“The detaining power’s health personnel are the first and often the last line of defense against human rights abuses. Their failure to assume that role emphasizes to the prisoner how utterly beyond humane appeal they are.”

— University of Minnesota Prof. Steven Miles, quoted by the Associated Press about findings that physicians and other American health care personnel participated in and helped cover up abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.

“When parents care as much about drugs in schools as they do about asbestos in schools, we’ll have a hell of a lot less drugs in schools.”

— Former Health, Education and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano, reporting Thursday on the national Survey on Teen Substance Abuse and Sexual Activity.

“How does it corrupt the tradition of the Last Supper? It’s just rice versus wheat.”

— Elizabeth Pelly-Waldman, mother of 8-year-old Haley Waldman, whose first communion was declared invalid because the wafer did not contain wheat as required by Roman Catholic doctrine.

“It’s like looking at a Mercedes-Benz and then realizing you can just buy the Ford.”

— Spokane Valley resident Dick Behm, commenting on the budget pressures facing the young city as a result of lower than expected revenues.

“I think it kind of sucks because this is where we hang out and like to have a smoke while we’re chillin.’ “

— Mark Nemri, 21, Spokane, reacting to a proposal that smoking be banned on Coeur d’Alene’s popular City Beach.

“There are no roofs at the polling places.”

— A Florida election official, quoted in a Knight Ridder story about the damage from Hurricane Charley, including possible delay of voting in some areas.

“To be in first place after that kind of mistake, I thought there was no chance to win.”

— American gymnast Paul Hamm who won the Olympic gold medal for men’s all-around gymnastics after coming from far behind in the scoring because of a bad mishap in an earlier routine. Officials now concede he wouldn’t have won if not for judging errors.

“The reality in law enforcement is that age can’t be a deciding factor. The goal is to end the loss of life by containing the threat immediately.”

— Spokane County sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Barbieri, a member of the county’s SWAT team, commenting during a drill to prepare law enforcement officers for handling “active shooter” situations in businesses and schools.