Letters To The Editor

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

What about Chase, Greene and Rice?

Staff writer Jamie Tobias Neely’s editorial of Jan. 9 (“He won a place at the chauvinist pig trough,” From both sides) amounted to eight inches of whine.

The fact that some uneducated clod, who happened to be a white male, would become successful as a songwriter, performer, restaurant owner, mayor and congressman is outrageous! Surely, all he had to do was sit back in his easy chair and pump out a few resumes stating that he was male, white and breathing to achieve all that.

I’ll just bet you that Jim Chase would have been very upset. It’s obvious that women and blacks have no opportunities in Spokane, since currently we have three women (one of them black) on the City Council, and we’ve had one black male body shop owner and two women mayors in the last 20 years. Over in Seattle, Norm Rice is probably seething.

Perhaps Neely should ask herself if four or more years of higher education is the only way to learn and become motivated. Is it possible that Sonny Bono just learned faster, worked harder and was more willing to take chances than some others? James P. McManus Spokane

White males get blame, not breaks

Staff writer Jamie Tobias Neely’s sour editorial on Sonny Bono (Jan. 9) is as cheap as it gets.

If a white guy makes a disparaging comment about a black, female or a homosexual, no matter how well deserved, he’s instantly a racist, sexist or a homophobe, and a candidate for lifetime “sensitivity training.” Yet it’s been open season on “white male chauvinist pigs” for years. White males don’t get all the breaks anymore. We just get blamed for everything. And now, those of us who do well can thank the fact that we’re white males? No thanks.

Let’s compare Bono’s life with that of his ex-wife, Cher. Now, who would you rather your child grow up to be? Bono may not have been perfect, but he did a hell of a lot better job with the hand he was dealt than most people do. To suggest that the only reason he got where he did is because he was a white male belittles him, this country and every person in it.

People are what they make of themselves, no matter what color or sex they are. Gov. Gary Locke, Gen. Colin Powell, Margaret Thatcher and millions of others prove it every day. What this country needs more than anything else is a bunch more people with attitudes and beliefs like Bono’s - and a lot fewer people who think like Neely. Hal R. Dixon Spokane

Look and see women, blacks in office

Staff writer Jamie Tobias Neely really went off the deep end of bitterness and vilification in her Jan. 9 editorial. She would have fit right in with the editorial writers of the late 1850s, writing an editorial about that “doofus” country bumpkin lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, who thought he was good enough to be president.

You reported that Sonny Bono didn’t register to vote until he was 53. Is this any worse than registering and not voting? Recent local elections had only 30 percent of the registered voting, even when we made it easy to vote by mail, and most other election turnouts aren’t much better.

Only in America can we have a black governor for a state that represents the deepest of the “old segregated south” (Virginia) and only in America can we have some of our largest cities led by black mayors.

Only in America can we have numerous elected leaders who are women or of minority race - all elected by predominately white electorates, many of their voters being males (surprise!). God bless America and its diversity!

Give us a break, Neely. I think we currently have some very well-educated doofuses - white males, females and others - in our government. At least you acknowledge Bono’s honesty. Can you say as much for some of the others? G. Kendall Wilder Colbert

Being white, male assures nothing

Re: Jamie Tobias Neely’s Jan. 9 editorial, “He won a place at the chauvinist pig trough.”

At age 73, I don’t know if I ever heard Sonny Bono sing and I was not aware of his politics or his personal character. I do know, however, that I have never read a more vitriolic and hateful editorial eulogy since the death of Adolf Hitler.

If Neely felt compelled to comment negatively, surely she could have waited a couple of days until the casket was closed.

Regarding the comment, “Sonny was all that makes America great - if you are a white male.” I am sad to say that I am a white male who never attended high school and have been a failure at many of my jobs in five different states with at least 20 different employers. I have worked for and with employers and employees of different backgrounds, religions and ethnicity. I did my best (but sometimes failed) to support a wonderful wife of 49 years and five doggone good kids.

My much belabored point is that just being a white male doesn’t hack it, and sometimes, I wished I was a female and/or a person of “ethnic diversity.” Donald B. Morrison Spokane

Mean drivers symptom of greater ills

Yes, Sheri Baron, all this rudeness on our streets and highways is indeed necessary (“Why make driving here a living hell on wheels?” Your Turn, Jan. 7). You might say we asked for it.

