Letters for May 23, 2023

Bloomsday Corporate Cup disqualification

Just a bunch of mechanics, running the Bloomsday Corporate Cup for the union – and have been running as a team for over 10 years. They won their division a few times, always a respectable finish. They’ve sent in the same registration every year, maybe a change of one team member, but always the same core group. A few times one team member would score 1,000 points, never more than one. But then this year, magic happened! Three team members scored 1,000 points and the fourth ran his age. Wonderful! High fives!

But an hour after their perfect score was posted it was taken down from the website. There was a dispute and they were at the center of it. They were disqualified. Made to feel like cheaters. Seems that some of their team members while still being union members had retired from their day jobs. No one ever cared about that before … until … they won!

Apparently (unbeknownst to them), there is a retired division, though no scores are posted for that division. But the Bloomsday Corporate Cup bigwigs wouldn’t allow them to switch divisions or give the union their money back.

The team is still winners in the eyes of the union (IAM). Solidarity forever.

Kathlyn Johnson-Woods

Greenacres

What to do?

Recently, I observed a man packing up a heap of presumably stolen items including a bicycle in my neighborhood (lower South Hill) early in the morning. I confronted him; he claimed he “traded” for these items – while carrying bolt cutters.

Calling the police did not result in a response; the SPD never responded – I’m not sure if because of staffing issues or legislation which limits police engagement. I was left feeling unsettled; meanwhile others lost a nice bicycle, a bike tire pump and a new floor jack, still in the box.

My rhetorical question to others: What does this leave someone to do in this situation? Confront the person and potentially risk being stabbed or maimed by someone presumably intoxicated? Call the police knowing they will likely not respond? Or do nothing and accept your powerlessness?

Accepting powerlessness in this situation was unbearable. How much worse does it have to get? I’m afraid the only thing we can do is acquiesce to powerlessness or vote with our feet and move away.

Ian Daniel White

Spokane

Local coverage

The local TV stations reported (both on May 13 and 14) on the local Spokane Junior Lilac Parade. I have yet to see anything about the parade – articles or pictures. Maybe it could have been a quick insert on Sunday (not like it was a surprise that the parade was taking place on Saturday) and for sure there seems like there could have been some Monday coverage. If The Spokesman-Review is going to be somewhat of a “local” paper, then it needs to cover local events, and for sure something as traditional and meaningful to the kids as the Junior Lilac Parade.

Gordon Budke

Spokane

Pride flags

In our increasingly diverse Spokane, we have many identities. We are the basics: European, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous. We are all stripes of Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and others. We have seen waves of immigrants from Latin America, Afghanistan, Africa, and uniquely prominent in Spokane, large bustling churches of Russian speakers from the former Soviet Union.

My question is, with all these diverse identities, why is Spokane increasingly asked to celebrate the LGBTQ+ identity and not others? The recent decision by the Garland District to put up pride flags is the point in question. Why pride flags? What about all the other identities? There are Christian churches in the neighborhood. Should they ask to put up “He is risen” banners at Easter?

The question here is simply, why? If we are interested in celebrating diversity, shouldn’t it be everyone or no one. We cannot hide behind the pride flag as representing everyone. It is a very specific statement about sexuality. Believe in it fervently if you wish, but if one has a different view, determined by world view or religious beliefs, you are not included in the flag.

This issue is even more striking in the proposal to use taxpayers’ money to paint pride rainbows on city crosswalks. This seems at best, “trendy,” and at worst, unconstitutional. The public politic should be neutral it seems to me. Isn’t that what our celebrated freedom is all about? I am somewhat mystified how a particular way of life is a priority. Please explain.

James Becker

Spokane

French jail

There’s no argument in my crime-decimated neighborhood north of the river here in 99201 that we need a new jail but why can’t it be in Al French’s district on the West Plains? It’s his brainchild, isn’t it? Let him have the NIMBY squawking pleasure.

Mike Reno

Spokane