven it does not have the proper geological makeup to allow for waste disposal. Proper waste disposal for a responsible company would be to dump at Rabanco. They are not dumping into an aquifer. In fact, the aquifer is about 1,700 feet below their landfill - unlike the Graham Road landfill, which is dumping into an aquifer. You might as well be dumping into the Spokane River.

How can dumping in another site ruin Larson’s business? Rabanco charges less! Rabanco pays for the transportation of waste. This does not sound like financial hardship to me.

The county commissioners need to make sound decisions for the future of Spokane County and its taxpayers. A bad decision would be to allow landfill or landfill expansion in an unsuitable location. Spokane County has proven it is unsuitable for landfills. Daniel R. Rees Medical Lake

SPOKANE

Donations to YWCA benefit public

A great big thank you to all who contributed to the YWCA.

To me it is very inspiring to hear that the Alternatives to Domestic Violence program will be able to assist 28,000 individuals this year like it did in 1997. To know that the aquatic therapy classes, specialized child care and the preschool classes will continue is very comforting.

And now there are plans and donated resources for a medical clinic to serve the families of homeless students who attend the YWCA transition school. Other low-income families will be treated at the clinic through referrals.

All this and more - isn’t it exciting? Your contributions stay right here in Spokane and accomplish a positive influence on our community. Gloria Betts Spokane

Support downtown shops, not Sabey

It continues to surprise me that Spokane residents allow Seattle developer Dave Sabey to manipulate decisions affecting our community’s downtown. Sabey has no interest in Spokane, other than financial. He does not live in this community, he doesn’t care about Spokane, other than what he can take from us.

First, he closed The Crescent department store. Next, he moved Penney’s to NorthTown, which he owns. He financed John Talbott’s campaign and helped elect him. Talbott has returned the favor by becoming Sabey’s puppet.

Sabey has spent thousands of dollars trying to defeat the River Park Square project, a project vital to our downtown. It’s in his economic best interests to see our downtown die.

Please don’t let this happen. Support your downtown merchants and boycott NorthTown. Let Sabey know you don’t appreciate his interference in our community by using your pocketbook.

Thank you to the five City Council members and city staff members for not succumbing to Sabey’s intimidation tactics and supporting a project that is so important to our community. It takes courage to stand up for what is in the best interests of us all. Nancy Mahoney Spokane

Tree ordinance frightening

The proposed ordinance requiring a city permit to plant a tree and the hiring of a professional arborist to prune that tree scares me. I had intended to plant street trees on two properties this year, but not if this ordinance passes. I simply can’t afford to hire someone to give my trees a beauty-shop coif if they decide to grow in a reckless, non-symmetrical pattern.

I already have a problem with sidewalks that are showing some wear. I would like to fix them, and I have the necessary skills to do so, but since they are located on the city right-of-way I can’t legally do the work myself. I can not easily afford the unnecessary expense of hiring someone to do work I am capable of doing, so the sidewalks will have to get much worse before they get better.

I would like to see tree-lined streets and well-maintained sidewalks throughout my city, but passing regulations that create unnecessary expense and hardship isn’t the way to do it. I am further concerned about passing an ordinance that backers promise won’t be vigorously enforced. To me that means selective enforcement, and an enticement to abuse. Let’s not do that. Jim L. Hundrup Spokane

Why wait? Let’s get with it

I would be surprised to find any real-world business experience in the background of Mayor John Talbott.

His waiting and foot-dragging shows little concern for money lost by both the developer and the small businesses struggling to stay alive until downtown gets going. Mayor Talbott seems to be a classic example of a bureaucrat who lacks a real understanding of what it takes to run a business and create taxes that drive our local economy.

He says, what is wrong with asking questions? Has he done his homework? Council members are not starting from ground zero. They have access to three years of research, HUD documents and the Nordstrom lease. I am frustrated that it is taking all this time and energy to bring him up to speed. Or, are these questions simply a delaying tactic? I know Cherie Rodgers has raised similar issues, but I hope she will show her true concern for the community by seeing the value of this project to our neighborhoods.

Quoting The Spokesman Review of March 27, “If HUD makes substantial changes to the agreement, those would come back to the council for approval.” So, what’s the hang up?

