Letters To The Editor

NEO-NAZIS

Pray for peace, end of discrimination

The Coeur d’Alene community has suffered greatly through several losses these past few weeks. The death of Linda Huff was so poignantly remembered at the Fourth of July parade. Then the funerals of the three young people who died in a tragic accident soon afterward, and the injuries to four others. The prayers and good will of the people in the area have been with them all and their families.

I was so impressed during the week after the Fourth at the poise, compassion, and love shared by the teens in Coeur d’Alene with each other and with the bereaved families. Their participation in the funeral services showed a maturity which is not always seen. We can be very proud of them.

We face our next test as a community today, with the march of the Aryan Nations. They would be easy enough to reject, except for the counter-hate groups seeking confrontation and outside media looking for “news.”

Join me, in any way you pray to God, to ask for a peaceful demonstration and to do whatever you can in your own way to end all types of discrimination. Peggy Faust Coeur d’Alene

We have a duty to voice our rejection

I am dismayed with the passive comments of local leaders toward the Aryan Nations march. We cannot ignore racism and hope it will disappear.

Less than 100 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court declared separate-but-equal facilities were not only justified but desirable. It is little known that in the German elections of 1932, Hitler’s Nazi Party suffered such a major setback that even Jewish economic leaders relaxed and privately supported Nazi objectives toward rearmament. Yet, we know the horror that began just a year later.

Japanese Americans were herded into internment camps during World War II. Remember the devastating consequences of racism in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa?

We labor under the false presumption our institutions protect minorities and minority viewpoints. But the tide of racism and intolerance runs very close to the surface. When the economy is booming there is no need to blame people, but strip away that thin veneer of security and Americans rush to blame. Even Richard Nixon’s Southern strategy in 1968 used code words to exploit fear and uncertainty.

The idea that by turning away we somehow lessen the impact of the voices of the Aryan Nations is false. We must fear that our stability has lulled our sense of alarm. All of the Inland Northwest has a duty to stand united and loudly proclaim never again! in the face of these barbarians. Robert S. Gilmore Spokane

To hate is to be un-American

Would the creator, whom the Bible rightly claims is the “God of love,” create his “superior race” to be a nation of haters? Ignore them, people! The Aryan Nations are the most deceived and despicable of minorities, haters of their fellow citizens. Hate is an un-American activity! Donald R. Holschen Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Series is ‘sanctimonious editorializing’

I find much of your racism series an excuse for self-righteous and sanctimonious editorializing throughout the front sections of The Spokesman-Review -sections that most papers devote to national or regional news.

The banner headline of July 13 asks, “What’s it like being white?” The byline answers by noting, “Whiteness is the result of whites having social power and privileges within the United States” and then draws the following conclusion: “Whiteness is a frame of reference through which white people view the world; it is a set of values and ideals often described as ‘American.”’

Thousands of blacks, Native Americans and Chicanos have died defending those values and ideals most think of as “American.” They have died in four wars defending the right to trial by jury, freedom of the press, the right to representative government; freedom of speech and religion, and equal opportunity (not equal results). These “American ideals” are now part of the constitutions of black South Africa and democratic governments of all colors all around the world.

That you should link “American ideals and values” to “whiteness” is one of the most racist and bigoted ideas I have ever read. It is an old Orwellian trick - to be racist in the name of stopping racism.

The only reason that I can see for your promoting such an incorrect and crazy connection between whiteness and American values is that it allows the ivory tower academics that you quote to dismiss those “American ideals” by judgmentally noting, “Oh, they’re talking about the Constitution, and individual rights again - That’s just whiteness (i.e. racist) talk.” Foster W. Cline, M.D. Sandpoint

FIREARMS

Assault rifles strictly people killers

The July 2 Spokesman-Review included an article by Michael B. Harmon, telling all of us how we should own an assault rifle. Being a retired law enforcement officer, I wonder why on Earth anyone would want to own such a weapon.

These weapons are not hunting rifles. We all know that. These weapons are used to kill other human beings. And the usual human targets are police officers.

All of us remember what happened in Coeur d’Alene just weeks ago. This lady state police officer didn’t do anything but go to work, and some deranged person who hates cops went to the state police station and murdered her in the back parking lot.

