Letters To The Editor

Spokane matters

Spokane Falls Chorus wins

Good news, Spokane. We have champions again.

From March 31 to April 2 there were 753 women in Spokane performing at the Opera House. They were here for the Sweet Adelines International Organization, Region 13 competition. These woman traveled from as far as Alaska, Idaho and cities throughout Washington.

Your chorus, Spokane Falls Chorus, was the 13th chorus to sing from a schedule of 14. Our chorus had 65 members on stage for this competition. After all groups sang, the judges tallied the scores and, after seemingly hours of waiting, the results were announced. Spokane Falls Chorus is the winner of the chorus competition!

This is not the first time your chorus has won this competition. They also won in 1998. Our chorus represented Spokane and Region 13 at the International Competition in Atlanta in September 1999.

Spokane Falls placed 20th after competing against choruses from throughout the world.

They will be representing us in Portland at the 2001 international Competition. If this recent performance is an example of the talent that will be on stage in Portland, look out, world, Spokane is coming!

Thank you, Spokane Falls and supporters, for all your hard work. Mark S. Knight Spokane

Time to improve road markings

Well, its striping time again in Spokane for our streets. Hint: be creative and use something new, e.g. illuminating paint. Merely slapping on the same type of paint routinely is not sufficient for this city. Driving at night, particularly when it rains, road lines are not visible. Why can’t we permanently mark intersections with embedded turn lanes? We have all heard about the State Farm survey on intersections but when will the city take action? Help! Edward Thomas Jr. Spokane

People in society

We must improve child care standards

Re: Kathleen Parker’s April 2 Opinion column regarding a Massachusetts child care center.

I am sickened by the abuse the babies in that Massachusetts child care center experienced. No child should be subjected to unsafe and unqualified child care providers. Parents, providers and the state agencies that regulate child care centers and homes need to work together to improve the quality of child care.

According to Parker, as usual, it is the single, young and poor mother who subjects her babies to unsafe care. Parker seems to believe that everyone else’s children are home with their mommies.

In a world where birth control is always used and never fails, and where a parent can have a job that pays a living salary, we would all be able to choose the very best for our babies. The very best is what we should be striving for for our children.

Blaming people who have made different choices, and undoubtedly suffered the consequences, does not make their babies any safer. Working together as a community can make a difference.

One of the only statements I can agree with Parker on is that good is not good enough when it comes to the nurturing of an infant. Shannon Quinn Selland Spokane

Law and justice

`Little something,’ you say?

I was absolutely astounded by Carl J. Burke’s April 6 letter, in which he says owning a gun and driving a car are privileges. It worries him that people are hiding behind something that was created over 200 years ago?

That little something that was made over 200 years ago - our Constitution - is the foundation upon which this great country was built.

That little something is the most important document that the free world has. It saddens me to see that little something, which I have been defending for the last 15 years, comes under attack from within by confused people like Burke.

I say to you, sir, perhaps you should take the time to read that little something and show the rest of us where the word “privilege” shows up. It certainly does not read, “The privilege of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The correct word is “right.”

Who knows, Burke. Perhaps when the Second Amendment has been thoroughly torn apart, the First will follow. Then what paper will you complain to?

Our Constitution, as a whole, is the only thing protecting your rights. If we lose our right to keep and bear arms it will be a short jump to losing all the rest. Robert M. Wood Spokane

Second Amendment types not so few

Lately I have been hearing an awful lot about those of us who believe that the Second Amendment applies to all American citizens. I have been told repeatedly that our numbers are diminishing and that our belief in the Constitution is outdated.

If that is the case, then why is it that no one has tried to amend the Constitution?

It seems to me that if our numbers were so small, and our opinions so outdated, then a direct confrontation would be the simplest, most direct way to resolve this conflict. Then again, perhaps we aren’t such a backwards-thinking minority after all. Erin Scott Athol, Idaho

Other topics

Zags, our Cougar hats are off to you

We Cougar Coffee Club members are gung-ho WSU Cougars but we want to congratulate the Gonzaga Basketball team on its wins at the NCAA Tournament. The players are a great credit to their school and to Spokane.

We hope, however, someday this great basketball achievement will drift a little to the south. But until then, our Cougar hats are off to the great Gonzaga basketball team and coaches. Dan W. Eagle Spokane

Logging job left destruction

As a 20-year resident of the West Plains area, I’ve been very upset by the absolute devastation of a beautiful forest a few miles from my home. On March 28 I read a letter from the logging company responsible for this mess (“Logging job wrongly maligned”) by Steve Narolski of Shawn Montee Logging Co.

I was certainly surprised that anyone would publicly acknowledge responsibility for the destruction I’ve seen down the road. We’ve had our land logged twice and I’ve seen dozens of area forests which have also been logged. I have never seen such appalling devastation on such a huge scale as the one done by Montee. Narolski said all sorts of ridiculous things about how this made the forest better for the animals in our area. Nonsense. There is almost no vegetation left on the entire thousand acres. Dirt and slash piles are not the ideal habitat for the wildlife in this area.

Anyone considering logging their timber should write to all three regional offices of the Washington state Department of Natural Resources and request a list of all fines and violations regarding the company they are considering. Call the Better Business Bureau and ask about the company’s record.Had the landowners in question done what I have suggested, this tragedy might have been avoided. Cheryl J. Roberts Cheney

`Gay adoption’ story a disservice

Thank you so very much for printing the political propaganda piece, “Fight over gay adoption left wounds,” as a news story on your front page (April 3). The decision makers at The Spokesman-Review should be ashamed for giving us what seems like a constant flow of propaganda pretending to be news.

Any pervert - of whatever sex, race, faith (or faithless) - who abuses children should be punished. We can be thankful that the perpetrator in this story will be off the streets and in jail. I do wonder how those who oppose “warehousing” criminals will feel about this, inasmuch as they seem to oppose jailing unrepentant burglars and folks who beat up other folks with baseball bats.

This article, which belonged on the editorial pages or labeled as opinion, was not really about wounded children nor was it that bad people can be posing as ones of good character.

Since it would be politically incorrect to point out the premise and the purpose of this “reporting,” I will leave it unsaid. You at The Spokesman-Review who have the correct position on such matters ought to have the courage of your convictions and make short declarative sentences to tell us what we are supposed to believe. It is those of us who are politically incorrect who have to be careful what we say or how we say it. Barry L. Boyer Ritzville

Heed those smoking warnings

I read with great sadness the April 2 letter from Jeannie U. Greene of Spokane. She was saying the baby boomers are going to live longer lives, so it’s OK to pick your poison and live it up.

I’m one of those people who thought I could pick my poison and that it wouldn’t affect me. Let me say, it did affect me. I’m 65 years old. I had a lot of living to do, but I avoided the warnings and here I sit with oxygen, feeling lucky to even be able to draw a breath. If only I had listened when people warned me.

I started smoking when it was the “hip” thing to do, long before any warnings came out on cigarette packages.

I hope I can help any young person. Please listen to someone who has been there. I sure would love to go back even two years. I’d not be in the shape I’m in today.

My kids have to come change the sheets on my bed as I don’t have the air to do it myself, even with the oxygen.

I hope all young people will take heed to the damage smoking can do. Patricia E. Ellison Spokane