Letters To The Editor

IDAHO VIEWPOINTS

Legislature keeps ignoring the people

The arguments of the Senate pro-tem and House speaker regarding term limits are an insult to the intelligence of the voters. The fact that out-of-state funds played a large role in the circulation of petitions is a given. The Legislature has so restricted access to the initiative process that common citizens are not able to place an issue on the ballot without help.

Idaho voters are not for sale. To say, as legislative leaders have, that “Idaho was bought” by out-of-state funds is to imply that our entire congressional delegation was “bought.” By far, more out-of-state funds were used to elect our two senators and two congressmen than were spent on term limits.

I am a second-term county commissioner; under term limits, I cannot run again. I gladly give up my opportunity for future elections in order to eliminate the inherent abuses and the potential for corruption in the all-controlling seniority system of leadership in our Legislature.

The House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., placed term limits on committee chairmanships as part of the Contract With America. Until term limits force a similar rotation in our legislative leadership, there will be no cleansing of the system.

The people have spoken. And spoken. And spoken. Why did the Legislature place the “advisory vote” on the ballot at considerable expense if it intended to ignore the results? Ronald D. Rankin Kootenai County commissioner

Ugly presence is testimony to greed

Congratulations to the new Coeur d’Alene Home Depot. You have worked very hard to place your building on that land in a way that only can be described as absolutely butt ugly. You, who take pride in being community sensitive, have destroyed any future appealing streetscape look of our new Government Way plans by erecting huge prison walls.

Many residents welcomed your store to our city. We trusted your commitment to blend with the look and feel of our town. Your corporate greed has left us with this thing you have created. That is why we have to pass laws to protect ourselves against your devotion to making money at anyone’s expense. Congratulations on forcing us to live with your miserable decision. Steve Badraun Coeur d’Alene

Details make a difference

Re: “Heresy of hatred,” (Jan. 20). Accuracy should be the media’s equivalent of honesty. Sometimes, details make a difference. That article accurately spelled out the basic issues of a conference on the identity movement. Unfortunately, it did not mention that “Heresy of Hatred,” at St. Pius was sponsored by Diakonia, a local gathering of religious organizations.

While many of us in Diakonia agree with the goals of the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, and we have a deep appreciation for the work of Bill Wassmuth, it was shortsighted not to ask someone from Diakonia about the program’s goals so people know there are others, besides the coalition, who also are concerned about racial hatred.

Along with education about the Identity Movement, we hope to accomplish agreement on a biblical perspective on racism that will reach across deep boundaries of religious differences. In order for people of diverse belief to come to consensus, we really need for our efforts to be reported with careful attention to detail so our work will not be clouded with side issues. Again, thank you for your superb reporting of the content of the event. Mike Bullard Coeur d’Alene

COEUR d’ALENE

Let the chips fall where they may

Re: “Worthy cause doesn’t justify ruinous remedy,” (Opinion, Jan. 29).

Let me start from the other side. Suppose an organization with noble intentions does something that causes injury to someone. For example, a local hospital in a small town does not screen its staff adequately and a practitioner with a history of inappropriate activity injures a patient. The patient sues the practitioner and hospital, and the suit threatens to bankrupt the hospital.

An editor of the local paper suggests that this should not be done because the hospital’s motives are noble and it shouldn’t be threatened with extinction, even though it participated, through neglect, in the injury of an innocent person. Further, the editor notes, this would encourage ignoble organizations to sue hospitals, charities, churches, etc., to collect money for their nefarious purposes. The editor’s apparent view is that all sorts of malefactors should be impervious to punishment on the basis that the bad might seek to collect compensation from the good.