Our role models are politicians who lie; athletes who bite, spit and choke; teachers who have sex with their students; and parents who are afraid to discipline their children. The self-esteem curriculum in our schools is producing increasingly arrogant and ignorant adults. There is no right and wrong any more. Anything goes.

Just a few weeks prior to her death, Mother Teresa spoke to the heart of the matter. In one of the most powerful speeches ever given, Mother Teresa lectured Congress and President Clinton that any nation which legitimizes the killing of unborn babies has no right to condemn murder (or any other crime).

In a society where the respect for life has vanished, antisocial behavior can be expected to increase. Meanspirited and reckless drivers are only a symptom of a much more serious disease. Steve M. Busch Spokane

Freeman epitomized what works

Thanks to staff writer Jamie Tobias Neely for a remarkable piece about a remarkable man, Clarence Freeman (“A black man’s battle,” IN Life, Jan. 4). I vote to make this article required reading for all those who believe that the disadvantaged can only succeed through the benevolence of the welfare state.

Lots of us began life in poverty. I remember with surprising fondness the long hours spent picking berries, delivering papers and working for farmers during haying season, to earn school money. I wasn’t quite so fond of walking or biking to my cleaning job at a laundry, that had to be finished in time to milk the cows before school. And I hated quitting the school band to take a lunchtime dishwashing job. We did what we had to do, however, and it brought success.

Freeman didn’t just face poverty. He also had to contend with the powerful social and legal racism of the time. Yet he succeeded wildly. How do you imagine he did this?

Start with an intensely ethical upbringing by his mother and grandfather. Accept the fact that most people are good and will help the deserving to succeed. Add an incredible work ethic and the willingness to take advantage of every opportunity no matter how humble.

Avoid self-pity, substance abuse and other destructive behavior. Live below your income and invest your money wisely. Above all, understand that success takes time, patience and self-discipline.

There you have it. The recipe for success. It works every time! L. Jim Shamp Cheney

DIET

Meat eating is not healthier

Sharon Gerlach must have ignored recent news about the health risks associated with eating meat (“Meat is good and good for you,” Jan. 3).

Gerlach claims that carnivores are healthier than vegetarians. Wrong! Overwhelming evidence conclusively links consumption of meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs to the dreaded chronic diseases of our time: heart disease, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and kidney disease.

Heart disease and breast cancer are strongly linked to the amount of dietary animal fat consumed. Colon cancer has been linked to meat eating and lack of dietary fiber (only plant foods contain fiber). Osteoporosis, the loss of bone calcium, has been linked to excessive intake of animal protein. Eating dairy products has not been shown to prevent or reduce osteoporosis (Harvard Nurses’ Study, 1997).

Gerlach states red meat contains “necessary enzymes” not found in plant foods. False! Grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds contain all the essential amino acids for good nutrition.

The myth that animal products are wholesome and necessary has long been promoted by the meat and dairy industries, to market their unhealthy products to an unsuspecting public. The truth is, people who eat a plantbased diet live longer and healthier lives than meat eaters. People become vegetarian for many reasons, with the common threads being concern for our health, animals and the environment. Gerlach should do herself a favor and reduce or eliminate her consumption of animal products.

Anne Groeschel Spokane Carnivorous viewpoint disturbing Re: Sharon Gerlach’s letter of Jan. 7.

To say that cows or pigs are no more intelligent or sentient than a vegetable is exemplary of what is all too frequently an uncaring, sometimes violent society. Even an elementary knowledge of biology refutes that bold statement. One has to wonder if Gerlach has any pets.

Even diehard, meat-eating registered dieticians know that a vegetarian diet is much more healthful than a meatbased diet. I challenge Gerlach to produce one published article from a credible source that disagrees.

Furthermore, to say that all creatures are on Earth for our use is the height of arrogance. This assertion is tantamount to denying animals the right to even basic humane treatment.

I pray that Gerlach develops some sensitivity toward others - yes, even animals, who are quite capable of feeling emotional and physical pain. A glance at the news on any day confirms the need for more civility and caring. Joel Novin Spokane

I eat meat but am mindful of the costs

We have one thing in common, Sharon Gerlach. I, too, am a carnivore.

