Letters for Oct. 10, 2023

Basic medical care for incarcerated

“Medical examiner covers up cause of two county jail deaths” would be a more accurate headline for the Sept. 28 article than “Medical examiner determines cause of two county jail deaths.” These deaths are a red flag that the county jail lacks basic medical care. The article’s information suggests both deaths might have been prevented with adequate admission medical screening and subsequent management.

According to the article, 37-year-old Charles Francis Boardman died of “aspiration pneumonia due to combined effects of alcohol withdrawal and seizure disorder of unclear etiology.” He must have been sick for days. He was apparently intoxicated when he was booked into jail. Seizures are a known, potentially lethal complication of alcohol detoxification. Mr. Boardman should have been under close medical supervision.

The cause of death given for 23-year-old Kyle Robert McLaurine, “sudden cardiac death of uncertain etiology,” is not a cause at all. It is like saying “his heart stopped, and we don’t know why.” A sudden cardiac event in a man the age of Mr. McLaurine was probably predictable with adequate medical screening. If the cause is unknown, the manner could have even been an accident or homicide.

Basic medical care of incarcerated people is a constitutional right. The county’s leaders should do something about it.

Terence B. Allen, M.D.

Spokane

Defeat Measure 1

In 2016, our City Council and Mayor Condon voted that Spokane join a global movement of Compassionate Cities. How might we envision a more Compassionate Spokane?

Certainly not in what Larry Stone and those who support his vision (Curing Spokane) are suggesting: that we hide the unhoused from view in an underground bus station; that we vote for Measure One that would raise $1.7 billion to build an unnecessary jail largely to move the unhoused from view.

Instead, might we learn from Houston’s Housing First program that has reduced homelessness by 63% since 2011, has seen a significant reduction in crime, and costs a fraction of the cost to incarcerate someone?

Instead, might we spend resources for affordable housing, addiction treatment, mental health care, re-entry programs and job training? These factors that are at the root of “unsightly” homelessness must be addressed.

It is grossly irresponsible and uncaring to pretend that we don’t have a problem by hiding our unfortunate citizens from view, by locking them up rather than providing the help they need.

I sincerely hope that voters will vote to defeat Measure 1 and to defeat candidates who see it as a solution to cleaning up Spokane.

Let’s truly become a more Compassionate City of which we can be proud!

Carolyn Holmes

Spokane

Banning books and freedom of speech

The recent opinion column in The Spokesman-Review, “For Banned Books Week, lessons in how to fight for libraries” (Oct. 3) was intriguing. I dislike the idea of banning books. Books are vital to our learning of things we don’t know, especially history. Freedom of speech is vital but it’s about more than that. It’s freedom of choice.

If you don’t want to read a book, don’t. If you don’t want your child to have access to a book, don’t let them read it. But banning books to the general public should not be allowed. We should all have this choice. The opinion article indicated that “… 11 people filed 60% of all book challenges issued in the United States during the 2021-2022 school year.” So a handful of people get to dictate what millions get to read? There’s also a clamor that teachers and librarians should ‘patrol access’ of books. How about parents step up and take responsibility for what their children read?

The same goes for The Spokesman-Review’s opinion page. They have every right to publish opinions and letters that agree or disagree with your opinions. You have the responsibility to decide if you want to read it or not. You also have the right to send your opinion as a letter to the editor. But you have no right to take the choice away from others. Read what you want and agree or disagree with it. But please don’t take away other’s right to read because you disagree with it.

Beverly Gibb

Spokane

Praise to Kevin McCarthy

Praise to Kevin McCarthy for “getting with” the Democrats. When our Founding Fathers were writing documents, the idea was compromise. That is exactly what Kevin did. Shame on the House for removing Kevin, because he did his job. Don’t get me wrong; I am a diehard Democrat. Finally a Republican did the right thing for the American people.

Karen McReynolds

Spokane Valley