Letters To The Editor

BUSINESS AND LABOR

`Something’s very wrong here’

I am a high school student who was taught the difference between right and wrong. I believe this Kaiser strike has gone on for much too long. I’m scared for my family’s future.

I think the union and Kaiser better get together and resolve this issue. At school, I see kids walking around with Steelworker badges and I recognize this strike affects many more families than my own. This doesn’t make me eager to join the work force. What are kids supposed to believe in anymore?

We all need money to survive. My stepdad has worked for Kaiser since he was about my age. I’m going to leave Spokane when I graduate and go where people are treated with dignity and respect. I haven’t seen a lot of this since the Kaiser strike.

If I were Maxxam CEO Charles Hurwitz, I’d be ashamed. I would know I had no right to try to teach my children about right and wrong. I’d know I was a rapist of the forests and business, and wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

Money may give a person power but it certainly doesn’t make them humane or decent. I’m sickened by what this strike is doing to the families who work for the union. The economic force in Spokane is a big reason so many kids leave when they graduate high school. You can’t even work at a lot of places unless you’re 18! Something’s very wrong here.

Just what is anybody going to do about it? Allison L. Godby Chattaroy

Steelworkers’ fight is our fight

We, in organized labor in the Spokane area, are frustrated as to what more we can do to help the Kaiser Steelworkers, outside of the normal things like walk the line with them, making donations, providing food and moral support. We know our future is in their hands.

Please keep the faith because if management is successful in dragging them into the ground, we are next. This is a power play with every decent job in the Spokane area at stake. We are behind them. Hang in there, please. Ed C. Ellenz Local 1135 Spokane County Road Department

Construction work first-class calling

It seems that our young people are being taught that jobs in the construction trades are something you settle for, not something you strive for. It would appear that the people issuing this information have forgotten the obvious.

We in the trades build the houses, offices, malls, airports, water systems and many other things that are taken for granted by the people who use them. Without the young people to help us build and update these essential systems, we cannot hope to keep up with the needs of those people who think we just settled for construction work.

What we do is strive to maintain the high quality and appearance that our customers pay for. When we drive by a building that we helped build, it gives us great pride. We use computers, math, reading and writing on a daily basis. Our pay is better than what many other jobs provide and it is spent in our communities.

Shouldn’t our youths be encouraged to make their own choices? Being in the trades is hard physical and mental work but extremely rewarding. We build America. We in the trades get to enjoy the sun, the wind and yes, the rain and snow. Robert L. Bullen, project superintendent Cargile Construction Group Inc., Spokane

Think about it, then buy American

I read with interest the March 28 article regarding “U.S. made clothes steadily losing out to apparel imports.” A couple of questions come to mind.

When people set out to buy clothes, isn’t it better to pay a higher price for an article of clothing made in the United States and keep someone working? Can’t the manufacturers make enough profit without raising prices to keep the jobs in this country?

Recently, while shopping for some clothing, I was able to purchase a couple of shirts that were made in the United States. Each shirt cost $1.50 more than the ones that were imported.

The consumers who don’t wish to pay the higher prices for the clothing made in the United States are probably the same people who are always complaining about individuals who are on welfare. Have they ever stopped to think that maybe these individuals are on welfare because of losing their jobs that went overseas?

If the consumers would not buy products made overseas, the American manufacturers and the stores that sells these products could not make a profit. They might be willing to come back to the United States and reopen their factories, hiring U.S. residents. Patricia McManus Spokane

U.S. AND THE WORLD

Mudless, bloodless war? Be realistic

OK, so we are bombing Kosovo and some American troops are part of a U.S. peacekeeping force in which they do recon missions. A U.S. plane was shot down and three brave American soldiers were captured. Yet the media and some not-so-clear-thinking Americans are outraged.

In a war, people - civilians and military personnel - die and get captured. And planes, ships and other military equipment get destroyed. What do the media and naive Americans think - that we can have a war where no one gets killed or captured?

The media and some Americans had better wake up and grasp the reality of what war really is: killing the enemy. Period. You cannot have a nice, clean war where no one gets hurt.

