Letters for July 9, 2023
Mariners’ perplexing performance
The current status of the Seattle baseball team has its fans, including me, perplexed to say the least. In Tuesday’s game, in the 10th inning of overtime, the Mariners had the bases loaded and nobody out. A single fly ball would have won the game for them. But instead, the No. 3 hitter in the lineup popped the ball up for an easy out. The cleanup hitter struck out, and the No. 5 hitter grounded out to the pitcher, who took the ball to first base for the third out. The Nationals then scored three runs in the top of the 11th and it was game over.
Of the top 11 strikeout leaders in the American league, 4 of them are Mariners including No. 1. Last year’s rookie-of-the-year sits at No. 11. They have one thing in common: swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone.
Can they turn it around? Fans would like to think so, but remain doubtful. Teams have to score runs to win baseball games and Seattle has yet to demonstrate the ability to do that with any consistency.
Allen Roberts
St. John
Whitworth takes a knee
In response to “Whitworth Board votes to protect sexual orientation” (June 30): I’m disappointed to read that Whitworth gave in to the gay agenda. The statement they made in the article “to safeguard the campus environment to allow for civil discourse on topics about which faithful Christians disagree including God’s design for sexual expression” is a disgrace, and appalling to every faithful Christian. There is no “civil discourse” regarding God’s design for sexual orientation. READ THE BOOK! Whitworth pulled away from the latest Presbyterian orthodoxy because of this very issue. Now they’re upholding it. My respect for Whitworth University has vanished, just like Whitworth’s respect for God’s Word.
Mike Noble
Spokane
Activism in its worst written form
In response to “Perception versus reality when it comes to AP Style’s rules for journalism” (June 29): Sue Lani Madsen’s column on June 29 proves that she is an activist and not a journalist. She claims a “Leans Left” bias by the Associated Press and then launches into her activist writing against abortion and transgenderism.
It seems that Madsen and Curtis Stone went to the same journalistic propaganda workshop. Stone writes about the left taking his guns and Madsen writes about journalist rules limiting her right-wing writing. Inventing someone threatening to take something is always the biased basis for their writing.
The media was self-limiting until the conservative revolution began normalizing Madsen’s journalistic style of writing. She gets away with identifying alternative opinions as facts worthy of equal consideration. She implies a flat Earth is the same as a round Earth approach.
Madsen finds a doctor who says children are being told they can pick their sex, which is like saying women are having birth control abortions while in labor and delivery. Picking an extreme and pinning it on the leftists isn’t an AP writing style. That’s activism in its worst written form.
Pete Scobby
Newport
Truly, ‘vote accordingly’
In response to: “Vote accordingly” letter (June 30): Donald Trump’s signing of a bill that gave massive tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest Americans was responsible for a huge jump in the national deficit. Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump commented that soldiers who gave their lives in war were “losers and suckers.” Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump belittled an honored Vietnam war veteran and POW saying that “I like people who weren’t captured.” Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump made fun of a journalist with a disability at one of his “rallies.” Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump once bragged about being able to grab women by their private parts and kiss them without their permission. Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump’s politicizing of the COVID pandemic likely caused thousands of unnecessary deaths. Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump was impeached twice during his single term, a record. Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump continued the “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was rigged and the results were fraudulent. Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump encouraged a crowd of his supporters on Jan. 6, 2020, to march on the U.S. Capitol building and “fight like hell.” Vote accordingly.
Donald Trump has been indicted twice and is being investigated for at least two additional indictable offenses. Vote accordingly.
Phillip Brown
Spokane
Designate part of City Beach as a sanctuary
From recent news articles on June 29 and June 30, we learned that the city of Sandpoint had about 170 Canada geese killed because they were pooping on a public beach. Sandpoint mayor Shelby Rognstad is quoted as saying, “The city and its residents value wildlife. City Beach, however, is a public park, not a wildlife sanctuary.”
The city has tried numerous methods of dealing with goose poop and attempted to keep the water fowl off the beach before resorting to killing them. Nothing worked, the city says. The only viable remaining option was a humane round up and euthanasia by USDA Wildlife Services.
Perhaps the answer could be to officially designate a north section of City Beach as the wildlife sanctuary it has been for centuries. It seems the geese will likely continue to return to their area until every one is killed. Instead of gassing the geese, we could celebrate them. Beachgoers could enjoy observing wildlife in their own habitat.
Patricia Ramsey
Sandpoint
More than facts to cure homelessness
Several hundred of us arrive at the Convention ballroom for a recent Spokane Regional Collaborative Report meeting, expecting a data-filled report on how the city would fix the homeless problem or at least reduce 40% of the homeless population.
An unexpected visitor, who called herself Rachel, expressed her complete disappointment with $25 million spent on the homeless issues, but found herself still homeless, twice rejected for disability, despite obvious mental health issues that required immediate attention. She also informed us she is a domestic abuse victim/survivor.
Many were surprised by her bold entry into the ballroom, but many were encouraged by her courage to exhibit the anger and frustration known to many homeless people in Spokane, upset by the inability to figure out how to provide the resources largely increased by this mayoral staff to figure out solutions. Many at this report presentation were not encouraged by this blasé data-filled report that provided facts many of us already knew, but was missing the face of the population that Rachel gave this audience at the convention ballroom.
Also, many of us that talk face to face through point-in-time, tenants union, various other nonprofit groups that weren’t talked to by this group. But they would like to be part of this group before the final decision and even be part of the group that makes these very important decisions. It is going to take more than faceless facts to cure: really listen to the Rachels in the homeless population.
John Alder
Spokane