Letters To The Editor

BUSINESS AND LABOR

Don’t accept Wal-Mart standard

The longstanding labor dispute between the Steelworkers and management of Maxxam-Kaiser raises a question about the union’s place in the America of tomorrow. Unions have seen their power decrease, as well as their membership. Why is this so and what does it mean for a city like Spokane?

Through their democratic right to organize, unions bring to the community economic security. They work for higher wages, benefits and bring up the standard of living in the community as a whole. It is discouraging that Maxxam management would propose to set wages at prevailing pay in Spokane, when wages are low here and the ranks of the working poor are increasing. We need to have more livable-wage jobs for Spokane families. But now, we begin to see them disappear.

Recently, there was an announcement that Wal-Mart is adding another store in Spokane. While some may be happy to buy foreign, sweatshop-produced goods and save a dollar, the reality of Wal-Mart is everything wrong with corporate practices. Without any commitment to our community beyond profit, Wal-Mart hires part-time labor without benefits, restricts the right to organize and pays barely above minimum wage. All that often results in full-time workers still being able to qualify for public assistance.

All the while, Wal-Mart hurts established union efforts to sustain a living wage, not only for their own members but for all others who face economic insecurity.

Are these the kinds of jobs we want? (“Forbes financial survey finds Spokane lacking” (May 25) - 161 out of 162 - no wonder!). Mark S. Wilhelms Spokane

This isn’t Henry Kaiser’s company

The May 30 article, “Out of Africa” certainly highlighted the long-term risks and rewards American corporations can expect when placing assets in other countries.

The company the article describes, however, was Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp., (which no longer exists), not KLU, a subsidiary of MAXXAM Corp., and from which the Steelworkers are currently locked out in Spokane.

Henry Kaiser, owner of Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp., acquired business opportunities as a result of dam and road building and the industrial support he gave his country during World War II.

Charles Hurwitz, owner of KLU and MAXXAM, is an international parasite whose greed is destroying the infrastructure and middle class Henry Kaiser and his generation created. Their names should not appear on the same page. Margaret Larive Spokane

BELIEFS

Battle for souls still going on

Why? seems to be the question on everyone’s mind lately. Just read or watch the news; it’s right there in front of you. What’s going on with this world?

Could what we’re seeing and experiencing be the effects of the spiritual battle between good and evil that’s been raging since the beginning of time? (Ephesians 6:12). As the end of the war draws closer, the enemy is increasing his recruiting power through music, TV, videogames and computer programs. Who’s he targeting? Those who are not strong enough to refuse his influence, and young people who are in need of acceptance. He seeks out those he can use to carry out his destruction, attack those who come against him and create compromise for those who are complacent so they won’t get in his way (1 Peter 5:8).

We are reaping what we’ve sown. By allowing the enemy to come into our homes, schools and government and pushing God aside, we have advanced Satan’s agenda. It’s only after we actually see the casualties of this war do we realize what’s happening.

How can we fight such an evil force? We won’t find the answer in a “Star Wars” movie but it can be found in God’s Word. It’s prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Knowing he has already lost, the only victory for the enemy comes when a child of God has left this Earth without knowing Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

There are only two sides to this war and only two eternal destinations (Matthew 12:30). Debbie Elduen Spokane

ENTERTAINMENT

Reviewer will grow into it, like star

Re: Winda Benedetti’s May 31 review of the Elton John concert.

Although I’m not a diehard Elton John fan, I’m a very frequent concertgoer.

The Elton John who appeared before us Saturday is not the same man who originated the hit songs Benedetti expected to hear. The man we saw has been down an extremely storied, intimate and personal road. There has surely been impact from his life that has influenced who he is now and how he performs. I think that at his age, the term “survivor” fits him rather well.

An artist with John’s years of acquired talent and experiences basically is telling a musical story to the audience. It’s as though he decides how he’s going to tell it at each show. Having heard all the hit songs for so many years, I found it of additional enjoyment to have seen him do different songs, as well as several of his standards. I liked the show from this standpoint, not that of a dyed-in-the-wool Elton John fan. His musicianship is outstanding!

