Letters for Feb. 26, 2022

Banning critical race theory

As indicated in the recent article by Becca Savransky (“Idaho resolution criticizes critical race theory, ‘1619 Project’ as ‘divisive content,’ ” Feb. 20), Idaho’s Senate is considering restricting or banning critical race theory from K-12 schools. The problem, as Savransky points out, is that it is “not taught in the classroom.”

Imminent scholars such as Rodney D. Coates, professor of CRT at Miami University of Ohio, argues that “CRT is far too advanced for K-12.” CRT is curriculum in law schools.

An approach to diversity that concerns me more focuses on microaggressions towards minorities. Once I was accused of such. The “offended” person would not offer specifics and considered my asking for such as my being defensive. Without clarity she demanded an apology!

It was Coates who supported me.

Race was a 15th-century construction justifying slavery. Humans are shades of brown depending on our ancestors proximity to the equator.

In communication a gap between the sender and the receiver is common. If the receiver feels offended they need to check out what was really said (rarely do people know accurately). Then inquire about what was intended. Sometimes the body, facial and tone are such that the intent seems obvious. However, most perceived interpersonal conflicts are misunderstandings rather than actual conflicts.

The person feeling offended in my situation had been trained in microaggressions by a “white” woman hired often by business. The way her message is sometimes understood supports the blame game toward “whites.”

No dialogue, blame and apologize. That approach is the culprit, not critical race theory.

Robert P. Crosby

Spokane

Unnecessary mandates

Enough with the mandates! You can’t legislate common sense and courtesy. Those come from the head and the heart. A word to the wise is sufficient.

Genie Wood

Coeur d’Alene

Men’s volleyball

I believe that there should be men’s volleyball teams in Spokane high schools. It would be a popular sport and would give schools that are not as competitive a chance to be. It could be a fresh start for school sports programs. This could also be a way to help bring more money to schools through the rivalry games between schools. There would be no trouble finding players. Every guy that I talk to about volleyball says that they really enjoy the sport and would more than likely represent their schools in this sport.

Although volleyball is viewed as a mainly female sport, I don’t see how it would be hard to build popularity in the men’s realm of this sport. I know plenty of other regions that have men’s volleyball teams for their high schools. When there are no men’s high school volleyball teams, this poses a predicament for men that have travel teams because the other people on their team could live in a place that has men’s volleyball for high school. Because the other people on their team played a high school season and that person didn’t, they can start to fall behind the rest of their teammates.

So, if Spokane cares about their male athletes, they should add men’s volleyball teams to their high schools.

Jackson Grayhek

Spokane

Trouble

Our country is challenged. The southern borders are uncontrolled. The economy is in free-fall. The allies of the U.S. are questioning our resolve to play a lead role in world politics. Russia has just invaded Ukraine and China is threatening the sovereignty of Taiwan. Gas prices have escalated to unprecedented levels because the U.S. is unnecessarily reliant on foreign oil providers. Russia and China are aligned against us. It feels vaguely similar to pre-WWII arrangements between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The Biden administration has surrendered energy independence to our adversaries to placate the ecoterrorists controlling the democratic agenda. Is it worth surrendering to communist regimes to save a world that may soon be under their control? How about America First? Then we can save the planet.

Dave McCann

Spokane

An attempt to answer questions

Since the Spokesman’s letter to the editor rules prohibit Rob Leach from answering Janet Callen’s question (“Just Fact-Checking,” Feb. 19) for 30 days, I will answer for him. Ms. Callen wants to know “who are the politicians who did the forcing,” “which nursing homes killed thousands” and about individuals whose “‘lives were permanently ruined.’”

New York Gov. Cuomo’s administration, for at least three months in 2020, required that nursing homes accept COVID-positive patients, even after being told of the problem this created. So many complaints were received by the New York Attorney General’s Office regarding the policy causing deaths that the AG conducted an investigation. The preliminary results of that investigation found that COVID deaths in nursing homes were under-reported by about 50%, that several nursing home practices and policies contributed to the deaths, and that the government guidance requiring nursing homes to accept COVID positive patients “may have put residents at increased risk.” I think “may have” is an understatement.

Individuals whose lives were permanently ruined by this include Mr. Arbeeny, who lost his father, and others who are suing the Cuomo administration. A class-action lawsuit has been filed on their behalf by the Empire Center for Public Policy.

I hope this answers Ms. Callen’s question satisfactorily.

Chan Bailey

Colbert

History repeating

In 1938, on the grounds that there were many ethnic Germans in Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland be ceded to Germany, under threat of war. Britain’s Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, agreed to Hitler’s demand and Germany took the Sudetenland and subsequently the rest of Czechoslovakia. Putin is following Hitler’s playbook using the same justification for his 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for the “rebels” in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

In the 1939 Hitler-Stalin pact they agreed to split Poland between them. Stalin invaded Poland 16 days after Hitler invaded Poland. To consolidate control Stalin murdered over 20,000 members of the Polish officer corps and intelligencia in what is known as the Katyn forest massacre. Thousands of Poles were imprisoned and over a million deported to Siberia. The reports of Putin distributing a “kill or capture” list of Ukrainian potential leaders indicates that Putin is also following Stalin’s playbook.

Everyone knows that Putin murders his opponents, both at home and abroad in obvious ham handed fashion, then denies culpability with a smile. Why so obvious and ham-handed? To set the stage for negotiation. Negotiating with this murderer is merely detailing the terms of appeasement.

This repetition of history is obvious, and should have been a major factor in news reporting and government propaganda efforts for the last year. The Russian people would be particularly sensitive to these parallels. Why didn’t the press and governments use these parallels? They feared insulting Putin.

Tom Horne

Nine Mile Falls

A band-aid won’t cure it

You don’t cure cancer with a band-aid. Sanctions are a band-aid. It sounds like something is being done but it is not enough. Not even close. I hate to say the word “war” but war is what it is. Putin – a megalomaniac who thinks he is a god – has attacked and invaded a sovereign and independent country. He is confident that NATO and the United States are too weak and toothless and throws threats at us about staying out of it.

Appeasement didn’t work with Hitler – another short man who wanted to rule the world (and came too close). It won’t work with Putin. Donald Trump said that he only recognizes strength. Sanctions are too weak and too slow. Ukraine will be under the boot of Russia in days. Unless the rest of the world does something about it, now.

Doug Kaer

Spokane Valley

Following Russia’s example

So Russia, the largest country in the world, wants to annex a part of Ukraine. Why don’t the people in Ukraine who are pro-Russian just move there?

Canada is the second largest country in the world. What if they decided to annex a couple of states from the U.S.? Russia sold us Alaska, if Canada wanted to take Alaska, could they? Would they?

Candy Frankel

Spokane