Letters for Feb. 6, 2023

Praise for local police restraint

A recent news story told about a 31-year-old man attempting to light a car on fire at the Spokane Valley Walmart. He then went into Walmart armed with a bat and knife, threatening people inside. He would not comply with police instructions to put the bat or knife down and was behaving aggressively. Tasers and pepper spray were used to subdue him. Many of the homeless people I have talked with are addicted to meth, opioids and fentanyl. I appreciate and respect the police that have to deal with these addicts and their self-induced mental issues and homelessness. Police departments are understaffed because the “defund the police” movement and “anti-police attitudes” have hurt retention and recruitment. Instead of glaring at or ignoring our local police, we as citizens need to smile and say, “thank you!”

HB1025 in the Washington House would remove police protections and immunity from prosecution and civil lawsuits should a police officer kill, injure or cause property damage. The liability this law imposes on a police officer and any municipality that employs them is onerous and very costly. Please write your representative and request they not support this litigious bill.

After what happened in Memphis, some think a law like this is needed. The five officers were fired and are facing criminal charges. The lives they had before their incident are over and ruined. Justice will be served and I am sure they will live to regret their actions and the harm they caused.

Victor Frazier

Spokane

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is a futuristic dystopian novel published in 1985 about a patriarchal, totalitarian society. It is similar to George Orwell’s book, “1984.” The rise of the Christian right in “The Handmaid’s Tale” comes from American history. Puritan theocracy is a Christian form of government in which society is ruled by divine law, particularly the judicial laws of the Old Testament.

A handmaid is a female servant based on the biblical story of Rachel and her handmaid Bilhah. The ruling class controls women’s fertility with their Christian ethics and moral principles. The color red indicates the handmaids’ fertility, associated with menstrual blood, while the wives dress in blue associated with the Virgin Mary.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” argues that legally controlling women’s reproductive freedom is morally and politically wrong.

Max Tuggle

Spokane