Did Benedetti and I see the same show? Absolutely. Did we see it differently? Absolutely. I believe there are two fairly basic reasons Benedetti didn’t get it. Those being her age and her level of musical sophistication. That’s OK, though, because like John and the rest of us, she, too, will live and learn. Suzanne Hatcher Spokane

No, he wasn’t your ‘70s icon

After reading some of staff writer Winda Benedetti’s reviews, I continue to wonder why The Spokesman-Review has chosen her as a concert reviewer.

My husband and I and our friends, all middle age, immensely enjoyed the Elton John concert. None of us went to the concert expecting a replay of a ‘70s Elton John concert. Too bad Benedetti expected “gaudy eyeglasses and wacky costumes” and was left disappointed. I appreciated John’s graciousness and generosity in performing for three straight hours. Can you imagine the sheer stamina it takes to perform for that length of time?

His musical evolution over the years has given us a variety of music to enjoy. My husband, who understands music much more than I do, was awestruck at John’s ability to play in three-quarter time while singing in one-half time and changing keys a number of times. This is a very difficult feat. Calling John a “nimble-fingered” piano player is sort of like calling Mark McGuire “pretty good with a bat,” isn’t it?

I guess I have to wonder how deep Benedetti’s attention span runs if she found herself constantly distracted by a soda can while surrounded by this phenomenal music. As my mother used to say, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Margaret Evans Spokane

Class act wasted on reviewer

Was staff writer Winda Benedetti at the same Elton John concert as my husband and me? This is one of the best concerts I have ever seen. After each song, John got up to take a bow and acknowledge the crowd. Benedetti complains that he didn’t wear “wacky” costumes and his 1970s trademark “gaudy” glasses. Jeez, Benedetti, grow up, will you? It’s the ‘90s, after all.

Maybe he doesn’t jump around on the stage like he did in the ‘70s but for crying out loud, I can’t jump around as much either! That’s something Benedetti will discover as she grows up.

Benedetti complains that John didn’t bring the band. We knew he was playing solo; it was in the paper. We got our money’s worth, and more.

John played for over three hours. He played a mix of pop favorites, his classics, some new stuff and some great music I had never heard. I certainly did not see or hear any snoozers. The sold-out crowd (except for Benedetti, apparently) loved the concert.

My hat is off to Sir Elton for a great concert. I hope that some day he will return to Spokane. Hopefully by then, Benedetti will have learned to appreciate a class act. Mary M. McGarry Spokane

Reviwer `missed the point’

Elton John did not come to Spokane as the “flamboyant rocker, that entertainment superstar of yore.” He came as a mature, evolved entertainer - solo, as advertised. I greatly respect him for that.

Staff writer Winda Benedetti missed the whole point. Mary L. Leisle Mead

John put on an excellent show

I have been trying to come up with the perfect adjective to describe the Elton John concert. “Masterful” and “astonishing” are just two words to describe one of the most memorable times of my life. His gracious presence seemed to put the crowd in a peaceful and very happy mood.

His appreciation was evident by signing autographs, returning for two encores and listening to the audience sing along with and without him. Spokane was truly graced by this man’s music, kindness and vast personality on stage. I will remember this encounter forever. Debbie McWilliams Spokane

Jar Jar a stereotype? Nonsense

It is a sad day when a space alien from the new “Star Wars” film is attacked as a racial stereotype (“Celluloid menace sparks Jar Jar wars,” by Michael Fleeman, Associated Press, May 28).

I saw no such stereotype in the movie. I know some would say it’s because I’m Caucasian. Maybe, except that I believe that most of the people who see the “Phantom Menace” will just see a bumbling creature from the imagination of George Lucas. I seriously doubt that Lucas would create a stereotypical creature based on anyone who belongs to a minority group. If he did, I would be the first to boycott his movies and products.

I think we all need to look a little closer at the logic of such accusations. Lucas clearly would have nothing to gain by portraying imaginary characters as racial stereotypes. In fact, it would destroy his creditability as a filmmaker and a human being. Gerald R. Bozarth Spokane

OTHER TOPICS

Two at the cost of one, sort of

My question has been answered and I did not even have to ask it: After the Second Amendment has been removed from the American Bill of Rights, which of the remaining rights will the anti-Second Amendment people modify or remove? That was answered on Roundtable June 1 by the cartoonist who indicated the citizen who doesn’t agree with this person’s anti-Second Amendment view should not have the First Amendment right to free speech. Richard A. Johnson Kettle Falls, Wash.

