Letters for Sept. 25, 2023

Linebarger invents a grievance theory

Rob Linebarger’s guest opinion (“Plan to censure mayor an assault on all Christians”) was a painful read. According to Linebarger, efforts to censure mayor Woodward are really “targeted” at Christian patriots.

Conveniently, he never mentions Woodward chumming it up onstage with Matt Shea – whose resume includes domestic terrorism, advocacy of violence against non-Christian religious minorities, aiding hate groups with surveillance services, and training young men for biblical warfare which would, according to his manifesto, install him as leader and eradicate all male nonbelievers by killing them. (Not sure what happens to women nonbelievers.)

Never mind the obvious problems with cozying up to Shea. Instead Linebarger invents a grievance theory that censuring the mayor is really a broader “hostile action” undertaken to “control the masses” and “intimidate” worshippers. Worse yet, he complains that the newspaper denigrates these worshippers as “Christian nationalists”–a pejorative label designed to “sow fear and doubt” among the faithful.

No, not really. The newspaper simply noted that the event organizer, Sean Feucht, is a self-avowed Christian nationalist. (He preaches that America should be governed by biblical law in preparation for the second coming.) Furthermore if Woodward hadn’t joined Shea onstage, this would have been a nonevent. So if there’s a hidden agenda here, it’s likely Linebarger’s contrived effort to turn the truth upside down – with deceptive hogwash worthy of Orwell’s “1984.”

And yes, given all the public scrutiny, formal censure probably isn’t necessary. Besides, the more Woodward tries to scrub clean the stain of this event, the more she looks like Lady MacBeth futilely working on her damned spots.

Steve McNutt

Spokane

Cartoon hits the mark

The Sept. 18 political cartoon depicting politicians as “ol’ farts” rang a bell with me. As an oldie myself – I totally agree. We need young’uns with new, fresh ideas. Let’s have the “old white men” (and women) move on and give up their death grip on power. Term limits would be awesome and might help alleviate the problem. Of course, the underlying problem is with the voters who keep voting them in. What are they thinking?

Claudia Craven

Spokane