Letters for July 26, 2023

Not responding to intolerance embraces intolerance

There has been a marked increase in the instances of hate speech, both verbally and on the internet, across this country and in our region. The targets of these attacks include cultural minorities, political affiliations, sexual orientations and religious preferences.

Established religions should not take comfort if they have evaded these attacks so far, as the history of United States has many examples of religious persecution. For example, attacks on Catholics by the “know nothings” in the 1850s and by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s; racial attacks on Baptist churches; and mass shootings at synagogues.

In conclusion, the words of the martyred German theologian and philosopher Dietririch Bonhoffer are compelling: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Alexander Shogan Jr.

Spokane

Blaming guns instead of murderers

In his, “What legacy are we leaving with assault weapons?” guest opinion in the July 9 Spokesman-Review, Dave Greegor writes, “Are we insane? Pre-1980, we would have been beyond horrified if school children were slaughtered like fish in a barrel.”

Where he and other shallow thinkers like him do not know, or worse, simply refuse to admit, is that many of us using lever or pump-action rifles could have “slaughtered like fish in a barrel” nearly as many children as do today’s cowardly murderers using so-called “assault weapons.”

If I live to be 100 – and at 92, I’m getting close – I will never understand the cop-out shallow “thinking” of those who blame guns rather than the mixed-up, evil murderers who use them!

Ken Campbell

Deer Park

Earl Moore has passion and experience

I am writing to express my support for Earl Moore, a candidate for Spokane City Council District 3. Throughout the time that I have known Earl, she has always been someone I can trust and I know will listen. Earl’s impressive background in health care, combined with her passion for community service, makes her an amazing choice to represent Spokane’s Northwest district.

With 35 years of experience in health care, including being a basic life support instructor and teaching CPR classes to both colleagues and community members, Earl has demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting health and safety. Her volunteer work for health care awareness programs in Spokane’s grade schools and her involvement with organizations like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Better Breathers Club showcases her dedication to improving the well-being of our community.

Earl will be a voice of reason in the council because she is tired of partisan politics preventing well-written legislation for our city. Earl has no ambitions to run for any other position. Her heart and time are focused on helping the city we love.

In a recent article, you stated that Earl does not know how she would address the homeless or housing crisis. Obviously, the current council doesn’t have the answers either. Earl differs from other candidates in that she doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but she is out communicating with her constituents and listening to issues, and seeking strategic solutions to improve our city.

Join me in wanting “Moore” for Spokane.

Jane Ann Summers

Spokane