Creation is being factored in

P. James Dishon (Letters, May 27) states evolution is how God creates. Perhaps he would like to explain the Darwinian justification of natural selection and survival of the fittest of Dolly, the cloned sheep, and the entropy of her genetic material presented on page A6 of the same edition of The Spokesman-Review.

Granted, there may be evidence of evolution theory when a materialistic or humanistic viewpoint is taken, but modern theology has indeed evolved beyond such limited horizons. This is the age of quantum physics, metaphysics, philosophical objectivity, intelligent design, complexity theory, human genome study - just to name a few. Anyone who follows the sciences is well aware that the Templeton and MacArthur prizes are being awarded to those making the leap to help connect faith and reason.

Snowflakes, sunsets, meandering rivers, tornadoes, tides and the spirit of mankind are just a few one-of-a-kind creations which I believe God designs each day anew. The birth of a star, a black hole may be nothing more than a creative thought put into play. It depends on your premise, perspective and criteria for proof. Cinda L. Smaagaard Spokane

Divorced dads get raw deal

What is the difference between slavery and outrageous child support payments? Is a man not allowed to have a life after a divorce? When two people get married, isn’t it 50-50? Why is it 99-1 after divorce in all respects with children in a divorce - raising, financial, school, housing, religion, etc.?

No man who wants to be a father to his children should have them taken away and given to a woman just because she carried them for nine months. They both took part in the making, 50-50.

I am a mother sick of men wanting to be fathers having all their rights taken away and all the deadbeats getting off. Leslie Harlow Rathdrum, Idaho

`Beat up’ white males just don’t know

C. Shawn Clum (Letters, May 22) agreed with John Bunyan that white males have been stigmatized as racists. He stated that he felt “beat up” by the media. Clum doesn’t know how it actually feels to be beaten to death by white supremacists or even by the police, as happens all too often to people of minority groups in America. Privileges are extended to minorities because of the oppression they have endured for centuries at the hands of their white persecutors. They are entitled to certain benefits as retribution for these past injustices.

Regardless of Clum’s perceived mistreatment of white males, they are still the dominant force in modern society.

Clum should realize that all humans are entitled to equal rights, no matter what their race. Elizabeth E. Damore Spokane

Murder-abortion analogy wrong

Re: Selma Anderson’s May 11 letter, in which she devalued the tragedy of the shooting in Littleton, Colo., only to compare it to abortion and the message it sends about ending the life of an unborn fetus.

Comparing the execution-type slaughter of the students at Columbine High School to a woman’s choice to terminate her pregnancy is ridiculous. The two issues have no relationship. The boys who shot up the high school did not get their ideas to massacre from abortion doctors. They had a grudge against everyone who had made them feel like outcasts in the school. Abortion is the right of all women.

Taking guns into schools is not a right. While abortion is not murder, the tragedy at Columbine was. Sherene Schultz-Orth Spokane

Just look at toys boys play with

After almost choking on my coffee, I felt compelled to respond to the acrimonious diatribe by Sabina Milbrath (Letters, May 20).

Not all feminists are against men, dear, only radical feminists. Studies show that children, where both parents are involved, develop into healthier individuals, as measured by emotional, moral and intellectual parameters, than when just raised by a mother without an involved father. Hence, the support of feminists, of both sexes, for paternity and maternity leave, changes in working schedules, diaper-changing tables in both restrooms, and family restrooms.

I suggest that my young daughter’s observation is the true reason boys are more violent than girls: “Boys’ toys are all about killing, Mommy.” Gone are Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, Legos and Tonka trucks from popular culture. Male cartoon characters have also become more violent. The lovesick skunk, Pepe LaPew, kissing a cat has been replaced by skull-like figures killing others.

I invite Milbrath to visit the toy section for little boys and see the validity in her statement. S.R. Robinson Spokane