Letters for March 8, 2023
Zags basketball
I have loved the Zags ever since my freshman year in 1954. Yep, I’m back one more time to comment on my favorite subject: free throws. The average make percentage for high school basketball in the U.S. is 65% to 70%. For the San Diego game, Gonzaga shot a whopping 55%. I believe two games this year were lost at the line! It seems that free throws are not really “free” for our beloved Zags!
What to do? Maybe a retired NBA player with a good free throw percentage as a “free-throw coach?” A number of years ago, we had a player named Derek Raivio from Vancouver and if I recall correctly, he led the nation in free throws at 96%. Maybe him? Desperation breeds strange “bedfellows.” Oh well, good luck Zags!
Edward Torrison
Spokane
Fox falsehoods
Fox and falsehoods have been a common occurrence since 2008, in my experience.
Examples: A Fox commentator declared the 2008 incoming presidential cabinet as “all communists.” I looked it up and the new cabinet was several respected holdovers from the Bush administration, a renowned diplomat and finance expert. Not a commie in the bunch. Then when NASA decided to privatize the space shuttle program, Fox viewers were told that the defense of the U.S. was in jeopardy. It was very alarming. Then there was the outrage over “Obama phones,” a fee on everyone’s cell phone bill to provide 40 minutes per month of phone access to the unemployed. Guess what: The “Obama phones” were a program started by the Bush administration to help the unemployed communicate with potential employers when unemployment was going through the roof.
That was it for me. I was tired of being lied to and needlessly upset by Fox content. It’s a tragedy that so many folks trust them.
Teresa Lowe
Greenacres
Grooming
Every week it seems there are multiple articles about men being charged with or sentenced for child molestation and rape, yet not one of them appears to be a known homosexual or drag performer. The only reasonable explanation is that you are burying stories about these nefarious groomers due to your crazy liberal bias.
Clearly the true patriots trying to protect us through censorship and persecution of minorities would never just make stuff up. Stop hiding the truth!
Michael Stanger
Spokane
Misplaced derision
The pathetic poor taste exhibited in Madsen’s scurrilous and snide column (“HB 1333 and the Church of Wokeism,” March 2) about the vital role of honesty in a political and social system as fragile as that of a democracy is shameful. She resorts to the cheap shots of bullies such as invoking the horrors of the 15th to 19th century. “Spanish Inquisition” and the notorious mistreatment of the Chinese under the Chinese Exclusion Act here in 19th century. She twists the science-based recommendations and earnest efforts of our public health service to cope with the recent COVID emergency into some kind of malevolent power-play.
HB 1333 may or may not be an effective tool in combating the critically important fight against the intentional dishonesty and devious manipulativeness rampant in our current society in business, advertising, political life, etc., but to disparage out-of-hand the importance and intention of such an effort is irresponsible.
Madsen writes, “Who gets to decide when statements are misinformation, disinformation or hate speech?” And her answer is “the one who hears it.” No, and that is why the people have long turned to their elected governments to enlist specialists and legal power to protect us from dangerous lies, distortions and manipulations. “Snake oil” is not good for anyone. Neither are guns in the hands of unfit people. Nor are opiates in the hands of those whose motive is profit. Neither should be access in the public media to those whose intent is socially destructive.
Peter Grossman
Spokane
Invest in climate action
Forests are the lungs of our planet and rivers the heartbeat. We at The Lands Council believe that thriving forests and clean watersheds protect and provide for people, wildlife and nature. We work toward the goal of a Spokane River that supports native fish and that provides a place for people to relax, to fish, to boat and to swim. We have a once-in-a-generation chance to fund climate action that could bring us closer to that vision.
The Climate Commitment Act is a landmark bill that caps climate pollution and makes polluters pay for their emissions. The CCA went into effect Jan. 1. The legislature is now debating how to spend the funds generated. In its early years, forecasts predict that the CCA will bring in nearly $1 billion per year that can be used to provide support for climate solutions around the state.
The list of proposals that could become a reality because of the CCA is exciting and hopeful: $10 million to strengthen urban forests, $10 million for habitat restoration and commercial thinning of forests, $10 million to restore riparian forests along rivers and streams, $5 million to enhance the shrub steppe ecosystems of Eastern Washington and tens of millions for various projects to sequester carbon in forests and fields. There are dozens more.
We must use CCA funds as intended: for projects like these that support vigorous climate action and fiercely defend our communities against climate impacts. This is a historic opportunity, let’s not miss it.
Naghmana Sherazi
Spokane
B tourney
Another great B tournament in the books. So many wonderful things to mention: the kids, the communities, the sportsmanship.
But two things that really standout: no refs going to the scoring table to watch a monitor every third call and players rarely, if ever, griping about a call. College and pro ball? Forget about it. This is the way games should be called, played and thoroughly enjoyed!
Great job to everyone involved. Let’s not let such a treat slip away to another town.
John Myers
Spokane