Letters To The Editor

PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

Thanks, thoughtful pet owners

This letter is a thank you to all the responsible dog owners who walk or run around Manito Park. Many are the times lately that I have seen walkers or joggers take the time to clean up after their pet, either in the park or on private property.

These are acts of respect toward public places and private property. They do not go unnoticed and are very much appreciated by those of us living near the park. It is just this kind of respectful behavior that helps neutralize the negative behavior of gangs and vandals.

Let’s continue to behave respectfully toward each other, and others’ space and property. It is very powerful and will have a positive effect throughout our community. Susan D. Frankovich Spokane

Week of kindness is not enough

Kindness to animals for only one week, really. Do any of you think this action will help to save these pets? No way. Cruelty goes on and on and it’s still treated as a misdemeanor when Washington is a class-C felony state.

I’m sure there are good intentions in the county animal shelter holding the pet fair for adoptions. However, I question what will happen to these precious animals if they are not adopted. They will either be sold for research and be tortured and killed or they will be euthanized at the shelter because there is not enough money and space to care for them. Please, spay and neuter your animals.

To be kind to animals surely applies to Tidyman’s stores and their caring customers who purchase pet food and donate it to the senior nutrition program, which helps the elderly keep and feed their beloved pets. This is a much-needed program. Mary E. Cosentini Spokane

Give Humane Society support it needs

The Spokesman-Review reported that the Spokane Humane Society was giving three months notice that it would no longer take in city strays. The society reported that it was losing money and needed the full contract.

SpokAnimal CARE hasn’t used the cremation service for several years. It wasn’t even brought up at the meeting. In 1997, 18,000 animals were taken to the shelter. Most of them died. The Spokane Humane Society had the courage to say no to the contract this time. It needs more money to keep the shelter up. The people who work there have suffered terribly.

The shelter only receives 5 percent of the dog license fees and half of the cat license fees, even though it takes in all the city strays. The city raised pet license fees. People who use the free spay and neuter clinic have to pay full license fees until next year. The spay and neuter clinic was supposed to be funded from the general fund.

Gail Mathey has spoken all over the United States with regard to Initiative 94-3 (the free spay and neuter ordinance) which was written by Margaret Leonard. Mathey accepted an award for the City of Spokane in Denver from the National Feral Cat Conference.

The Spokane Humane Society is fighting to protect all that it has stood for for the last 100 years. I hope for a better future for Spokane’s animals. Please do all you can to support the Humane Society. Laverne R. Kettlety Spokane

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Study of literature remains essential

Western thought is shaped by the written word. Everything that we have ever learned or hypothesized, from the ancient Hebrew texts of the Pentateuch to modern child-rearing methods suggested by Dr. Spock, is recorded in our books and literature. For this reason, I was disturbed when I recently read about the proposed changes to our schools’ English programs.

The proposal favors diminishing the emphasis of literature in English class in favor of skills more applicable in the “real world” of the job market. While I agree that such skills are necessary to life in the world today, I strongly advise against putting them ahead of literature in our educational priorities.

Literature enriches life like no other human invention can. Through literature students are exposed to the great ideas of our wisest theologians and philosophers. Through literature students become aware of issues of eternal debate which shape controversies today. Through literature students can discover stories that bring joy to their heart every time they think on them.

But we, the ever practical West, feel that Homer and his cronies have little application to modern society. After all, progress has advanced more in the last hundred years than in the previous thousand, so why not throw everything we learned before this glorious century to the wind and concentrate on just surviving in the workplace?

Such an attitude is never acceptable, especially in a country where the voting public needs to be educated. For if the public is not educated, the people are like twigs on a river, going whichever way the most compelling political current carries them. Joel D. Pierce Spokane

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

Have rioters make helpful amends

The Pullman incident was appalling, but a great deal of good could be the result.

No jail time. The students should graduate after they have done 500 to 1,000 hours of community service. Pullman could be the cleanest city in the state: empty lots cleaned of weeds and garbage; senior citizens helped with their yard work; windows washed and highway litter cleaned up. They could tutor kids, teach adults to read and write, visit the elderly, work with the handicapped.