No one around here loves guns more than I do. But I will never want to buy an assault rifle or machine gun for any reason. I sincerely hope that no other gun owner will go out and start shooting cops. Tom Akren Post Falls

U.N. wants to take your guns away

The July 13 Spokesman-Review carried a short column on the Oslo, Norway, meeting of delegates from 21 countries, including the United States, to “draft a strategy to keep small arms like machine guns out of the hands of terrorist, criminals and countries on the brink of war.” Sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile, the U.N.’s “Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice” is promoting wide-reaching controls, bans and restrictions on everyone’s, including the citizens of the United States, firearms in the interest of some perceived threat to humankind.

For more than 200 years the United States has enjoyed the most wide-ranging freedoms of any people in the history of an organized government. Acceptance of these U.N. mandates is not just about gun control but eventually, about the very existence of of the U.S. Constitution. Do you want the United Nations to be our government?

Our forefathers fought a bloody war to secure our freedom, and in framing the government and Constitution, sought protection to preserve the freedom so dearly won. We are again at war to preserve our government. Contact your Congress members today and tell them to keep the United Nations out of our government. G. Kendall Wilder Colbert

Culture shock? Yes, and safety shock

The picture that accompanied “Culture shock” (July 15) was indeed a shock. Those young people were violating the cardinal rules of safe firearm handling that we teach from the outset in hunter education classes.

We teach that every firearm is always loaded. We next teach that you never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot. We then stress that almost all firearm accidents can be avoided if you control where the muzzle of the weapon is pointed. I am amazed that the owner of a shooting range would permit the careless gun handling demonstrated in the picture.

As an observation, the picture also graphically illustrates the potential problems that can occur when members of a society that has no access to the safe use of firearms are suddenly given the opportunity to use them. A firearm is a tool, not a toy, and it is only through proper instruction and responsible behavior that they can be used to their full benefit. John R. Reading Dalton Gardens, Idaho

Picture, stories tell sad, ironic tale

It’s ironic that the July 15 front page contains a headline news story of which the focus is a forum on youth violence where a “Child asks us to make a difference.” Then, one section later, I’m confronted with a disturbing picture of Japanese youths pointing guns at one another on a field trip. The accompanying story essentially declares it the highlight of a five-month trip to America.

As an American and an educator, I suppose I can understand that exposing the students to guns is truly exposing them to American culture (sad as that is), but were I one of the exchange student’s parents, I would be furious that my child was exposed to this on an “educational” trip. I trust the students were also made aware of the statistics concerning the use of weapons in violent crimes in the United States and their education included studying the news stories of youth violence in our schools in which guns played a deadly part.

When are we as a nation going to make the connection between weapons and violence? When are we going to realize that children are killing children?

If the violence in our schools and in America weren’t so deadly serious, the irony of these stories appearing in the same issue would be laughable. As it is, I am deeply saddened and angry at the statement it makes. David W. Rolando Spokane

Japanese may not thank us for this

The photo of the Japanese exchange students at the gun shop (Region, July 15) shows how quickly they have adapted to American cultural norms.

While the instructor demonstrates, one of the grinning students points a gun directly at head of one of her classmates, who in turn points her gun in the general direction of those seated behind her. Japanese schools may never be the same after these kids return home. R.K. Barcus Spokane

Lack of safety consciousness appalling

I was appalled by the photograph in the July 15 Region section showing the Japanese exchange students handling firearms. Notice the girl in the back row aiming a revolver at the head of the young lady in the front row. The hammer is back, the pistol is a finger’s twitch away from firing.

“But it’s unloaded,” one might argue. If everyone ever shot with an “unloaded” gun were laid in a line, it would be a very long and tragic one.

Steve Ball, is this something you allow in your firearms training classes? Don’t you teach the first two rules of firearms safety? 1, All guns are always loaded; treat them like they are even when you know they’re not; and 2, never, ever, allow the muzzle of a gun to point at anything you do not want to destroy.

Ball, please take a moment to review the basics of safe gun handling. Then, you may be able to prevent a horrible disaster (like the one in the making in your classroom). Several qualified instructors in this area could help you.

Me? I am pro-gun but against stupid firearms handling.

Remember, once the trigger is pulled, the bullet can never be recalled. Theodore J. Dickey Chattaroy

Anti-gun-owners campaign continues

The article, “Planning to buy a hunting rifle? Background checks start Dec. 1,” omitted two ominous details.

First, gun purchasers will be required to pay a “tax” on firearms they buy. The power to tax the exercising of a constitutional right is the power to destroy that right.