God bless our brave men in uniform. I cannot say the same for a man who dodged the draft and is now sending others into harm’s way. William A. Hall U.S. Army veteran, Spokane

Political expediency makes right

Re: “Effort in Kosovo short-sighted,” Letters, April 1. Linda Mullin asked why we weren’t bombing at least a half-dozen other hot spots around the world, namely, the Sudan.

The Sudanese are black people. Is there an underlying disdain for black people in this administration? The cold-blooded murder of almost 2 million blacks in the last 15 years warrants no attention?

The concern for human rights is a grand and noble position to take; it should not be used for political gains. This is obviously the case from the Clinton administration. If what you’re doing makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, regardless of the realities of the situation, then I guess it’s the right thing to do, right? Wrong.

Enid J. Malstrom wrote (Letters, April 1) that more than 40 people were slaughtered in Tiananmen Square (per the mainstream American press). Yes, there were more than 40. The number that comes from the resistance movement in China is around 10,000 dead or sentenced to life in prison.

The Clinton administration and the mainstream press in this nation still refuse to acknowledge these horrible atrocities.

Care about human rights? Where and for what reason? When you’re looking for a legacy and you can use our sons and daughters (unconstitutionally) with the help of a mute House and Senate, then I guess it’s OK, right? Judy A. Smith Kettle Falls, Wash.

`Reluctant hero’ making big mistake

What’s this “reluctant warrior hero” (Spokesman-Review, April 1) crap that we are just supposed to swallow? Or that Bill Clinton “avoided” the draft during the Vietnam war? He didn’t avoid it, he was a draft dodger. Big difference. And then he protested the war while young American kids whose parents weren’t rich enough to send them to college came home in body bags. That is our reluctant hero. Give me a break.

We have no business being in Kosovo. If we really wanted to help the Albanians, we should have given them the weapons to fight and then backed off. According to honest news reports, we really haven’t done much damage over there, except to kill innocent civilians, women and children alike, who in turn have nowhere else to go. If Clinton sends in ground troops, there is likely to be many casualties. And this war could rage on for many, many months.

As for those three American kids who were captured over there and for the many people who are fleeing or dying over in Kosovo, we should bow our heads and pray. Jeanie Defrancesco Spokane

Appeasement invites more and worse

Sixty years ago, the United States and the European democracies were faced with crises similar to the one we now face in Kosovo. Mussolini invaded Ethiopia. Tojo invaded China. Hitler threatened Czechoslovakia and began the Holocaust. All these men headed brutal dictatorships. Through the use of repression and propaganda they suppressed, deceived and manipulated their citizens. As a result, they were able to bully, murder and enslave other peoples.

The pleas of these citizens were heard but ignored by the United States and the European democracies. Various reasons for inaction were offered at the time. We now characterize these excuses as “appeasement” and “isolationism.” Through appeasement the Western democracies lost an opportunity to prevent the deaths of millions of innocent people.

We should recognize the historical parallels to the current crisis in Kosovo. This war is also a consequence of a brutal dictatorship’s ability to suppress and deceive its own people and to bully and enslave its neighbors. This history of the Milosevic government in Coatia and Bosnia confirms the validity of this comparison.

Our president, the foreign leaders and senators who support the NATO air campaign are to be commended for their resolve and vision. We must resist Milosevic’s bullying by whatever means are required. This may involve sacrifices but it will prevent greater sacrifices in the long run. I urge you to search your conscience and see if you can ignore the pleas of the people of Kosovo. Frank A. Malone Spokane

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Safe drivers an endangered species

I don’t get on the freeway as much as I used to but I still travel Interstate 90 once in awhile. I never cease to be amazed at all the drivers. The way most people drive, it’s no wonder the insurance companies are doing such great business!

I usually stay in the right lane, doing 60-65 mph, and I always allow for plenty of following distance, which is one of the first things anyone learns in driver’s education. Yet in the left lanes, caravans of cars and trucks are whizzing by me, doing 70-80 mph. And much of the time, not even one car length separates them! It seems as if everyone is in such a hurry to get somewhere.

Add to that the fact that no one uses turn signals when changing lanes, so many people dart in and out of traffic, changing lanes on a whim. I’ve seen a lot of motorists cross from the left lane over the right lane in order to get to an off ramp, cutting me off in the process.

