Climate protests – again

Sat., Oct. 5, 2019

As a locked-out Kaiser steelworker we saw a lot of picket lines and protests.

The recent climate protests reminded me of something that happened in Portland about 20 years ago. A lot of protests going on and these young people invited me to a pepper-spray party. They were pepper-spraying each other so they would know what to expect when the riot police did it to them and they could also practice first aid.

It made me feel sick inside as my generation left such a mess for them and I had never really gotten involved or even voted most of the time. So here they are, pepper-spraying each other so they could go out in the streets to protest what was going on.

I felt we had really let them down – and now I see all these young people a generation later take to the streets to protest the same mess that existed 20 years ago.

Erv Schleufer, Coeur d’Alene tribal member

Spokane

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

No more than 250 words
We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form: Submit your letter here
Mail: Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Email: editor@spokesman.com
Fax: (509) 459-3815
Phone: (509) 459-5430