Letters To The Editor

Tue., May 4, 1999

WASHINGTON STATE

Initiative experience enlightening

Initiative 704 has been legally filed and approved by the secretary of state. My wife and I took three days recently to travel around the area and distribute petitions. It was a learning experience!

I have always felt the news media let the public down by not printing information concerning these important issues on the front pages of their papers. However, upon talking to some editors, I realize the obvious. More than 3,000 bills are introduced into the state Legislature every session. No editor or any other individual can possibly sort through that many bills and decide which ones are important to their particular readership.

Therefore, it is up to us citizens to decide which issues we want to be informed about and respectfully ask our news media to bring those issue to the public eye. If you support I-704, please petition your local news media to support us. Many already do and I thank them and all who are helping.

Save our wells - we can, but only if we all help. H. Riley Stephenson Colville, Wash.

Pass the tissues

Poor underpaid teachers? Boo-hoo.

I’m a registered nurse and have worked for Washington state for eight years. Wow, I sure would love to have the entire summer off, two weeks at Christmas and New Year’s, a week at Thanksgiving, a week at Spring break, all state holidays, sick pay, a 9a.m.-to-3p.m., six-hour shift guaranteed, breaks from those we care for and serve/teach two times a day, a real lunch break, not to mention the weekends off, staff days and three-day weekends.

If you want more pay, pick up a summer job, work the full calendar year for the full calendar year of benefits you already receive. If you want full pay and benefits for a part-time job and then want the parents to shoulder the burden of the education crisis, work full time.

When was the last time you participated in a PTO meeting? David B. Oakes Spokane

VIOLENCE

Overemphasis on rights proved fatal

Solutions to matters such as the murders at Littleton’s Columbine High School are complex and difficult. Yet, the problem must be resolved by attacking its cause, not its symptoms.

Certainly, the members of the Trench Coat Mafia must have drawn the attention of school authorities and parents. These kids were making a statement. They wanted attention and wanted to be questioned about their theories and thoughts. No one listened.

The reason: questioning them about their dress and behavior when they had done no wrong would have violated their individual rights and that is forbidden.

What an absurdity.

Thoughtful questioning, patient listening and professional counselling by experts might have drawn out the motives and plans of these sick children. Action could have been taken and the individual rights of 15 innocents would not have been violated.

We have literally handcuffed our law enforcers, school authorities and even parents by this overreaction to protecting individual rights. When will we get it right? Claude W. Morris Spokane

Manson influence good only for evil

Please consider doing an article on the Marilyn Manson rock cult. You could save lives by exposing the danger therein.

It is suggested that Harris and Klebold had help in carrying out their rampage in Littleton, Colo. That might well be. But those two misguided youths had help on another level. Their primary influence had been Marilyn Manson and what controls Manson is Satan. He/she is openly a Satan worshiper, even holding Satan worship service at his/her “concerts.” Understand that the devil and his demons are every bit as real as God and his angels. Therefore, the shooters of Columbine High were driven by the force behind the violent and suicidal lyrics of Manson - Satan.

The other role model/idol for Harris and Klebold - Adolf Hitler - was very much demon possessed.

Parents need to take authority and remove their children from these influences as well as other occult practices. Clifford C. Jantz Spokane

Born bad? No way

In his April 25 commentary, “Littletons do not create bad kids,” Jim Kershner stated that society doesn’t create bad kids, that a few are simply “born bad.” I disagree. The community and parents shape a child’s value system. Children are born as a blank slate to be filled.

In each child’s life, often around 3 years old, there is a period where he or she absorbs information and finds people to imitate. This is when the child starts building values and beliefs that are induced by parental and community involvement. If what Kershner says is true, that some of us are born bad right from day 1, there would be no purpose for parents to attempt to implant their values on their children.

Kershner also said that some children are born without a conscience. In fact, all of us are born without a conscience. Our conscience is a product of our value system. It tells us if something we are doing is conflicting with that system. The two boys in Colorado who decided to shoot and kill students in their school had a value system that did not conflict with this action. Benjamin Snider Spokane

We’re in for more tragedies

Kathy Minnerly’s letter of April 22 is pretty much on target. Let’s look at our younger generation’s lifestyle.

Because of permissive sex, many children are born out of wedlock. Then we have half of marriages ending in divorce. This means that half of our children are living in a home life that is less than ideal.

Even in solid marriages, often both parents must work to pay for the $150,000 home, the $18,000 automobile and the boat.

Will taking away or restricting guns have anything to do with improving these kids’ lifestyle? Or putting restrictions on TV?

Can we expect teachers and school employees to be qualified to deal with children from these home styles?

I think the schools and the kids do fairly well. But I also think our society’s lifestyle will probably produce more eruptions such as took place at Columbine High School. Joe M. Gardner Spokane

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