Letters for May 24, 2023

Hungry children pay the price

We all should know the importance of having too much debt. What I can’t understand is why the debt ceiling has to be curbed at the expense of children living in poverty. According to a reliable charity (Feeding America), Spokane County has over 15,000 children who are not getting enough food to eat.

The letter to the editor about Second Harvest indicated its resource for food distribution is insufficient to meet demands. People are starving. Children are starving due to no fault of their own. According to the plan by Congress, we are taking food out of children’s mouths to solve our debt problem. Have we as a nation quit caring about starving children? Not extending tax cuts seems like a more humane option.

Andy Clarke

Gig Harbor, Wash.

Spokane needs big changes

I relocated here in 2014 in search of a better life after a devastating divorce. Having all the heavy equipment, truck driving experience and a spotless record, I was confident I would be hired. With resume and letters of recommendation, I applied. Nothing.

Then there’s the people. People here are not friendly at all. Rude, discourteous, cold, loud, offensive, hateful, violent, destructive and yes, racist.

As a college-educated man who speaks and presents well, I was appalled – and still am – that this place is 20 years removed from the rest of the United States.

I’m 75 now with not many years left, but I have managed to make three friends here who truly see me as someone to keep around.

Spokane is a very poor choice of a place to live, regardless of all the downtown places to visit. It has expensive hotels and restaurants that nobody can afford, and people who don’t street and highway speed limits . This place is horrible to live in.

I believed your online biography in 2014 and this place is a garbage can of social living.

I hope you print my letter for your city leaders to read and make some serious changes. If not, prepare yourselves for the very worst that is inevitable to happen. Stop the chatter and do something constructive. Not buildings. Building strong relationships between people. People are the future, not cold structures.

Mattaniah David

Spokane

We had no say in new dog park location

The new dog park approved for Upriver Drive to replace the South Hill dog park will take me over an hour for a round trip to walk my dogs. We didn’t ask for a park on the far side of the moon. We were not given any chance to comment on location. I am disabled veteran and not allowed to drive because of seizures. How about giving us some respect for what we gave? Just typical of any government agency.

James Also

Spokane

Faith leaders support transgender rights

Recently, state legislatures across the nation have introduced a torrent of anti-transgender measures aimed at limiting the rights of transgender individuals, particularly gender-affirming care. In Idaho, a newly passed law will go into effect in January making it a felony crime to administer gender-affirming care to minors. This is another blow for Idaho-based health care providers who are already facing felony charges for providing abortions in the state.

As faith leaders and members in the community, we stand together in support of transgender rights. We are open and affirming people of faith who value all human beings and their identities. Keep in mind, transgender individuals can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, straight or any other sexual orientation. They are your neighbors; they are all God’s children.

Transgender people should be included in the life of the church and our society.

Interim Pastor Gary Jewell,

Community Congregational United Church of Christ

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Stevens

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse

Megan Guido

Outreach coordinator, United Church of Christ, Pullman

Here’s why America is losing its edge

I read University of Montana President Seth Bodnar’s column regarding why America is losing its edge with great interest (“Want to know why America is losing its edge? Look around campus,” May 16). He is spot on. Yes, we need skilled workers in today’s economic, competitive environment, but we also need a balance. We still need trained professionals, which a college education can provide.

Unfortunately, too many people, from politicians on down, discourage young people from attending college, especially young men. In some circles, it is considered “unmanly” to attend college. I am certainly glad that so many women are taking the opportunity to obtain a higher education.

My granddaughter recently graduated from the University of Alabama, and my sister received a master’s degree in microbiology. Still, young men deserve to attend college if that is their preference. No one should be discouraged from going to college. The same applies if a young person also desires to enter one of the skilled trades.

We need skilled artisans such as mechanics, plumbers and carpenters – and college graduates.

Don’t discourage either.

Jess Hughes

Otis Orchards