Letters for April 19, 2022

Balance on Supreme Court

I don’t know which is worse: that previously we’ve never had an African American woman as U.S. Supreme Court justice or that we’ve never had a justice with public defender experience. Both represent unique perspectives necessary for relating to large, important and under-served constituencies of our population. New U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will provide much needed balance to the court and more equal representation for all segments of our society.

Yet Republicans, rather than celebrating her, treated her despicably at confirmation hearings. They criticized her on false issues related to these constituencies – for example, by obsessing about teaching critical race theory in the public schools that isn’t happening and misrepresenting controversial aspects of people she was appointed to defend, even invoking debunked QAnon conspiracy theories. In fear of losing power as U.S. demographics change, rather than trying to appeal to voters of color, the rank and file of the Republican party has largely become the voice of white supremacy. Sadly, they are carrying on the values of Donald Trump.

Relatedly, the long history of white male dominance on the U.S. Supreme Court once again illustrates white male privilege in our society, not only in numbers on the court but also their orientation in making very important decisions affecting all of us. Hopefully, Brown Jackson’s important experiences, unique to the court, will have a more egalitarian impact on some of those decisions.

Norm Luther

Spokane

Fair taxes for all

This tax season there are many ways to handle tax issues.

One thing is for certain is the burden needs to be lifted off low and middle working classes in Washington state. I propose an income tax charged at the same rate for all, with no sales tax to increase business.

John Alder

Spokane

Social media

It’s easy to spot the “trendy” people. They are the same people who constantly have a phone in their hand. And what are they looking at? Social media. It’s rare to find someone who has social media and isn’t glued to it during all hours of the day. According to earthweb.com teens average three hours a day.

Some teenagers reportedly spend up to nine hours a day on social media. Imagine spending that much time scrolling through your phone looking at pictures of other people’s lives. According to childinthecity.org, “On average, children aged 10 to 16 now spend only 12.6 minutes a day on vigorous outdoor activity.” That is almost a full three-hour difference in the averages between time on social media and time outside. The real question is what are these teenagers even looking at that’s so important?

I personally used to have all social media myself, and can tell you that it is not anything productive. For example, Snapchat is just sending pictures back and forth with people, Instagram is just scrolling through and liking posts, and TikTok is just posting videos, dances or life hack videos.

This time could be spent outside or with human interaction. Most teens have lost all ability to have a conversation with someone in person. Parents need to be seeing these issues and getting their teenagers off the screens and into the real world.

Claire Larsen

Spokane

Personal experience on gentrification of Spokane

Every couple years the rental house on the corner had a new family in it. I would make friends and walk to school with the kids my age, but their family could only afford to live in the house for so long.

My neighborhood is a whole different demographic, and since my family has been there since long before I was born, what it was is who we are, at least in theory. Local jobs became more valuable alongside the housing, but not all.

There were and there are myths of my neighborhood being scary or dangerous. Some people have looked down on me for my geography, I wish it stayed that way.

Few people that lived in NW Spokane/West Central 10 or 15 years ago still do. The demand of a one -family home on a sizable lot less than a couple miles from downtown sounds pretty nice, and it is.

Considering the median of $400,000 dollars a house in Spokane and the average wage being $59,000/year, according to census report, I don’t suppose many locals are buying these houses.

Where do these people that I will soon be in the same boat as live? Spokane? Homeless? If I take out a loan for school or a home how long will it take to pay it off?

Theran Savage

Spokane