Letters for May 7, 2025

Headline misleads readers

The headline on Thomas Clouse and Alexandra Dugan’s story on Sunday (May 4) about the ICE arrest of Martin Diaz purposely misleads one to believe that ICE arrested Diaz over “minor offenses.”

I read the entire article and toward the end of the article the “minor offenses” were revealed. The first was a third-degree rape, lowered to third-degree assault – a felony.

The second was felony domestic violence. The federal government defines a felony as a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year. These do not sound “minor” to me.

Janice Kelly

Post Falls

Veteran stands against capital punishment

The day after signing a Death Penalty Action letter to stop the execution of Jeffrey Hutchinson, I was surprised to find his case on your front page, Wednesday (April 30). The letter was from veterans around the country. Besides being a Veteran For Peace, I’m a veteran of campaigns against the anachronistic institution of capital punishment. Fortunately for Washingtonians, the campaign against state killings here was successful, unlike any war since I was 1 year old.

Your article included significant issues in Hutchinson’s conviction, but the headline and photos of innocents encourage rejoicing in the unnecessary torture of a fellow veteran. Some of us know too much about killing and dying, and we’ve learned better ways than lethal force to make our families and communities secure.

There are no good executions, even for vengeance enthusiasts, just as there are no good wars. Certain we would not influence disgraceful navy veteran DeSantis to stop the killing, I awaited Alexandra Duggan’s follow-up report on Hutchinson’s violent death. Instead, someone chose a cookie-cutter article from a source with no apparent relevance to the condemned, his alleged victims or the actual execution.

Was Jeffrey’s death no longer a local story? He’s just another victim of the serial killers in Florida’s government, collateral damage in U.S. counterterrorism. I want to know if the functionaries strapping Jeffrey and placing the needle in his arm said, “Thank you for your service.” Think about that as you heap praise upon veterans about whom you know nothing.

Rusty Nelson

Spokane

City should care for trees

As a 30-year member of the Arbor Day foundation, I have to agree with Gary Jewell (“City should care for trees downtown,” May 2). The downtown trees are definitely showing signs of distress. Trees help to regulate temperature. I remember going to Airway Heights about 25 years ago. There were no trees and it was like driving into an oven.

Gary, you may not know that Spokane has its own Parks department. It is supposed to be their responsibility to maintain our greenery. May I suggest that you write, or visit them, and plead your case.

As for confinement, you are correct. I have been to San Diego several times. They use cement collars consisting of concentric rings. As the tree grows, the inner collars are removed.

Many people plant trees (and watch them die) because they don’t practice basic horticulture. When a tree is newly acquired, you don’t just dig a hole and drop it in. Remove the packing material and place the bare rooted plant into a bucket of plain water for several hours. Dig the hole twice the diameter of the roots. Fill the hole one-third with mulch. Plant the tree so that the roots are buried to a depth of 1 to 6 inches, depending on its size. Lastly, make a mulch ring around the base out to the drip line. Don’t touch the tree. Water every 10 days.

Spokane has been named a Tree City USA. Let’s keep it that way. Join Arbor Day and donate your free trees.

Douglas Benn

Tum Tum, Wash.