More frightening still is that the leftist Clinton administration plans to set up a national registry of gun owners even though it is prohibited from doing so by U.S. Code, Title 18, Sec. 922 (t,2,c).

Remember that millions of firearms, dutifully registered by honest people in England and Australia, have now been confiscated by the government.

Recall, too, that the Brady law’s “background check” has supposedly stopped tens of thousands of felons from purchasing handguns. By law, each of those felons should have been arrested, yet fewer than a dozen people have been jailed under the Brady act, which has been in effect for several years. The U.S. Supreme Court recently declared that a large portion of the Brady law is unconstitutional.

The Clinton administration’s war on the Second Amendment continues. Like the Brady law, this new proposal is meant to harass, impede, obstruct and restrict honest citizens from purchasing firearms.

The continual assaults on our right to bear arms by anti-democracy extremists, from the White House to Spokane, should be a wake-up call to all freedom loving Americans. Curtis E. Stone Colville, Wash.

WILDLIFE

Cash in caribou? Consider the buffalo

It’s hardly headline news that the Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce wants caribou removed from the list of endangered species so more logging of old growth can begin and areas closed to vehicles reopened.

What is news is that chamber member Pete Wilson actually knows what caribou are thinking. “Caribou simply don’t want to be in the Selkirks,” he says, and “I’m sure the caribou would fare better and feel better” if protection ended.

Maybe he got the message wrong.

Others of us believe that caribou deserve more, not less, support, because they are a living reminder of an important part of our past, just as buffalo are. Like the caribou now, buffalo were once nearly extinct. Only a handful remained of a formerly enormous population. However, Americans were unwilling to let this part of western history vanish and the herds were gradually rebuilt.

The current popularity of Yellowstone Park proves that people will plan whole vacations around the possibility of observing animals in their natural environment, including grazing herds of buffalo. Some smart folks discovered that there are bucks in buffalo. Maybe Boundary County businessmen should recognize that there can be cash in caribou, and stop trying to make them disappear. Joanne Hirabayashi Priest River, Idaho

First, eliminate the predators

Re: “Boundary County gives up on caribou,” (July 9). I would like to see the Fish and Wildlife Service get rid of the grizzly bears and cougars. The caribou have far more value to us than the predators. I would some day like to try caribou. But that will not happen as long as the predatory species continue to be worshipped. Esther L. McDonald Spokane

Don’t sacrifice heritage for business

Re: “Boundary County gives up on caribou,” (July 9). They simply want to remove an obstacle to logging. This is short-term thinking. Idaho, in the long run, stands to gain a better return by preserving its beauty and wildlife. While trying to preserve an outgoing industry, they open the way for dense population and degradation of the quality of life.

We stand to gain more in every way by preserving the natural beauty of forests and wildlife in attracting light industries seeking these qualities, and quality-of-life standards for the employee. Like it or not, things change. It’s not in future generations’ best interests to cling to the past and destroy their inheritance for short-term gain pursuing dying endeavors.

Let’s be the leaders and examples for the next generation, by foregoing what’s comfortable for us and encouraging a change in how we use our assets. Many already are doing so. Do we want to lead them to the cliff’s edge or up the mountain path? Wes W. Albert Rathdrum

Support saving of region’s native trout

A recent letter referred to the loss of a wonderful and healthy fishery in Priest Lake, resulting from letting non-native fish take over the ecosystem there. Native populations of westslope cutthroat and bull trout were devastated by the thoughtless introduction of competing lake trout into the Priest Lake system. In that letter, the writer lamented the fact that no one seemed to care about the loss of these native fisheries.

Someone does care. American Wildlands is currently working toward protection of Idaho’s state fish, the westslope cutthroat trout. We recently set up an office in North Idaho to work on, among other things, native fish restoration.

The westslope cutthroat was once the dominant trout species throughout North Idaho. Habitat degradation from logging of sensitive watersheds, overharvesting, introduction of competing non-native species and habitat fragmentation all hastened their decline.

American Wildlands and several other groups recently got the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to accept a petition requesting that it list the westslope cutthroat as threatened. A decision should come next year.

We strongly urge people to contact American Wildlands, P.O. Box 254, Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864, and/or write to the nearest Fish and Wildlife Service office to express support for protecting this historically significant species. With your help, we can still save the last of our native trout in the Priest Lake Basin and other parts of the Northwest. Guy A. Bailey, J.D. citizen resource advocate, American Wildlands, Sandpoint