Letters To The Editor

WASHINGTON STATE

Breast-feeding natural, not indecent

Re: the March 8 article about the breast-feeding bill.

I am a mother of two, currently nursing my infant. I know as a mother that breast-feeding is the most important and natural thing I can do for my baby and the medical community has recently reaffirmed this.

But jurisdictions in Washington seem to have laws saying women can be charged with indecent exposure for breast-feeding in public. What a contradiction.

I am going to feed my baby wherever I am when she gets hungry. I am always discreet, as are the overwhelming majority of other nursing mothers.

It is time for society to get over the phobia and double standards that exist regarding breast-feeding. God didn’t create bottles and formula. He created the perfect feeding mechanism, and we should not be ashamed about it. Hilda Zimmerman Spokane

Affirmative action is discrimination

Discrimination in state and local government employment, contracting and college admissions is and always will be wrong, wrong, wrong. Candidates should be judged on merit and ability, not upon race, gender or creed.

Affirmative action is and has always been a euphemism for discrimination. It is by far the most racist and sexist policy ever enacted in the United States this century. Discrimination (affirmative action) needs to be denounced and buried in the evil section of history’s scrap heap.

Current and historic figures who publicly oppose or have opposed discrimination include Jesus Christ, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy and your editorial writer, D.F. Oliveria.

Current and historic figures who publicly favored or favor discrimination include: Nero, Bedford Forrest, the Ku Klux Klan, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, Carol MacPherson (for the editorial board) and staff cartoonist Milt Priggee.

Look behind the mask of supporters of affirmative action and see the face of deception. No matter how it’s presented, discrimination is always wrong. Vote against affirmative action. Vote and support candidates who support Initiative 200 this November. Lee W. Gobroski Spokane

Legislators serve their party, not us

Re: “No north-south freeway funds for city” (March 6).

Our state representatives and senator who were given the charter to represent us Spokanites have done us a great disservice by bending to partisan pressure in voting against Gov. Gary Locke’s road plan, which would have provided $18 million to initiate work on the proposed freeway.

Rep. Karen Schmidt’s aggressive, selfish, rude and irresponsible channeling of needed funds for her Puget Sound ferry system is despicable. Spokane’s lawmakers who supported this should resign.

The route between Interstate 90 and the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 along Division-Ruby streets, though widened to four lanes in each direction, is almost always plugged with traffic jams, thanks to the lack of traffic signal timing. The trip from the “old” South Hill requires a minimum of 30 minutes each way. Many of us have had to live with that mess for many decades and will continue to live with it for another 50 years, thanks to this irresponsible decision based purely on partisan games.

When will our politicians start working for the enhancement of all the people they represent, not just the party in power? Then and only then will their political decisions be constructive.

If they think our need for a freeway is less than the Puget Sound area’s need for ferry system enhancements, they should come over here for a visit - weekday or weekend, night or day - and experience reality. John D. Brown Spokane

SPOKANE MATTERS

Rodgers belongs on clean air board

I am concerned about the way Cherie Rodgers was replaced by Mike Brewer on the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority board. She was chosen to represent 195,000 people and he was not. Rodgers represents Spokane’s citizens and should be on the board.

We who suffer from the burning and pollution in our air have elected her to represent us. We need that representation from someone who understands our problems. According to Mayor John Talbott’s statement, “Spokane no longer has a voice on the county’s clean air board … This all boils down to money, … We now have 195,000 people in the city of Spokane who are not represented.”

I am disappointed in the way this was handled and respectfully request that she be restored to that position. Jan A. Slama Spokane

Holmes, Greene need better agenda

I’m off the fence in this grass burning matter. Now, I’m firmly against the totalitarians who don’t believe in letting Spokane residents select their own representatives to SCAPCA.

I’m negatively impressed by the Councilwomen Roberta Greene and Phyllis Holmes’ - “It just wasn’t on our legislative agenda” - wing of our City Council. This is the wing which apparently either doesn’t find it objectionable that our rural grass burners can veto our choice of representative, or feel it’s more important to send a message to Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers that she’d better fall in line with them and not be so independent.

