Letters for May 19, 2023

Americans need to unite

We need to find a way to show how many Americans are against gun violence and demand that sane gun regulations and gun safety education are implemented.

I’m thinking of mass mail protests to Congress demanding action. If each of us mailed a protest envelope or postcard to our senators and representatives every day, it might send a message. Imagine the tons of mail that would be dropped upon Congress. It probably would make world news, especially if we all kept it up until we saw some actions taken to protect us from gun violence.

We need to take a stand and even children could send post cards daily.

Which Democrats or Democratic group do you think would support this anti-gun violence movement?

How else can we make them listen?

Just a small percentage of Americans are pro-gun, anti-abortion, anti-LGTBQ, racist bigots.

We need an easy, cheap way to let the world see most Americans want this nonsense to stop.

Several of my grandkids are being home-schooled because of school shootings.

What does this say about us as a country?

Rogena Lobdell

Spokane Valley

Cover women’s athletes

Where are the women athletes? Occasionally one shows up in your S-R sports section, but not nearly daily. Title IX has produced great professional and local college women’s teams, but not in the S-R sports section.

Other papers I subscribe to show women playing, follow teams and make it clear that both women and men athletes provide great inspiration and entertainment. Please catch up, for our girls and young women who want to see their heroes in our local paper with the men.

Molly O’Reilly

Sandpoint

WA Cares Fund addresses challenges

In response to: “WA to tackle caregiver shortage with new plan to reduce barriers” (May 5).

I can relate. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I’ve been working since I was young and had never been really sick in my life. I’ve always been the one to provide care and support for people who need it, from my own family, to neighbors in my community. Now it was my turn to need help.

I was lucky. I caught the cancer in time and didn’t delay treatment. I have a big family and my children are old enough to take care of themselves.

Without the support of my family, I don’t know what I would have done when I couldn’t work and pay the rent. I would have put off surgery, the cancer may have metastasized.

We shouldn’t be relying on luck when we have a situation that leaves us needing help with basic tasks of daily living. Help is on the way.

The WA Cares Fund will be there for workers to tap into when we have a disabling event like a serious surgery, accident, disease, stroke or even the challenges that come with growing older. A diagnosis is enough to deal with by itself. When you add the financial stress of lost income and no way to pay for care, the stress skyrockets. WA Cares will be a game changer in the years ahead when we face the inevitable challenges life throws our way.

Julie Sparkman

Spokane

Recognize the bullies

I have no idea how the several state legislatures justify their anti-trans rulings. To the best of my knowledge, the transgender population is in the neighborhood of one-tenth of 1% nationally. These people are no threat to anyone. Then I recall the behavior of the bully: attack someone who appears weak. If that is what is at work here, the question has to be: Is that what they were sent to office to do?

Would I, as a voter, be happy with such knavery?

Gregory Chipps

Spokane

One person makes the difference

I read with interest about efforts to continue Sandy Williams’ legacy of the Black Lens newspaper of Spokane (“Sandy Williams left a legacy with the Black Lens newspaper. Now, a new fund will relaunch its publication by the end of 2023,” May 7).

As a former publisher (19 years) of a paper similar in scope and format (Boulevard Sentinel, Los Angeles 1997-2015), I’ll share what I know.

The one thing all such small papers share is that all are generated by one person, with the drive, resources, credibility, connections and skill to do every job, if necessary, to meet the deadline every month.

One person, willing and able to sacrifice everything to serve a community need.

One person who can generate the sales to pay for it and give 14 to 18 hour days to complete those pages by deadline. It will take an entire staff and enormous expense to equal the production of one dedicated person, who often gets paid nothing in one month and Taco Bell wages the next.

Is there another person that can fill the shoes of Sandy Williams? It would be almost impossible to find, but there’s always hope.

Tom Topping

Millwood

Take some fatherly advice

I would like to add some fatherly suggestions to Sue Lani Madsen’s excellent motherly advice (“Some motherly advice for political candidates,” May 11).

Don’t rationalize bad behavior with “what about-isms.”

Reject bad behavior as bad.

Don’t use worn-out labels or tropes to disguise an inability to actually articulate a position.

And, please, don’t insult us by succumbing to the worn-out strategy documented by satirist H.L. Menken in 1889: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed and hence clamorous to be led to safety, by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

It’s past time to look beyond the Democrats and Republicans and support candidates adhering to sensible motherly and fatherly advice. Please consider the forward party.

Jim Baumker

Liberty Lake

Save rural Regal Road

Rural South Hill has a gem worth protecting.

Cyclists, walkers and runners, isn’t it delightful to travel Regal Road from 65th to the Palouse, watching the colorful seasons unfold, listening to birdsong, smelling the wildflowers? This contemplative road, originally built for local traffic, is one of the last vestiges of rural South Hill farm country. Homeowners smile and wave as they graciously share their road with us. But with the nearby junior high opening up next fall, I’m concerned drivers will see Regal Road as a quick shortcut to school, even though the Palouse to 57th Avenue has the capacity and traffic lights to run traffic smoothly.

If you value Regal Road and want to keep it a contemplative route for nonmotorized traffic (and local homeowners), I encourage you to use it this summer. Fill this road with cyclists, runners and walkers, so motorists find it inconvenient and avoid it. Choose it, use it, or we may lose it.

Peggy Crooks

Spokane