If Richard Butler was the injured patient, he should have the opportunity to sue the responsible parties even if he bankrupts the hospital. If members of the Aryan Nations did what they’re alleged to have done, they should be held accountable and punished accordingly. If that happens to bankrupt the organization, so be it. Max Bromberg Hope, Idaho

Lawsuit `so overdue’

This lawsuit against the Aryans is so overdue. Finally, a way to challenge them. What they allegedly did to those people is against the law. The alleged victims have every right to take the Aryans to court. Charlene Luzynski Blanchard, Idaho

This is no time to be couch potatoes

Re: the lawsuit against the Aryan Nations. It’s time for us to all stand tall and fight for what we believe. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t get anywhere by sitting on his hands. Julie D. Abey Sandpoint

Need a hand, you’ve got it

Re: “Aryan Nations sued over alleged assault,” (Jan. 26). Of course the alleged assault does appear to have been an extreme and outrageous act. However, my comment is directed at Morris Dees, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Norman Gissel: Go, boys, go! I shall be calling Gissel’s office to offer my firm’s assistance pro-bono. Daryl A. Rodrigues Spokane

Too many `sleaze suits’ already

Suing the Aryan Nations for the sole purpose of “breaking them,” rather seeking justice to punish an intentionally inflicted serious wrong, or one caused by stupid negligence, is typical of the thousands of stupid legal sleaze suits overburdening our courts.

It joins the smelly and greed-motivated ranks of suing tobacco companies because stupid humans freely chose to smoke their products or suing gun manufacturers because some stupid humans freely chose to use a gun to kill another human.

But if attorneys are to fatten their bank accounts just to keep up with the income of all other kinds of “pros” in our society, then they must be innovative in suing whomever for whatever. But suing to “break” somebody, something, or some organization?

How about suing God and Satan to determine which one of them is legally responsible for the stupid things individual humans do? A. Newt Preston Coeur d’Alene

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Hate gesture boomerangs

Recently, leaflets depicting Martin Luther King Jr.’s head targeted by crosshairs of a gun were thrown outside of several Spokane-area churches. One of these churches was Calvary Baptist, where we, students from Whitworth College studying I Corinthians, were attending. The papers had a sentence written about Martin Luther King Jr. and made light of his assassination. These papers were offensive and derogatory to the black Christian community.

Not only does this propaganda offend blacks, who are a part of the body of Christ, it also offends whites who hurt for the blacks when they are threatened and targeted. In I Corinthians 12, Paul tells us that when one part of the body suffers, so too does the rest. Believing this true, we as members of the body of Christ are hurting because our black brothers and sisters are threatened.

What occurred was a good parallel to our recent studies on divisions in Corinthian society. A question that we now face is how to express love in this time of division among those in our Spokane community.

Whatever the intentions were in distributing this hate literature, the result has been to unite the whole Christian community - both black and white. When blacks endure hatred and marginalization, the whole body of Christ suffers, and we are brought together. By targeting black Christians, you target all Christians. Brian Broaddus, Mark Lagher and Josh Samuelson Whitworth College students, Spokane

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

The hypersensitive have too much say

Racial stupidity rides again, and once again, common sense gets booted into the back seat because of a perceived racial slur.

Some of our fellow Americans are hypersensitive. They carefully turn over every rock hoping to find something to grab hold of and then beat to death. They spend half their life, with pricked ears standing straight, worrying that someone, somewhere, is going to say something derogatory about them. And, when they don’t hear anything over the airwaves, they turn to picking apart the written word, hoping they can create a fire or at least a good smoke.

This time, “niggardly,” a word of Scandinavian origin meaning cheapskate or stingy, bites the big bullet.

Does niggardly die because it’s a bad word? No, it dies only because it’s perceived to be demeaning.

I’m really getting tired of having to analyze every word I use for fear of offending someone. Maybe it’s time we all just mellow out a bit, get on with life and worry about the real problems and not the perceived ones. We can’t look at this nation as just black or white. We have to compromise with many shades of gray. That’s what makes this country great. Robert Oster Nine Mile Falls

Complainers on both sides are a plague

If you heard this paragraph would you think the speaker intended insult?

John was so niggardly he would not put another faggot on the fire, even when a nip in the air ruined his gay party. His friends saw this as a real chink in his armor.

We step too lightly around the uninformed. We let the ignorant rule the learned by shouting. Mostly, we give too much attention and weight to those who intend insult through insulting, the white supremacist, and those who intend insult through claim of injury, the aggrieved blacks in Washington, D.C.

Both groups should receive only society’s cold shoulder and ridicule. Eventually, like the petulant children they mimic, these complainers would tire of lack of headlines and move on to other projects. Possibly even constructive ones. George E. Albert Tekoa, Wash.

