Letters To The Editor

Guns and violence

It all goes back to inept or bad parents

Some people actually believe that gun control laws will change the level of violence that exists in our society today. Is anybody getting this? It’s all about following the rules. People participating in random acts of violence are not following the rules.

I don’t believe in gun control because it will never stop the people who have no regard for law or life. I do believe in prosecuting people for disregarding the laws and that the bad parenting, or lack of parenting, is responsible for the violence in today’s world.

If you want to punish someone, punish the parents of these children. The children have been punished enough by having these outstanding citizens for parents. They are out standing in bars, crack houses, and corporate America, while their kids are raising each other because there is no supervision or caring, or a kiss good night.

Caring isn’t buying them everything they want. It’s saying, “No, because I love you and nothing good will come of me letting you do that. No, you can’t roam the streets for hours on end without checking in. No, you cannot talk to me that way. It’s disrespectful. Yes, we are going to church on Sunday.” It’s saying, “I love you, and you are important to me (us).” If parents would quit throwing away their children and treasure them instead, the world would be a better place.

This is where it all begins - parenting. It’s so simple and yet everybody is looking for a bigger answer. Lori K. Michels Spokane

ATF needs fast, high-tech systems

In the current debate between President Clinton and the National Rifle Association concerning checking the background of purchasers of guns at gun shows, it is claimed that the check could take as long as 72 hours. Many congressmen and the NRA want such checks to be instantaneous or at least done within 24 hours.

Several weeks ago on the TV news, the head of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms stated that if law enforcement recovers a murder weapon at the scene of a crime, the identification number can only be sent to the ATF by mail. The search may take 10 days and the finding is reported back by mail after a delay of about 17 days. Congress has failed to provide the ATF with a modern information system, with e-mail, fax and computerized records.

It has long been a principle in criminology that one of the effective methods of reducing crime is an increase in the certainty of apprehension of the offender. If local police can check out the car license number of a traffic violator from a patrol car and determine if it has been stolen, why not as quickly learn the identity of the purchaser of a possible murder weapon?

The NRA urges the government to enforce existing laws, so it should support Congress providing the same tools proven so useful and funded for local law enforcement. A. LaMont Smith retired professor of criminology, Spokane

Sobbing a poor preventative

Re: “Children kill children and we bicker,” Letters, March 13.

Stacy Hersrud, putting your head down and crying is not much different than burying your head in the sand. What would you have the American people do, pass more laws?

In this latest instance of child violence, many laws were broken. Do you really feel that adding even one more gun control law would have saved this little girl’s life?

One of the answers to this country’s problems is child firearm safety training. I and many of my friends do not sit around and cry about the problem. We are certified hunter education instructors, NRA firearm safety instructors, fathers and grandfathers who teach firearm safety to children. A portion of my NRA fees contributes directly to the NRA Eddie Eagle child safety program.

I ask you, what have you done to save a child’s life from a firearms accident, other then put your head down and cry about it? Fred T.Phillips Spokane

Gambling

Firms help gambling addicts

Addiction to gambling is a growing problem, and I’d like to publicly thank two Spokane businesses - Players and Spectators and Silver Lanes - for having the guts to tackle it by spending $12,000 to start a treatment program at Deaconess for gambling addicts.

I’ve been fighting for a solution to this problem for years, both as a lawmaker and as a member of the state Gambling Commission. It’s great to see Spokane lead the way on this issue.

Gambling is a big business in our state, bringing in more than $2.4 billion a year. The state takes in over $100 million in lottery money, yet doesn’t spend a penny on treatment programs for an estimated 53,000 to 138,000 gambling addicts. I’m trying hard to change that, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Gambling addicts don’t just hurt themselves; their kids and families suffer when they bet their paycheck on black and lose. It takes courage for Silver Lanes and Players and Spectators to take on this problem. My hope is that the state Legislature will take notice and follow their lead. Rep. Alex Wood Spokane

Casinos bring good things to Indians

With the Legislature working toward an agreement with various Indian tribes here in Idaho to allow Indian gambling casinos, it would be prudent to learn how this problem has been handled in Arizona.

There are many Indian tribes there. Most of them have received state permission to open an Indian gambling casino on their reservation properties. These many casinos have strict rules that allow them to operate.

