Letters To The Editor

Law and justice

Get tough with butchers of wildlife

Re: “Orchardist charged in elk massacre,” Feb. 5.

Reading about the elk massacre really makes a person see red. For years I and thousands of other hunters have paid for permits, tags and licenses trying to improve the elk herds in Washington. And what happens? People like Jerrie Vander Houwen decide to plant trees on the elk’s bedding area that they have used for who knows how long. Then he reportedly shoots the elk - not one but 22 - and leaves them to suffer and die slowly.

Do you know what would happen to anyone else if they wasted any part of a game animal?

The Game Department says we have a high calf mortality rate in the Blue Mountains. Bears and cougars are blamed. If the truth was known, we’ve probably got some Vander Houwen types down there also. He says he’ll do it again and he probably will. Therefore, the penalty should be so harsh that he or others would think twice. How about one year in jail and $5,000 for each animal and unborn calf? Maybe this would keep others from doing such an inhumane act. Jerry L. Breeden Spokane

We need guardianship reform

I wish to express my gratitude to staff writer Jonathan Martin for his helpful and informative articles on guardianships.

I am currently working with two guardianships and have been given emotional support to be an advocate for clients who are being taken care of in a way that is detrimental to their emotional and financial welfare. One of these guardianships I have had no problem with but the other is causing serious problems. This shows there can be a difference in quality of service.

It is a serious offense to take advantage of people who are already hurting by needing a guardian. People who are primarily interested in the money rather than the clients’ welfare are a disgrace to human dignity in a time of need and vulnerability. The Golden Rule should be the guideline in caring for disabled clients. In each situation, a guardian should ask himself how he would want a disabled member of his family to be cared for and use that as his guide.

I am disappointed in the results of bad guardianships and that appropriate discipline is not enforced, due to the fact that half of the committee are their peers and refuse to vote against them. Ruth Pitner Spokane

Law enforcement

ATF funding inadequate

Reports on gun control and budget legislation in Congress have not listed any appropriation to provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms computer equipment to be able to receive e-mail and fax queries from law enforcement. Several weeks ago the head of the AFT stated very clearly during an interview that all inquiries for tracing gun registration numbers must be by regular mail and would take about 10 days for a reply.

Why shouldn’t law enforcement be able to access the AFT electronically for murder weapon registration data as quickly as they can find a traffic violation warrant? Dr. A. LaMont Smith retired professor of criminology, Spokane

Help police find serial killer

The billboard portraying the women of our community slain by the serial killer, who is still at large, has been put up again on East Sprague - and it gives me hope! As the mother of one of these women, hope has been an elusive quality over the past 26 months.

Over this time I have tried vainly to understand the motives behind this killer’s acts of violence. Is he a mad vigilante trying to rid society of those he considers too sinful to live? (Obviously, he doesn’t like women because the male gender is not considered by him). Is he bent on revenge for some debt he felt these women owed him? Whatever his reasons, it would seem he has won.

Citizens of Spokane, I ask you, has he won? Are we going to let him win? Is there a tiny scrap of information tucked away that hasn’t found its way into the hands of our task force (now in the county’s hands), some viable clue to his identity? Search your hearts and minds, Spokane people. A daughter’s, a sister’s, a wife’s, a friend’s life is an extremely precious thing to lose. A.M. Murray Spokane

New chief good; Bias charge bogus

Re: Jan. 29 article about our new police chief, Roger Bragdon.

I am both happy and outraged.

First, I congratulate Bragdon on his promotion. He did it the old-fashioned way, by hard work and dedication. Why waste all that time and effort to look for a “qualified” applicant when chances are they already work for you? If you want to challenge the morale of your employees, go outside instead of promoting from within.

Bragdon has the kind of experience that cannot be taught in school - 27 years of common sense and good, old-fashioned police work. I would think that should override anything that college can teach. A good education really goes a long way but there’s no substitute for experience.

I was outraged by the comments of Eileen Thomas, president of the NAACP. Why does everything the police do become overshadowed by the issue of race? I wasn’t aware that criminal behavior only applied to certain races. I would think police officers have better things to do than harass people due to their race. I am disappointed that Thomas, who is supposed to stand for racial equality, would make public statements like that. Don’t you think that fuels racial tensions? These men and women who protect all lives, colors and creeds have a hard enough job without having to deal with comments like that.

I commend our police department and our new chief. Joshua P. Lundbom Spokane

In the paper

`Factual deficits’ mar column

Mark Trahant’s Feb. 1 Opinion column, “West has clout and identity deficits,” should probably be totally ignored due to is factual deficits.

Trahant states, “George W. Bush leads a state without a single acre of federal land.” A quick glance at a map easily shows that Texas has national parks, national grasslands, a national recreation area, a national seashore and several national forests. He also states, “Vice President Al Gore … is much more likely to use the power of the federal government to `solve’ a problem” - neatly forgetting that Gore headed the “reinventing government” program that eliminated several hundred thousand jobs in the federal government.

By playing fast and loose with the facts, Trahant not only negates the point he is trying to make - that the West is ignored - but adds to the public’s perception of untrustworthy media. John Harbuck Sandpoint

`Looking back’ a little too far

Re: “Looking back” (Feb. 9). I really enjoy the Looking Back pictures and descriptions in your newspaper. Having lived in the area for only three years, I find it an excellent way to get acquainted with local history. I even like to play a little game. I cover the caption and try to guess the year it was taken by looking only at the picture (cars, clothes, etc.). Normally, I can get pretty close.

However, there’s a problem with the “Thompson’s candy store in 1935” caption. The partial movie poster on the left is obviously for the movie, “Stagecoach,” which wasn’t released until 1939. Care to take another shot at that caption (pun intended)? Robert Shepard Coeur d’Alene Editor’s note: A correction concerning the candy store photo appeared on Friday’s page 2.

Griffey deserves faint praise at best

In response to D.F. oliveria’s editorial on Ken Griffey Jr., what exactly does Oliveria want us to thank Griffey for? There’s no argument Junior is one of the greatest players of our generation and his contribution to the 1995 pennant race was invaluable. But he didn’t bring an American League pennant or a World Series to Seattle. He did, however, promise to stay, providing the Mariners pick up a better pitching rotation, which they did, and he wanted a new playing field, which he got.

Now, Griffey wants to be traded to only Cincinnati, which really hurts the Mariners in terms of receiving high-caliber player(s) or fair dollar compensation.

If anyone who left the Mariners should be thanked, it should be Randy Johnson. Right now, I’ll reserve my thanks for players like Alex Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez, and hope the Mariner organization does the same. Joe Speranzi Spokane