Hair-shy men due consideration, too

Recently, a Washington, D.C., city executive used the term “niggardly” to describe his actions regarding a fund he manages. He immediately apologized, then resigned, because angry protesters thought the word was a racial epithet. Though the word means miserly or stingy, the angry reaction shows how important it is to be considerate of others while using certain words that carry a dual meaning, or can be considered hurtful.

For example, the popular phrase “bald-faced liar” as in, “Bill Clinton is a ….” is hurtful to the millions of us who are follicly-challenged. Or consider our reaction when we’re at a certain downtown restaurant and someone looks directly at us, then orders a “smoothie.” How about the inconsiderate use of “clearcut” by loggers and environmental groups? We know what they’re talking about and it ain’t just lumber.

At automobile shows, I have endured “chrome” and “dome” followed by a mischievous look and a snicker. Innocent phraseology? I think not. And don’t expect me to believe that during my workout, when someone refers to me as “buffed,” that they’re referring only to my physique.

Seriously, how would you feel if you had to choose between Rogaine and Viagra, knowing the result of taking both is the dreaded crewcut? In these sensitive times we should cleanse from our language words that are hurtful to those of us whose only fault is that nature was niggardly with our hair follicles. Rick Melanson Spokane

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

We `suckers’ know what we’re about

When Opinion editor John Webster in his Jan. 22 editorial wrote “what a bunch of suckers” we are, he actually meant what a bunch of suckers you are.

Webster continues to be amazed that the people are taken in by Clinton and seems unable to realize that we are not taken in by the man. Does Webster really believe that we suckers are unable to see reality about both the man in the White House and Republicans who have been after him for so long?

Does Webster think his use of the word “we” before suckers keeps us from understanding that he is referring to us and not to him?

It appears that Webster and others throughout the media are almost in a frenzy because we are not following their dictates and are even more upset that we do not share their conclusions about what’s best for the country in this matter.

The bottom line is that we, the people, actually feel more secure having a president who is both responsive to the people’s needs (what a horrible concept) and more like us, which sometimes means making terrible mistakes yet moving forward with our lives.

We, the suckers, understand a man from Arkansas with undesirable morals, but many of us are beginning to suspect those of you who would negate what the people have decided and then call us suckers for sticking with what we believe. You may not like it but the people often know better than editorial writers. Larry S. Rice Priest River, Idaho

Don’t meddle with the Constitution

As I watch the Senate wrestle with the impeachment of the president, I see a dangerous trend that could have dire consequences for future generations.

In their desperation to conclude this mess, some in the Senate say they have found a loophole in the Constitution whereby they can find the president guilty but not have to remove him from office.

This is a clear case of shortsightedness by a group of people ignorant of their place in history.

In a short 18 months, Bill Clinton will be a footnote remembered by few - basically, Warren Harding’s replacement in the history books. He is hardly worth sacrificing the integrity of the greatest document written in the past 300 years.

I want my grandchildren to be born under the same Constitution I was born under. To tamper with it for the sake of such a shortsighted goal as saving Clinton’s nonexistent political viability is shortsighted ignorance.

Please call your senator and tell him to leave the Constitution alone.

Vote to impeach or to acquit, but leave the process that our founding fathers gave us untouched. Keith Knight Coeur d’Alene

May `Days of Their Lives’ grind on

Most people are starting to feel the “soap opera” of William Jefferson Clinton start to drag.

I just hope the Republicans hang in there because the script brought to us direct from “Hollywood East, 1600 Beltway Drive,” is sure to become more engaging.

Sooner or later, the Republican managers will find it necessary to begin questioning the known and suspected female acquaintances, associates and employees of Clinton on still more pertinent and relevant matters. A long file of women, of all ages, will be required to take the chair, as well as oath, to answer the question: “Are you now, or have you ever been sexually aroused by William Jefferson Clinton?”

In preparation for this eventuality, I suggest the older ladies (say, 50 percent and up) consider employing the Iran-Contra angle and just say, “I can’t remember.” Bill D. Dishman Bonners Ferry