Letters To The Editor

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Franklin sheriff makes bad call

Re: The Franklin County deputy’s clearly inappropriate and excessive force against the suspect in the murder of the Washington State Patrol Trooper in the Tri-Cities.

It appears the Franklin County sheriff takes a populist approach to minimum professional standards. The sheriff states that no administrative disciplinary sanctions will be taken against his deputy, citing his perception of community support for the officer. By deciding to take no independent disciplinary action he’s doing a disservice to the long-term reputation of local law enforcement.

Great strides have been made in the last quarter century in law enforcement training, screening and discipline. This has resulted in increased professionalism and competence in law enforcement’s approach to required process of law, and its resultant credibility within the justice system.

On the other hand, this officer’s wanton assault on the suspect resulted in presumably pertinent evidence being excluded from evidence in a first-degree murder, the most serious of crimes. It also potentially tainted any involvement the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department could have in the case. His willful actions demonstrated a lack of the necessary professionalism and discipline.

By not taking independent action against the offending officer, or others who did not intervene, the sheriff is contributing to a possible decline in respect for and credibility of law enforcement, something we have long worked to build. The sheriff, by substituting possible public vagaries of emotion as the yardstick for requirements of appearance of professionalism, has embarked on a slippery slope toward a “Smokey and the Bandit” stereotype of local law enforcement. That is inexcusable. Clark D. Colwell Spokane

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Find alternative to whining

Re: the recent article and follow-up letters about Tom Addis and the car gift deal in Coeur d’Alene.

To the person(s) objecting to the fact that students of the alternative school were not included, I say this: After you get your alternative certificate, go find an alternative job which pays alternative wages. Find an alternative mate, have some alternative children and live in an alternative community. After you have saved a lot of money or developed some alternative product that allows you to make a rather large gift, then you can become a benefactor and give away things to whomever you wish.

In the meantime, stop whining. You made some choices that have some consequences. Deal with them.

To Addis, I say, Atta boy! When you were in Chewelah I got to know you fairly well and you were good for Chewelah. I am sure that you are also good for Coeur d’Alene. Do what you want with what is yours. God bless you for giving that boy that car. I hope he and his truly appreciate it. John May Chewelah, Wash.

Some of us want to be reunited

Regarding access to adoption records: I am a mother who lost her child to adoption 31 years ago. I was never promised confidentiality. If I had been promised confidentiality, I would not have wanted it.

My daughter’s birth information was withheld from her by convention rather than law. The people who adopted her always knew where I was and how to get hold of me. They not only did not want my daughter to have her own personal records, they didn’t even want her to know that she was adopted.

Just the same, we’ve been reunited for nearly eight years. Reunion was the best thing that could have happened for me. I’m so angry that those of us who lost our children to adoption are being portrayed as in opposition to their desire for access to their records. It seems like just another tactic to put distance between us and our children for the sake of the adoptive relationships. Kay Russell Spokane

Go back, unhappy `Hyphen Americans’

Re: “Diversity trainers share war stories” (Region, June 9).

I have to shake my head every time one of the hyphen Americans clings to the notion that this is an such an important part of their self-image and who they are. My question to them is: If this is so important, why don’t they go back to their primary hyphen designation?

Why is it, if America is such a horrible place that the term American is secondary, are so many people trying to come here. Ask any recent immigrant, after he or she receives citizenship, if they want to be addressed by a hyphen and they emphatically say no, as they are proud to be finally called American. They have seen firsthand the misery, war, famine and injustice in the world from which they came. They are grateful to America for the opportunity it lends.

I have an idea, the next time a Hyphen American complains about how horrible it is here and that their self-image is compromised unless they’re addressed as Irish-American, German-American, African-American or whatever, offer them a one-way ticket back to their primary designation. Then offer someone from that country the chance to emigrate to the U.S. and be called American. I bet those who would love to have the opportunity to be called American would be a landslide over the dissatisfied hyphens. Steve Hintyesz Spokane

Writer owes his ex-wife

Re:“True to Character” (IN Life, June 8) As the parent of a handicapped child, I was enraged to learn Terry Trueman turned over his responsibilities of raising his child to his ex-wife, Leslie Yach. It’s hard enough to be a parent of a handicapped child, let alone a single parent.

Now he writes a fictional story based on his son, Sheehan. I hope any profit made from “Stuck in Neutral” goes to Leslie for her devotion and hard work in raising Trueman’s son. Catherine Olson Spokane

REMEMBRANCE

Stevens graced my life

On May 27th, I witnessed the passing of one of the bravest people I’ve ever known. By the time I first met Loretta Stevens two years ago, she’d been ravaged by as brutally disfiguring a disease as most could imagine.

Outwardly, she bore no resemblance to the photographs of the beautiful woman she had been a few years earlier. Inwardly, however, she bore the burden of her lot with dignity, humor and selflessness. I consider myself blessed and honored to be included among those who knew you, Lori. You fought the good fight. Rest in peace. Michael B. Hague Coeur d’Alene

OTHER TOPICS

More WEA hardball tactics

We need more school administrators like Riverside Superintendent Jerry Wilson. He appears to be standing tall against the typical Washington Education Association tactic of prodding the local teachers to hide behind the worn-out position that teacher benefits are “for the children.” It is ironic the teacher’s strike-march was a rain-out.

I can’t believe Marvin Sather thinks the public will buy this position. Like most WEA positions, it has nothing to do with our children or their education. It has to do with bigger salaries, fewer work hours, more free time (aka planning periods) and more benefits.

Local school boards are now down to less than 15 percent of total budget in controllable expenses, the balance mandated by the state Legislature, yet they keep getting hit over the head through roughshod negotiation tactics carried on by the hired guns of the WEA. When these tactics fail, out comes the personal attacks on the administration. Next comes the “it’s for the kids” campaign we are now seeing. This story is swallowed by some parents, particularly in the smaller communities, with the fire further fanned by the media in search of a good controversy.

I hope a majority of the Riverside School Board stays the course in support of Wilson. All of you hang in there. Dick Canfield Liberty Lake

Skip reviewing hard rock bands

I’m not sure exactly where your staff writer who reviewed the Creed concert was sitting - perhaps in the Value Village parking lot? I thought it was an exceptional show, although I will agree that the Sevendust performance could have been much better.

Maybe she should stick to the country concerts, like the Dixie Chicks or Garth Brooks, and leave the reviews of hard rock to someone who has some/any taste in the music.

Considering the band has a total of two albums out, I don’t think it’s fair to say “they played the same songs the radio does all the time” when they’ve got approximately 20 tracks out. Maybe they should have put off the show another week to write more songs to satisfy your craving for something besides “tired tunes.” Josh D. Wyatt Spokane