Let’s use all that pent-up energy. Nadine Costanzo Spokane

Young adults should be able to drink

Eighteen to 20-year-old adults want their freedom. They don’t understand why it is a crime for an adult to drink responsibly inside their home.

They know society considers them adults, as they are old enough to join the military and die for their country. They are old enough to go to prison, live independently away from their parents or go into debt with credit cards and student loans. They are old enough to work full time, go to college full time and have legal sex. Yet, they are told they are too immature to drink alcohol inside their home.

The WSU riot occurred because of a poor law that is trying to be executed by the Pullman police and WSU faculty. If WSU really wants to create an alcohol-free campus, the answer is to ban all 18-20-year-old students. Or propose a change in the state law making the legal drinking age 18.

If neither of these proposed changes occurs, the focus should be on arresting the true criminals: those who drink and drive, and those who commit real crimes while under the influence.

In one’s college years, education occurs not only from the book knowledge, but also from experiences and having the freedom of choice. Let these students live. And let’s not forget, prohibition did not work. Michael H. Thain Chewelah, Wash.

Don’t apply kid gloves response

Excessive drinking has been a problem of campus life for many years. When I was in college 30 years ago, drinking and drug use washed students out of college, or worse. Overall drug use has declined since then, but alcohol abuse continues to be a severe problem.

It is irresponsible to blame the police for responding to such a severe civil disturbance with appropriate force. The students who were injuring police and destroying property must be held accountable for their actions. No community desires to have such a disturbance in its neighborhood. The answer is not to look the other way with underage drinking or unacceptable behavior.

The mood of citizens is clearly to reduce the problems of alcohol and drug use in our society, and enforce the law. Arrest and prosecute the rioters, penalize the organizations involved, and demand that the administration at WSU take a hard stance against antisocial behavior, alcohol and drug abuse now and for the long term.

There must be less concern for the civil rights of the rioters and more concern for the rest of the student body - people who are there to get an education - and for the community at large. Michael J. Mainer, M.D. Spokane

Get rid of the troublemakers

I would like to address the recent criminal behavior of some so-called students at WSU. Is their major perhaps Alcoholism 101?

These criminals should be prosecuted and expelled from school. I resent my taxes going to assist people who don’t want an education but to just drink and party. I heard one so-called student say something to the effect that WSU is a party school and they want to keep it that way. Their student loans should be immediately withdrawn.

If indeed they deliberately ambushed the police, as I have heard, they need major jail time. We are fortunate that no policemen were killed.

Get these criminals off the campuses that public taxes support. Send them home to mommy and daddy. Perhaps their parents might finally begin to instruct them in manners, courtesy and generally civilized, decent behavior. Marilyn Northrup Spokane

Rioters tiny minority of student body

As representatives of the Washington State University “student body,” we feel that Doug Clark (column, May 3) has judged us way too harshly. If you had looked at the facts, you would know that only about 300 students actively took part in the riot. According to Clark’s devastatingly low opinion of WSU, the whole student body was involved in injuring 23 police officers. Based on the fact that 17,000 students make up the student body, we have calculated that fewer than 2 percent of all students were involved.

We do not support the riot in any way. In fact, we believe those involved should suffer the maximum consequences. We do not, however, believe that our whole student body should be labeled as “wasted, stupid and unruly.” We are good students trying to receive a valuable education. Thank you very much for smearing WSU with your thoughts on events at our university. Next time, please be sure of your accusations and remember that a school’s reputation does not always represent the entire student body.

Try looking at some of the positive aspects of this university, instead of focusing on the negative actions of only a few students. Only a narrow-minded person would twist the facts to damage the reputation of our university. Michael Stein, Erika Miller and Ian Cope Pullman

Students leaders deserve thanks

Much has been written and said about the May 2-3 riot in Pullman. Yet, the extraordinary leadership and courage shown by WSU students in formal and informal leadership positions has barely been recognized.

Students in the Greek system and residence halls immediately arose to restore order, to express their outrage at the violence and to hold classmates responsible for inappropriate and illegal acts.

