Letters for Feb. 8, 2023
Term limits for members of Congress
What is the possible solution? Consider this: We have many career government representatives in the federal and state system(s). There are “old mossback” politicians that owe unending political favors to each other, i.e. Quid Pro Quo.
My suggested solution would be to drain the swamp by enforcing “term limitations.” The 22nd Amendment (Presidential Term Limits) was proposed on March 24, 1947, during Harry S. Truman presidency. It was ratified on Feb. 27, 1951, while Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.
The solution to our lawmakers career status would be to ratify term limits for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Two terms.
Sam Pangerl
Spokane
Restrictions on younger voters
Aggressive moves by Idaho Republicans to disenfranchise younger voters speaks volumes about the kinds of unwelcome change they see coming in future election cycles. National trends show voters age 40 and under solidly rejecting the current GOP’s toxic swill of racism, homophobia, climate/medical/science denial, mass species extinction, election denial and voter suppression, censorship of school curriculum and library books, and perhaps most especially the theocratic breach of church and state culminating in the moral horror of government-forced childbirth.
As has been seen worldwide from South Africa to Georgia, efforts to clamp down on “too much democracy” produce the opposite result: the harder old conservative white people and their rich enablers try to stop everyone else from voting, the more resolved we become that everyone will get to vote and everyone’s vote will count.
The most ironic and absurd argument against “letting” younger people participate in the electoral process and related legislative activities such as public hearings is that they are simple minded fools whose only understanding of current events comes from social media and the internet. Look in the mirror, oldsters: the economic, political and educational disenfranchisement younger Americans experience daily is first hand, direct and undeniable.
Chris Norden
Moscow
Schools are not preparing kids for tomorrow
Schools often focus on preparing students for the real world from an academic standpoint, but unfortunately they don’t properly equip them with the skills they need to navigate the world outside of the classroom. While learning algebra is important, it won’t show a student how to change a tire or use a checkbook. These are life skills that should not be an elective.
Students need to be taught how to manage their finances, create a budget and live independently. They also need to know how to take care of their vehicles and basic household repairs. These practical skills are essential for an adults success and they’re not always taught in school.
Guy Boudreaux
Spokane
No free speech for EWU faculty
Readers learned that Eastern Washington University has an organized “social media team” which censures commentary by faculty that “could harm EWU’s reputation and enrollment” (“Professor questions block by EWU Twitter,” Feb. 1). Apparently, history professor Larry Cebula took to Twitter last year with strong words in a written opinion that EWU was allocating excessive funds to athletics. The director of EWU communications and media relations, David Meany defended the censoring of Dr. Cebula by claiming that “it was the language used, not what he was tweeting about that led us to block him.” What was the offensive language prompting his banishment from EWU’s Twitter account? “Dumpster fire, inadequate funding for student hires, empty offices.” How egregious! Imagine the number of prospective EWU students adversely influenced by such postings!
The real issue here is free speech. The EWU administration like most colleges and universities, abhors dissent from its closely held narratives. Publicly challenge the power and a price will be paid.
This illiberal action by EWU is commonplace on campuses where many faculty feel handcuffed in publicly expressing their beliefs on a range of subjects such as risks associated with COVID vaccines, abortion, climate change, illegal immigration, affirmative action and more.
EWU placed a “shot across the bow” of all its faculty: stay within defined borders or we will punish you.
Eric Johnson, M.D.
WSU assistant clinical professor
Spokane