I’ve driven around this area all of my life, and the climate on the highways is little short of vicious. I would tell everyone to slow down a little, think of the other guy, and especially, allow for proper following distance. That’s one car length for every 10 mph.

I’m glad I drive the way I do. When I allow for following distance, it provides room for motorists to cut back into the right lane and I don’t get “surprised” as much by erratic drivers. Dave Holmes Coeur d’Alene

Dangerous dogs should go

I cannot begin to express how appalled I was by the attack on Cassie Jones by four Saint Bernards. This child was in her own neighborhood, where she should’ve been safe. Show dogs or not, they should not have been loose under any circumstances.

When I read that the dogs’ owner was going to “do the right thing” by getting rid of them, I agreed. When I read later he was going to keep the dogs, I was incensed.

When I was a young girl, my little sister and I were walking in our neighborhood when we were attacked by a dog. The dog practically bit my sister’s lip off. I was terrified. That was more than 50 years ago but I can still picture the scenario. To this day, I am afraid of dogs. A child should not have to live with scars of fear because of someone’s negligence.

I pray the attack by those dogs does not have this effect on Cassie, but with them still in her neighborhood, I feel there will be some doubt as to how she will relate to them.

The dogs should be removed. Jerrelene Williamson Spokane

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Keeping one’s word important

“U.S. Term Limits criticized as too rigid” (March 28) explains the mission of the U.S. Term Limits group (an offspring of the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.) is to advocate term limits for current officeholders. Locally relevant, the current representative of the 5th District, George Nethercutt, finds himself under attack from this group. In his most recent dilemma as an elected official, Nethercutt must decide if he will abandon one of his many campaign promises and seek another term in office.

Nethercutt should self-impose a term limit on his tenure in office.

In 1994, Nethercutt beat former speaker of the House and decorated statesman Thomas Foley in the 5th District congressional race. Nethercutt’s impressive victory, largely due to his term limits pledge to Spokane-area voters, surprised many citizens around the nation. Nethercutt signed a pledge that stated he would not seek a fourth term. During the 1994 election, many additional candidates gained seats in the House by running a campaign of seeking Congressional housecleaning. During this tilling of the soil, voters told Foley he had overstayed his welcome.

Nethercutt faces a decision of integrity. He must choose whether to keep his word or disregard the pledge he made five short years ago.

Nethercutt, offer an example of integrity to your constituents and keep your vow. In a country often described as a moral vacuum, a single act of integrity means more to the future than that which you can only hope accomplish in Washington, D.C. Stacy L. Withrow Spokane

Wages of Clinton is death

Mother Teresa’s prophetic statement, “the fruit of abortion is nuclear war,” has become ever more apparent. Beginning in 1992-93 government agencies had informed the Clinton administration that the Chinese had planted agents in the Los Alamos nuclear lab and were retrieving our best nuclear secrets. Refusing to act on that information, Clinton disengaged Chinese human rights from trade rights, denied asylum to women fleeing forced abortions and provided funding to international agencies aiding the Chinese forced abortion program.

In 1996 it gets worse. As the White House and Democrats were accepting illegal Chinese campaign donations, the president signed two executive waivers allowing aerospace firms Hughes and Loral to transfer sensitive technology to the Chinese, which greatly improved their once-inaccurate ICBMs.

In 1998, as a result of Clinton’s successful efforts to secure most favored nation trading rights for them, the Chinese enjoyed a record $58 billion trade surplus.

The pro-abortion news media have suppressed these revelations during recent elections and assorted Clinton scandals in order to protect their radical abortion rights president. They have also been quiet on intelligence reports that the Chinese are aiming their nuclear missiles at our Asian military bases, allies (Taiwan, Japan, South Korea) and the United States (Los Angeles) plus igniting nuclear arms races (India, Pakistan).

Mother Teresa said it was “a poverty that babies must die in order that we may live as we wish.”

Yes, Mother Teresa, our apathy, selfish personal priorities and pro-choice votes are combining to cost us and the world very dearly. Mike D. Carpenter Spokane