I applaud the other five council members for the vision and experience they bring to our downtown project and the ability to see the big picture and get on with it! Christine T. Marr Spokane

IN THE PAPER

‘South Park’ funny fiction

Leslie Vilhauer (“‘South Park’ reviews repulsive,” Letters, March 31) obviously hasn’t faced reality lately.

Most viewers of “South Park” realize the difference between fact and fiction. “South Park” is very obviously fiction. Part of the program’s humor in its blatant distance from reality. Most viewers of the program realize that the topics broached on “South Park” are absurd and inapropriate.

We are not part of the problem (decaying morals, etc.), as many of us (teenagers) do not mimic or even condone the ideas the children in “South Park” have. We just think it’s funny, and remember what we were like at that age. “South Park” should be taken less seriously. After a while people will tire of it, move on, and society will find something new to bash. Sunshine S. Pense Sandpoint

Clark’s unkind words uncalled for

Re: Doug Clark’s March 24 column, “No more tough sledding.”

One particular statement of Clark’s was rude, uncalled for and downright disgusting: “Act fast and you can get in on the snowy ground floor of a new winter sport that could hit the slopes harder than Sonny Bono. In fact, had poor Sonny been body sledding instead of tree skiing … well, they wouldn’t need a new Republican congressman from Palm Springs.”

The humor in this is all too realistic and serious enough that maybe Clark’s name should be recognized as an unimportant ex-columnist who lost his name by immorally slandering the deceased, due to a lack of self respect. Better yet, an article including apologies and the reasoning for such a disturbing comment would lighten the situation and definitely help matters, but would this help with future articles?

In any situation, speaking such unkind words about any person such as Clark did, would make it harder for people to enjoy his work. Mind you that Clark’s work is very reliable and interesting, but next time please be more polite! Marci D. Petersen Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Diane Rasmussen a real asset

When the Humane Society board of directors fired their executive director in December and six workers quit, one an 18 year employee, I wrote stating: One half the board of directors, myself included, and two veterinarians left the Humane Society 15 years ago and founded Spokanimal Care. It was impossible to work with the board.

Diane Rasmussen, the most wonderful, dedicated lady when it comes to animal welfare has finally given up. What a shame. It is the animals I’m concerned about. It’s past time for someone with authority to step in and either replace all present board members or close the Humane Society. This board has complete control and has fired 12 directors while Spokanimal Care has had one.

Thanks to Diane for the years she has spent helping and speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves. Too bad she couldn’t have remained executive director instead of being put into a position where she was allowed no input whatsoever. She has been an asset and would be to any society.

Reminder: When you pay for tags at Spokanimal Care, you receive a voucher for free spay or neuter. It’s so important because millions of animals are killed every year because of neglect and over-population. Eileen R. Deaton Spokane

Executives disruptive, not shirts

Re: “A Pepsi kid in a Coca Cola school.”

There’s no reason for any school to advertise a commercial product. This brings to mind all the hard work parents of Camp Fire and Girl Scouts do to sell cookies and candy for a commercial company. These people are using our children and we are allowing it.

I wouldn’t say there were any inappropriate or disruptive Coca Cola or Pepsi shirts worn by the students. Having those Coca Cola executives at the school is what was inappropriate and disruptive. Why should commercializing be approved by any school? I know, they wanted to win some money. But there should have been no punishment for any student.

Both Coca Cola and Pepsi are getting a lot of free advertising at our students’ expense. Bobbie E. Cullitan Spokane

Drivers, use some common sense

This letter is to all the drivers out there who think they own unmarked intersections.

I see your kind everyday. You drive right through these intersections, ignorant to the laws that govern them. It’s not north-south or east-west directions that rule. It’s not I was here first that applies. It’s all explained in the Washington Department of Transportation Driver’s License Guide.

Have you ever heard of the term right-of-way? It’s self-explanatory, you know. Anything - be it a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or, God forbid, one of those pesky pedestrians in a cross-walk - to your right has the right of way. You must yield!

If any of these terms or this explanation doesn’t make sense to you, please consult the above mentioned guide before driving again; you may save a life.

For your information, by signing for your driver’s license you acknowledged that you understood everything in the guide.

It’s a miracle that there aren’t more accidents happening out there. Look for signs, use caution and, above all, use common sense. David R. Brown Spokane