Interfraternity and Panhellenic council members, and fraternity and sorority chapter presidents held early morning and late night meetings during finals week to debrief their memberships, organize viewing sessions of riot videos, and communicate with their national organizations and alumni. These students hold the most difficult leadership positions on campus. They acted with the same strength and integrity with which they have led all year.

It has been difficult for fraternity and sorority leaders to be subjected to biased media that have overplayed the Greek role in the melee and tried to reinforce every negative stereotype about the Greek system. In recent weeks, the press has defined Washington State University by two events: the Rose Bowl and the riot. Neither truly defines WSU. What does define it is the daily interaction among students, professors, administrators and alumni, as they work to prepare another generation to lead and contribute to their communities.

If you meet a student leader this summer, congratulate him or her for their hard work and contributions to your community and to WSU. Dan O’Connor and Anita Cory coordinators of Greek affairs, Washington State University

OTHER TOPICS

Urge vote for campaign cleanup bill

To those of you who have an interest in good government and are concerned about the corrupting influence of money in the campaign process, there is a bipartisan bill before the House of Representatives that will ban soft money, regulate phony issue ads, improve enforcement for campaign financing and provide more disclosure.

The Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Bill, HR 3526, is the only real legislation for reform before the House. It deserves a full debate and a fair vote. We know our congressman supports better disclosure, as do many of you. Please call and urge him to support this important legislation that will be before the House possibly by the end of May. Pamela C. Behring League of Women Voters, Spokane

Tribes acting on deal closed long ago

It’s ironic that Max Montecucco (Letters, May 7) is coowner of the Silver Lanes Casino and he badmouths the Kalispel Tribe and its endeavors for a casino in Airway Heights.

Over 100 years ago your forefathers signed treaties with the tribes in the United States giving us the “sovereign” rights to govern our own reservation. Our forefathers gave up a lot of land and were given what are now our reservations and the task of looking out for our people. Now, the treaties are to be honored. But there is no honor and the word of your forefathers means nothing, so where is your honor?

I guess the part that hurts is us “thinking of ourselves as citizens.” We are citizens. Believe it or not, we pay taxes, we are employed. I and many Native Americans are veterans, and we vote.

It’s obvious to us “minorities” that as long as we think, act and do as the white man does, then we’ll be accepted. But what is becoming reality is we “minorities” are learning how to play the white man’s game and are winning. Look at who’s considered a minority: not only Native Americans but African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and women. In due time we will no longer be the minority; the minority will be white man. I think all of the other races are proud of who they are.

As a sovereign nation we have casinos but we also have other enterprises. We supplement the local economy and employment with no prejudice in mind. Eldon L. Wilson Nespelem, Wash.

Abortion still killing, still wrong

I sharply disagree with Fred J. Meyer (Letters, May 14), who condemns Dr. James Dobson for his stand against presidential candidates who would veto legislative bans on third-trimester abortions.

In particular medical emergencies, I don’t know that abortion is wrong. But, I do know that abortions are usually not performed for medical emergencies. And I honestly, as a woman and mother, see no merit in aborting babies out of convenience.

Meyer’s final statement stirs me to write in protest of the ignorance of those who continually twist the Constitution. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say “religion and government are to remain separated.” It says, “Congress shall make no law respecting” a religious institution, etc. People with agendas of their own later espoused the “separation of church and state” concept.

Religious people, who care deeply about America and have as much right as everyone else to speak their opinions, are sure taking a hit for speaking up on the abortion issue. It makes me so sad to see how some voters put forth the notion that just because there’s a moral ideal involved that it’s somehow anti-American. Christians are being treated like second-class citizens. Tolerance has come to mean more than putting up with lifestyles and immoral behavior that we don’t like; it now means we have to act like we approve of everyone’s lifestyle.

You can dress up your ideas about women’s rights and aborted fetuses with all kinds of flowery rhetoric, but killing a baby is still killing a baby, and that just isn’t what God intended us to do. Lyssa J. Gooch Spokane