Our City Council should look for the first opportunity to deny something to the county’s small towns.

Holmes says her council cohorts didn’t want to support Sen. Lisa Brown’s amendment because it would look like a “repudiation” of the towns. The towns played hardball and repudiated Spokane, and Holmes wants to play kiss-their-derrieres-politics back?

Plaudits to Mayor John Talbott and Brown for trying to put this right. Hisses at those other politicians who didn’t fight for their Spokane constituents. Charles E. Latimer Spokane

Thanks for returning my purse

To whoever was so honest and nice to send me my little purse, which contained my driver’s license and some money, I want to say thank you very much.

I have no idea where I lost it, and when I got it in the mail, it made me very happy. It feels so good to know there are such nice people out there. Bernadine F. Kinzer Spokane

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

West deserves some respect

The front page article of March 11, exposing Sen. Jim West’s frustration and anger, was a cheap shot at a dedicated legislator.

It was the type of journalism which tears at the fabric of respect we owe those serving us in government. I suggest we recall Abraham Lincoln’s words, “There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us. It ill behooves any of us to rail at the faults of the rest of us.” Mariana Murphy Spokane

Clark compounds West’s barbarity

Listening to the recording of Sen. Jim West’s threat against a lobbyist, I was horrified. To think that an elected representative from our region would behave in such an outrageous manner is appalling.

West’s assertion that it is normal political rhetoric is absurd. Anyone who heard the tone and the words knows it was a personal threat.

I hope the voters will remember during this the next election.

My initial shock was magnified upon reading Doug Clark’s column, “Shame on West for not waking threat earlier.” Clark said, “Kill a lobbyist? You got my vote, Jimbo.” I can’t believe Clark thinks it’s appropriate to make death threats to people who oppose you.

In a time when skepticism of our elected officials is so high, it is absolutely irresponsible to justify such a disgusting and reprehensible action. Although I have no particular affection for lobbyists, to threaten death and to support such action in the press is unacceptable. Kathy L. Jones Elk

Clark’s West column a ‘masterpiece’

Bravo for Doug Clark for his column, “Shame on West for not making threat earlier.” It was an editorial masterpiece deserving of merit and a prize.

The average person doesn’t even see that a payoff to big business is really just a bribe; call it what you will.

We’ve really lost it in America. It’s time we wake up and try to remedy the situation. Lillian P. Fleming Spokane

THE ENVIRONMENT

Change coming in USFS road policy

The U.S. Forest Service is accepting written comments until March 30 on a controversial revision of its policy on road building and maintenance.

This decision could have profound implications on the direction of the USFS in managing one of the nation’s most precious resources.

Basically, the proposed revision will create a policy based on a more diverse use of USFS roads. It will no longer be based primarily on timber extraction. The comment period, not surprisingly, coincides with a media blitz of forest industry TV ads.

You know the type. As a myriad of birds sing in the background, a forester planting a tree seedling kneels next to a clear mountain brook jumping with trout, as a bald eagle soars overhead with a tear of gratitude in his eye. And not a stump in sight!

USFS estimates 15,000 logging-related vehicles use its roads daily, compared to 1.7 million vehicles used for recreational purposes. Recreational traffic is expected to continue to increase dramatically. The proposed changes could limit building new roads, particularly in roadless areas (those containing 5,000 acres or more). The agency would rebuild the most heavily used roads, altering some to reduce their environmental impact.

They will also decommission unnecessary roads or roads in particularly sensitive areas. This would free much-needed maintenance funds for remaining roads. Clearly, with the dramatic shift in use there should also be a shift in management policy.

For more information contact your local USFS office. Barry Burger Bonners Ferry, Idaho

EPA too autonomous

Re: “EPA to investigate entire CdA basin,” (Feb. 26). One should not forget that the minerals were here long before the mining companies and to litigate will only cost the public more.

The Environmental Protection Agency has too much power and should answer to someone for its actions. Dan Adams Electric City, Wash.