For example, these casinos are not allowed to have craps tables, roulette tables or blackjack tables. They do have keno and bingo, along with hundreds of Las Vegas-type slot machines.

Before the Indian casinos were legalized, those Indians were by far the poorest of the poor. Many lived in mud huts called hogans, usually with a dirt floor and no utilities. The deprivation was enormous.

Since these Indian gambling casinos opened, these Indians began enjoying the advantages of good-paying jobs, security and a vast improvement in quality of life. The profits are being used to build new homes, improve civic buildings, roads and to improve their medical and law enforcement infrastructure.

Three years ago, one of the Arizona casinos gave every adult member of the tribe a gift of $2,000.

Some feared the casinos would bring Increased crime but that did not materialize. What did materialize was a dramatic improvement in their way of life. And if this happened in Arizona, it could also happen in Idaho. Tom Akren Post Falls and Tucson, Ariz.

Casinos are a net advantage

I’m concerned about the Idaho government wanting to close down the Indian gambling casinos or reducing the machines they are using.

I don’t know about the other casinos but I do know the one that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe runs in Worley, Idaho, has really done a lot of good for Kootenai and Benewah counties. A good part of the tribe is employed at the casino, whereas they had no jobs before. Schools in Benewah and Kootenai counties have benefited from profits made at the casino. Profits also built the Benewah Medical Center in Plummer, the Wellness Center just across the street from the medical center and also a tribal school.

If it weren’t for the Benewah Medical Center, I would have no doctor to go to as I’m on Medicare and could not find a doctor in Kootenai County to take me as a patient after my doctor passed away.

Why try to take away something that the tribe worked hard to build up to help themselves, and also help thousands of others on and off the reservation? Edna A. Gardner Coeur d’Alene

Government and politics

Bush as slick as Clinton? No, he’s worse

Sen. John McCain should apologize for his statement that Gov. George Bush twists the truth like Clinton. To prove an apology is required, simply look at Bush’s record.

Take, for example, Bush’s health care statements during the recent New York primary. Knowing health care is an important issue for Americans, Bush paid for an advertisement stating that Texas had passed a patients bill of rights. Bush failed to mention that he vetoed that bill. When the Texas Legislature overrode Bush’s veto, he still refused to sign it (a hint of the health care leadership you can expect from a Bush presidency).

McCain doesn’t like to see taxpayers’ money being wasted. Bush used this admirable trait to distort McCain’s record on women’s health care issues. Bush paid for an advertisement stating McCain was against women’s health care issues because McCain had voted against two spending bills that included funding for breast cancer research programs.

But Bush blatantly omitted that McCain opposed the spending bills that included the breast cancer research programs because the bills had not gone through any appropriations review process. The truth is that McCain’s sister is a breast cancer survivor and he has a record of supporting breast cancer research on many occasions.

Clearly, McCain should be ashamed to have compared Bush with Clinton. These health care statements prove Bush can easily outdistort Clinton - especially when it serves his own self-interest and his moneyed backers. Vern Stevens Kellogg

Political fat’s in the 5th District fire

News junkies disappointed by Sens. John McCain and Bill Bradley folding their tents just after Super Tuesday only had to listen to talk radio Friday afternoon (March 3) to keep the political juices flowing. At about 3:45 p.m. on KXLY, Rep. George Nethercutt called U.S. Term Limits a “terrorist organization.”

A few minutes later, on KGA, talk show host Richard Clear did his last broadcast. Clear informed the audience that he would announce his candidacy for Congress in the GOP primary, in the Palouse Room of the Ag Trade Center. He pointed out with glee that the site selected for the announcement was the same room where Nethercutt broke his pledge last June.

What a difference six years makes. When Nethercutt ran against Tom Foley, he let U.S. Term Limits do his fighting for him and he appeared on conservative Clear’s radio program almost every week during the 1994 campaign. To Clear’s credit, he stood by his principles and divorced himself from Nethercutt when the congressman broke his word.

This sets up a fascinating contest for the GOP in the Sept. 19 primary election. You can vote for a very conservative radio man with a wicked sense of humor and very deep principles. Or you can choose the establishment GOP congressman with no principles who endorsed George W. Bush. Why do I think I have seen this recently?

It makes you wonder whom the Republicans will vote for. It also makes you wonder what party line Democrats and independents will choose. Larry Armstrong Spokane

How about everybody for nobody?

