Letters for June 29, 2022

False patriotism

People who are drawn to Trumpism seem to have strong love for America. If this fits you, do you understand that if our election can be reversed by calling it stolen without evidence, we will become authoritarian like Venezuela, China and Russia?

Do you envy the people of those nations?

Allan deLaubenfels

Spokane Valley

Get over it

Since 2016, many people started to worry about our democracy. When a mean, caustic, lying, cheating con man becomes president, you know there’s going to be trouble. And there was. I certainly worried and had thoughts of asking Canada to let me in.

So, have any of you Trump supporters “donated” your hard-earned income to Trumpster’s personal bank account? Because that’s where your donations are going. You are paying his bills. I feel like Trumpster’s supporters, allies and donators have partaken of the proverbial Kool-Aid.

And now, we have more of it locally. Matt Hawkins wants a “comprehensive election system audit” of Spokane County. (Please read Colin Tiernan, S-R June 20). Hawkins is on some subcommittee of the Republican Party. Once again we have “evidence” of problems that “we can’t reveal at this time.” He and his cronies still cling to the Trumpster. I’m so sorry you worship someone other than a god of your own.

Boys, please, get over it. Trump lost! Quit wasting time and money. I spoke with (Vicky) Dalton’s office by phone twice when my mother passed last fall. They were incredibly professional. I have absolutely no concerns in Spokane County.

“Trumpettes,” supporters of the most dangerous president we’ve ever had, please open your eyes. You all should consider Trumpster is delusional and move on. It is really getting embarrassing to listen to the “fake news” of election fraud.

Beverly Gibb

Spokane

Disastrous court

This session of the U.S. Supreme Court will go down as one of the most disastrously consequential in its history. They ruled against public safety by striking down a New York law limiting guns in public. They have also ruled that Maine taxpayers must support Christian schools, the American equivalent of Islamic madrasas. Other items on their Christianist agenda are the cancellation of abortion rights and a ruling allowing prayer in public schools. Conservatives are all about “states’ rights” (anti-abortion laws), except when they aren’t (gun safety). The only consistent thread in their rulings is the imposition of Republican priorities that are too unpopular to be enacted through legislation.

Add all this to the disgrace of a Supreme Court justice who would not recuse himself from a ruling on the 2020 election in which his wife had an interest. This arrogant conservative majority was engineered by the court itself in the 2011 Citizen’s United decision. That opened the floodgates of money into politics and enabled Republicans to access unlimited donations from corporations and billionaires, gaining enough power in the Senate to ramrod through the justices they wanted. Soon, after shredding the court’s reputation with nakedly partisan decisions, this session will be over. Then watch the six Republican appointees make the rounds again, speechifying at friendly venues, protesting that they are a nonpartisan branch of the government.

Ted Hensold

Spokane

Help preserve Spokane’s beauty

I am a lifelong Spokanite. I do not agree the beauty in our city that Sid speaks of (“Let us water lawns,” June 19) is because of our large green lawns that consume vast amounts of water. We take pride in our city. Spokane, Spokane Valley and Rathdrum Prairie populations are growing; the Spokane/Rathdrum Prairie aquifer is not growing. The average American uses about 80 gallons of water per day; Spokanites use about 117 gallons per day in winter months and 235 gallons per day in summer months. The aquifer, where we draw our good-tasting drinking water, is not an endless supply and we cannot expect it to be. It’s partially replenished by the Spokane River, Lake Coeur d’Alene and Lake Pend Oreille (subsurface).

As we increase lawn watering, the aquifer is drawn down, sucking even more water out of the Spokane River. We can’t stop people from moving here, but we can and must reduce our water usage to help preserve our beautiful city for generations to come. I admit a green lawn is appealing, but I’m downsizing my lawn, removing some of the broadcast sprinkler heads, planting drought-tolerant plants and adding ground cover that reduces weed growth and preserves moisture. With planning and care, this can be attractive and is more sustainable. The city has great programs/incentives to assist with shifting away from so much lawn. Take advantage of those city benefits. It will help preserve this beauty beyond this one generation we get to enjoy.

Kent Larson

Spokane

Park speed limit not observed

The 20-mph speed limit on Bernard Street by Manito Park is still being ignored by most drivers. I often have people tailgating and horns honking as I adhere to the limit. Recently, I had a car pass me going at least 40 mph. Why can’t orange flags be put on the poles to alert drivers? For a couple of weeks last summer, there was a monitor flashing actual car speeds to let drivers know that they were exceeding the speed limit. Could permanent monitors be installed by the park? I am concerned that those on foot who are entering or leaving the park are in danger of vehicles that are often going more than 30 mph when they should be going 20 mph.

Jan Margrethe Woods

Spokane

Survey reality

Shawn Vestal’s opinion article of June 22 was titled “Lack of response to race survey tells sorry story about Sheriff’s Office.”

I say, no it doesn’t. It shows our Sheriff’s Office members felt they had better things to do like catching criminals and protecting the innocent. I do not want our Sheriff’s Office catering to special-interest groups and educators who cannot accept the fact that Asian boys in society are being arrested at lower rates than Black young men in society. Hispanic girls in algebra class are also somehow able to dodge criminal arrest. Vestal should worry and complain more on preventing crime in Black neighborhoods/raising fatherhood numbers and less on “racial disparities in the criminal justice system.”

Somebody should occasionally survey the residents in Black neighborhoods for what their opinions are. The NAACP has lost influence in many of those neighborhoods and Black Lives Matter leaders have recently gone into real estate investing and not protecting Black lives.

If society wants better outcomes, it should look at the reasons for the results.

Ken Hills

Spokane

Write on

Many thanks and hats off to whomever at the S-R is responsible for the selection and printing of the letters to the editor.

Whether accidental or purposeful, not a day goes by that by their own words, our area’s “progressive” cadre reveals itself to be a collection of hyperbolical nanny-nanny boo-boos whose consumption of Kool-Aid is dwarfed only by their propensity for lemming-like adherence to the ridiculous, lying, talking-head tools they parrot.

A better reason to reject those they support and the ideas they espouse could never be crafted by the professional image makers so handsomely paid to promote them they so fearfully despise.

You know, anybody with a lick of common sense, a modicum of civility, a reasonable respect for and awareness of culturally normative values, and the behaviors they engender.

William Baxley

Spokane