Letters for June 24, 2023
Mounting problems at the Spokane Humane Society
My concern for the animals at the Spokane Humane Society continues to mount as they recently publicized they cannot take owner-surrender animals, a critical part of their mission. As the longest-standing volunteer until my recent resignation with the other 15, I cannot recall a time that rivals the poor situation in which SHS finds itself. Adoptions have declined by over 20% the last few years. They are currently housing a dozen dogs that have been residents for over a year, and many more have been there over six months. I find that alarming and heartbreaking. The national organization, Fear Free, states that animals in the shelter setting can begin to deteriorate in as little as two weeks. The most critical thing we can do for them is get them adopted and out of the shelter.
This comes on the heels of complaints about administrative spending and priorities, botched projects, poor adopter experiences, reports from former employees and volunteers of hostility and excessive reprimands, the disbanding of the community pet food bank, ongoing concerns that dogs aren’t getting out of their kennels (which are still in need of repair), cats in a sterile, unfriendly environment, and donors leaving to donate elsewhere. Yikes!
Where is the board of directors? They are the oversight and safety net. It is my deepest hope that they understand the magnitude of the problems and step in to make meaningful changes in the administration to support our deserving animals.
Brenda Wright
Spokane
Weaponization of AG and FBI activities
The June 16 editorial by conservatives Marc A. Thiessen and Danielle Pletka references concern by many Republicans regarding recent “weaponization” of our U.S. justice system, at the level of the Attorney General and the director of the FBI, related to the recent indictment of former President Trump, and other instances of possible “selective” prosecution (or failure to prosecute), e.g., the investigations of Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden, and the Mueller investigation. Is there evidence for weaponization? Let’s ask, who’s been in charge of these investigations? Consider the following list (from the websites of the U.S. Attorney General and the FBI, and from Wikipedia articles): FBI Directors – James Comey, Christopher Wray, Republicans (Wray is the current Director); Attorneys General – Jeff Sessions, William (Bill) Barr, Republicans; Deputy Attorney General – Rod Rosenstein, Republican; Special Counsel (Russia investigation) – Robert Mueller, Republican. Current Attorney General Merrick Garland, nonpartisan, is described by Wikipedia as “a judicial moderate and a centrist.” Special Counsel for the Jan. 6 and classified documents investigations is Jack Smith, Independent. Given the number of Republicans just listed (some were Trump nominees), it seems quite doubtful there’s been any successful Democratic pursuit of inserting political bias into the investigative activities of the FBI or the U.S. Attorney General. As citizens, we should keep these facts in mind as the Trump legal process continues.
John Severinghaus
Spokane
Donald Trump as a ‘martyr’?
In response to “Trump Becomes a ‘martyr’ for GOP” (June 18): It’s a sad statement that the GOP, which really used to be a grand old party, would rather serve a boor and a bully than serve the people they’ve sworn to serve. Donald Trump continues daily to show himself as the most disrespectful of men, and the poorest role model for young boys this country has ever seen.
Michael Aleman
Spokane
Trump is a criminal, not a martyr
Sunday’s article says a lot about the logic that our neighboring states’ GOP congressman uses to criticize the current indictment of our former president, noting essentially “deep state corruption.” Basically, he says that Trump may have committed a crime, but holding him accountable using the methods of our nation’s law enforcement agencies of the FBI and DOJ are corrupt.
It appears likely probable that Trump committed numerous crimes, particularly the attempt to “overthrow” our democracy, as well as others that have been recently noted. We have laws, and if they are broken, there is a price to pay regardless of who you are. Blaming or denigrating law enforcement for investigating and successfully prosecuting criminals you happen to support illustrates the problem our country now faces, and sadly, many of these proponents fill seats in the chambers of our government.
All the partisan bickering over this event will end when the ‘rubber hits the road’ as the jury declares the verdict … or is the jury corrupt also if a guilty decision is made?
Bob Sanborn
Colbert
Victims of political abuse
A year ago, my congresswoman, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, convinced people that she had answers, that people should vote for her because she can fix things people fear like immigration and some nothing-burger called critical race theory. She promised to help voters survive inflation and capital-driven financial pinching from the very system she maintains.
A couple of years before that, the same-old-same-old-only-different fear-trigger, going back well over a decade. What is missing today is the same thing missing yesterday and predictably the same thing missing tomorrow: results.
I think she likes to keep a crisis handy and use it like a cattle prod to stir up fear to convince voters she and her party will save them. And here we are again.
I’m not a professional, but I’m certain that repeatedly delivering mental manipulation and fear-mongering with promises to change without ever producing the promised change is a good definition of domestic abuse. I am witnessing what appears to be mass mental and emotional abuse by an elected official. It is political abuse.
Voting for your own abuser is cringey. It’s like Stockholm syndrome, a mental disorder. Mental health treatment is recommended. Or we can throw this abuser out by voting for change.
I understand. People want their abusive candidate choice to be right, the same reasons people stay in abusive domestic relationships. But don’t let the investment fallacy and wishful thinking keep you in an abusive situation.
Janet Marugg
Clarkston