So now the presidential race is down to Bush and Gore. This ought to be just the thing to generate a record level of apathy. What if they gave an election and no one voted? Dave Holmes Coeur d’Alene

Theocracy not the American way

A main plank in the national Republican agenda is a vow to work toward overturning Roe vs. Wade, in support of religion-based beliefs.

During one of their primary debates, Gary Bauer pointedly asked the other Republican candidates if they would promise the voters that if elected and given the opportunity, they would appoint Supreme Court justices who would be sympathetic to the cause of overturning Roe vs. Wade. To his credit, Gov. George W. Bush replied that he would appoint justices he would trust to uphold the laws of the land.

Our system of government is a constitutional democracy. Those who truly believe in the system will find Bauer’s question telling - and more than a little frightening. This gets to the heart of the reason the framers of our Constitution made sure it provides for the separation of church and state. No individual or group has a legal right to subjugate the will and beliefs of the majority on religious grounds.

If you favor religious influence in our government, you favor theocracy over democracy. Call yourself righteous, call yourself holy but don’t call yourself a patriot. Jim Greer Spokane

Other topics

Times headline more accurate

In its coverage of the survey on evolution conducted by the People for the American Way (March 11, The Spokesman-Review didn’t do its journalistic homework.

The headline in the Spokesman-Review was “Most want evolution taught.” The New York Times printed a story about the same poll, with the headline “Survey finds support is strong for teaching 2 origin theories.”

Rather than simply follow the spin that the People for the American Way put on their own survey, the New York Times actually looked at the data, did some independent research and found that most Americans are dissatisfied with the current emphasis on teaching Darwinism as truth with a capital “T.” They want Darwinism subjected to critical scrutiny and competing theories fairly considered.

I’m sure the people at the New York Times didn’t like the conclusion any more than the editors of The Spokesman-Review. But at least they had the journalistic integrity to report the full story, not a prepackaged conclusion. David K. DeWolf professor of law, Gonzaga Law School, Spokane

Take it from Couric, not Parker

I watched with fascination last week while Katie Couric of the “Today Show” underwent a colonoscopy. I found her openess and courage to discuss a difficult topic extremely inspiring, especially in light of her husband’s death from colon cancer.

Syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker’s thinly veiled criticism of Couric’s decision (March 13) to be frank about this topic was sophomoric and only exacerbated the silence that shrouds this tragic disease. Her blatantly insincere remark that she was truly sorry for Couric’s loss was an insult, as she went on belittling coverage of the procedure. I found it reprehensible and utterly disrespectful.

Not everyone has the guts to take tragedy and transform it into action. Couric has taken her husband’s memory and kept it alive by trying to ensure that no one else has to lose a loved one from colon cancer. Had it not been for people like Couric, there would be no Mothers Against Drunk Drivers or laws enacted on behalf of victims and their loved ones. These are people acting not on their own behalf but solely and sincerely for the benefit of others.

I did not find the segments gross, disgusting or inappropriate. I saw a grieving widow and now single mother turning her loss around to help others - a move that should be honored and commended.

Parker owes Couric a sincere apology for making a mockery of her worthwhile, meaningful and life-saving efforts. Michae’l Alegria Spokane

Parade picture sends bad message

Kudos to Ken Van Sickle, University High School activities coordinator, for his “I think anything we can do to help kids not drink and use drugs is a step in the right direction” statement on the front page of the Sunday Sports section. He is one of the many coaches and athletic directors working with youths in our community dedicated to helping our kids make positive choices for healthy lifestyles.

We know how strong the resolve of our young people to stay drug-free can be when caring adults support them. Volunteers devote thousands of hours to helping kids grow up strong through a multitude of youth organizations and community centers. Local merchants offer discounts to members of our Washington Drug-Free Youth program. DARE graduates receive rewards like slices of pizza and fries from Pizza Pipeline and McDonald’s. High school seniors celebrate their graduation at wonderful drug-free parties given by loving parents and supporters. The list goes on and on.

Yet, the full-color picture on The Spokesman-Review Sunday front page, supposedly representative of our St. Patrick’s Day Parade, is not one of a youth group, not of a float, not of clowns, not of a lovely colleen, but one of party revelers lifting their cups of beer!

Come on, Spokesman-Review, it’s time to join us in our support of drug-free youth. Linda J. Thompson executive director, Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council