In 1971, curiosity led me away from the childhood acceptance of middle class values to a small rural farm. For 11 years, I helped raise a half-acre garden, as well as cattle and chickens. I learned how to swing the ax, gut, scald, pluck and freeze up to 25 birds in a day. Eating animals was the bounty I had earned, because I understood what it takes to kill. Plucking carrots wasn’t quite the same.

When I fed the hens, I participated in the agribusiness complex - chemical additives with poisonous side effects to all concerned. And when I added feed store boosters to the garden compost, I hoped that no harm would come to the water table.

But “you can’t walk away from the price you pay” (Bruce Springsteen). We’ve been told that growing a cow is costly. It is a luxury in this world, not a right. Manifest destiny is no longer in vogue.

Still, we can bury our heads in the Sahara or in the magnificent hoax proclaiming “I am always right. I have the only true answer. Man rules.”

If you believe in God’s powers, Gerlach, how do you rectify your omnificent notions? Rose Bachman Spokane

Vegetables are a lower order of life

I found Sharon Gerlach’s letter involving vegetarianism to be ignorant as well as arrogant (“Meat is good and good for you,” Jan. 7). Whether or not Gerlach chooses to eat meat is her prerogative, but I disagree with many of her points, which were weak and offensive.

Gerlach seems to find killing vegetables just as bad as killing animals. This is such a weak argument! As a vegetarian myself, I’ve heard it far too many times. There is no way that an animal can be compared to a vegetable. Unlike animals, vegetables cannot feel pain or emotions. (Yes, I think animals do feel emotions). Animals raised for slaughter receive horrible treatment. I’m quite sure that vegetables are not as miserable as these future hamburgers and sausages.

Furthermore, there is little question that, overall, vegetarianism is the more healthful diet. People who eat less meat have a reduced risk of high cholesterol and heart attacks. I don’t disagree that meat can supplement the diet. However, the benefits of vegetarianism far outweigh the problems.

Gerlach, along with many others, believes “all other species were placed here for our use.” What (besides the Bible), could make anybody think we have so much superiority over animals? We may have more reasoning power, but to say that we’re better than animals is extremely arrogant. I don’t know what makes humans think they’re so special. There are more non-humans than humans, and they have many habits in common with our own. In addition, many animal species are smarter than humans. Besides, animals were here first. Katrina A. Swenson Otis Orchards

PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

Mankind’s benevolence cheapened

Re: Doug Clark’s Dec. 30 column, “You have to kill more than a ferret to make a murder.”

To quote Clark, “You could kill off every freaking ferret on the planet and never come close to matching the value of a single human life. … Putting animals on a par with people only cheapens humanity.”

I strongly disagree. It is Clark who cheapens the benevolence of humanity with such a statement.

Get your facts straight, Clark. Was it not commanded by God that Noah build an ark on which he, his family and two of every kind of creature survived the flood, forsaking all mankind?

Furthermore, methodically killing 93 innocent animals for the thrill of it certainly cannot be compared to the chicken slaughter in Hong Kong (although it is tragic) for purposes of combating food contamination and the spread of deadly disease.

Obviously, Clark cannot identify with most people, who consider their pets part of the family. It is best not to judge others, Clark, especially with blatant ignorance. Linda M. Kovick Gifford, Wash.

Ferret mourners unfair to Clark

Doug Clark is not one of my favorite writers, but lately, he’s been getting a batch of unwarranted flak.

To the lady who got on his case for his biased “reporting” of the news: Clark is a columnist, not a reporter. He may cry a bit and observe the world in a rather perverse manner, but that’s what he’s paid to do. Gospel it ain’t. So, no like, no read. Simple!

Quoting a letter concerning the ferret story, “Why, Clark, did you make light of this act?” Oh, puhleez! Quoting from the column, “What happened to Jean Smith’s ferrets is particularly loathsome.”

Was letter writer Curt Brennan (Jan. 5) attempting to play devil’s advocate? Certainly, Clark wasted no space on subtleties. The act was senseless, cruel and loathsome. It may even indicate a sick mind. But holding a candlelight vigil for those creatures offered much the same indication.

Clark’s ire concerning the ludicrous opinion that animal and human life should be counted equal is understandable, in fact, mandatory. However, he dropped the ball by responding to “Who is the worse psychopath?” with his “freaking ferrets” remark.

As for “… finding that some fiend had killed your entire family.” Duh. Just how many of us, ferret lovers included, breed our kids to sell as pets? Bill McIntyre Creston, Wash.