Letters for Feb. 10, 2023

Critical to know your representative

Our frustrations over the rise in crime is largely due to laws written and passed in Olympia. Have you taken time to learn the voting records of your state representative and senator? These lawmakers were voted in by us and we give them the power to push legislation that can punish law-abiding citizens. If voters wish to keep their neighborhoods and communities safe, then pay attention to the voting records of elected officials. It is essential we elect representatives who focus on laws protecting the rights of lawful citizens and not on criminals, especially those with long criminal records.

Marlene Larson

Spokane

Respecting the flag

It was a real disappointment when we went to the high school basketball spirit games in the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and saw how our United States flag was on display in the shadow, which was very hard to see. This is a slap in the face to our veterans in a building honoring them.

It was mentioned to the security guard which he agreed and said he would tell the higher-ups about it. However, the next two nights it was the same way.

If the flag can’t be displayed the way it should be with a light on it, then it should be taken out as it is a disgrace to our country and flag.

Joe Schauble

Spokane

Limiting rights

I’m confused by a political party whose history has been about personal freedom and small government. They are mired in a cultural war by limiting the freedoms of others via bans and legislation.

The party strives to ban books from libraries that don’t align with their views. If people are offended by books, don’t read them. But what gives them the right to limit others from choosing what books to read?

Conservatives are changing school curriculums to fit their agenda. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently rejected the AP African American, an elective course for high schools. If people don’t want to learn the material, don’t take the course. But why would the governor deny the material to interested students?

Members of the party are against drag queen performances and want to ban them or limit who can attend them. If they are against drag queen shows, don’t go to them. But what gives them the right to make that decision for everyone?

Conservatives are against abortion because of their beliefs, so don’t have one. But what gives them the right to make that difficult choice for others with different beliefs?

Limiting access to history and personal freedoms is the first step toward, dare I say it, fascism. Is this what conservatives want? If the rest of society doesn’t wake up, we could end up there. Remember the story of the frog sitting in a pot of water that gets warmer and warmer until its loo late.

Peter Sanburn

Spokane

Jennifer Rubin left out half the numbers

Here is a quote from Jennifer Rubin’s Feb. 3, 2023 column on police reform:

“Too many people die from police shootings, and a disproportionate number are Black. This is not “wokeism.” It is a fact, derived from a huge body of data. The Mapping Police Violence project found: “Black people were 26% of those killed by police in 2022 despite being only 13% of the population.”

The obvious conclusion is that this disparity must be due to racism. She leaves out more facts from a “huge body of data,” the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting tables, that shows that in 2020 over 39% of murder offenders, and 56% of victims, were Black. So, this 12.4% of our population is responsible for over three times the murders you would expect. This murder rate is a rough proxy for the crime rate of our Black community and fully explains the “discrepancy” in the number of Blacks killed by police. The crime rate, rather than race, is the pertinent factor.

Rubin, and the editors who buy articles using the same template, are not ignorant of the whole story, yet they continually leave out the part about the Black crime rate. They repeat this lie, to the detriment of the nation and the Black community. Policy changes based on this lie do not solve any problem and have reduced policing in Black communities leading to thousands of additional Black deaths since Michael Brown’s death in 2013.

Tom Horne

Nine Mile Falls

Support the Spokane Valley fire levy

On the Feb. 14 ballot is one of the most important issues we have a chance to support. Our Spokane Valley Fire Department is prepared to provide outstanding emergency medical care to all of us who live in the Spokane Valley.

This replacement levy will allow them to continue to provide the life-saving emergency medical services that have been a key part of their mission for many years. Within our EMS system we periodically assess our performance through the sharing of data on system elements we call key performance indicators. Our Valley Fire Department is an eager participant in this quality improvement process and for a good reason: Their performance is among the very best.

This levy helps assure all of us that when an emergency medical event strikes us, our families or friends, that the Spokane Valley Fire Department will be on scene in minutes with the best and brightest.

Please vote yes for the 2023 Spokane Valley Fire Department Maintenance and Operations Levy.

James Nania

Liberty Lake

Congress should be paid minimum wage

Some members of Congress, particularly in the House, are upset because they do not feel that their $174,000 pay is enough. This is interesting because these same Republicans are “deeply concerned” about the debt ceiling, to the extent that they might actually stop the government from actions such as Medicare and Social Security, plus close the IRS and perhaps even the nation’s protectors. They have not mentioned whether their own paychecks will continue or not. I suspect not. It is clearly a problem. A good solution is that members of Congress shall be paid at the exact same level as the current minimum wage. Everybody wins. I hope that we can gather enough support to make this happen by letting their Congressional representatives know that fair is fair. It would also be very nice if those same representatives would have a very low limit on campaigns.

Sandra Christensen

Spokane