No harm in EPA checking things out

Mayor Steve Judy is upset about the Environmental Protection Agency spending a year behind closed doors, deciding what’s best for Coeur d’Alene. Well, isn’t that what Judy and the City Council do to the people of Coeur d’Alene?

Judy goes on to say, “We can’t let them do that. If we’ve got problems, let us locally go out and identify them.” Locally? I always thought our city government hired out-of-state people to handle these things.

Judy asks for public support to help fight the EPA. Why would our city government ask for public support when it has never been concerned about our opinion? I can’t remember the last time there was a vote, letting the people voice their opinion on anything concerning Coeur d’Alene. What’s city government really afraid of? The tourist economy and local business, or the true condition of Lake Coeur d’Alene?

If the river basin is found at risk, let’s clean it up. If not - great. What’s the harm in checking? Misty A. Koskimaki Coeur d’Alene

Simple step would save many salmon

I get tired of reading about the salmon and what needs to be done to save them. If you really want to save them, the first step would be to ban any and all netting on the Columbia River. They have it so tight now that a shiner can’t get through.

This may not be a popular idea with some, but it’s a start. When that is done, then let’s talk about other things. Terry Storjohann Mullan, Idaho

CREATION VS. EVOLUTION

Faith is just not science

Although I have a daughter who is a Christian fundamentalist and a true believer in creation science, it still surprises me that educated people suggest creation science be taught in the schools.

There are two basic problems. One is that many people do not understand the nature of science itself. The other is that these people don’t understand the nature of a scientific theory; they believe a theory is no more than a half-baked idea or an opinion.

Science is the ordered but dynamic quest for understanding the workings of the universe. Observations are made, questions proposed, answers tested with more questions, more experiments and more observations; answers are modified to fit the new data. Scientific theories are the result of this work - proposed answers that have invited and undergone serious questioning, analysis and testing, and have withstood the attacks or been modified. This is a bottom-up business.

In the case of evolution, our present understanding results from the work of thousands of geologists, paleontologists, geochemists, biologists, geneticists and others who have developed a broad web of consistent information supporting the theory of evolution and, indeed, evolution has become a cornerstone of modern biology and geology.

On the other hand, creation science is a top-down business, derived from the Bible with no body of evidence to be tested. There is nothing wrong with faith, but it is not interchangeable with science. Michael A. McClave Nine Mile Falls

Don’t teach evolution as fact

Children are done an injustice when the theory of evolution is presented consistently as pure fact.

Creationism is an equally valid theory of origin. If anyone has an additional theory, it should also be presented.

The dirty trick played on the children is that they come to believe without doubt evolutionary theory and are not shown the flaws in the system.

It also needs to be pointed out that evolution does not follow the scientific method, which leaves it in the realm of “yet to be proved.” Wilton E. Hille Spokane

There’s room for evolution and faith

Thank you for a fair presentation of the clash between evolution and the creationists.

I remember an evolution-creation debate in our biology class at North Central High School in the mid-1940s. The teacher had those who believed in God sit on one side of the room, the agnostics on the other side.

I believed that God existed, so I sat with about 10 fellow students. About 30 students chose the agnostic position. I didn’t know enough to debate the subject, so I kept quiet. Likewise, the agnostics. Few could explain why they didn’t believe in God. The experiment made most of us look ridiculous.

I doubt if such a debate would be permitted in a high school classroom today. We could relieve much of the tension if by teaching evolution as just one way to explain the world we live in, and leave room for students to choose to believe in a creator, and not ridicule them if they do. Larry E. Clark Spokane

Let’s not be so dogmatic

I am a Christian and I also believe in evolution, because of the overwhelming amount of evidence to support this fact. However, I also believe in creationism because, the last time I checked, we still had a huge unaccounted for gap between mud and any form of life.

I believe that in the grand scheme of things, creationism and evolution fit very comfortably together and we should all quit being so rigid a dogmatic in our thinking. Richard McInerney Spokane