Letters for Feb. 25

Cuts to national parks staff affect our communities

I am a retired national park ranger who proudly served 32 years in several parks including Grand Canyon, Lake Roosevelt (at Kettle Falls, Fort Spokane, Coulee Dam) and Great Smoky Mountains.

My family and I have watched with dismay as the Trump administration is dismantling the federal workforce. National parks are being hit hard.

Who will you call when your fishing boat gets stuck on the icy boat ramp at Fort Spokane, when your husband collapses at the campsite, when your son leaps off your boat without resurfacing, or when your escaped campfire starts a wildfire?

If you don’t care about our national parks being degraded, and park staff losing their jobs, will you care about the loss in revenue in your community?

Our national parks provided $55.6 billion in economic output in 2023 (nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm). Hotels, restaurants and gas stations benefit the most.

Parks will be forced to close campgrounds, as they won’t have enough staff to run water treatment plants, empty the dumpsters, deal with camper disputes and provide emergency medical care. If they’re ordered to keep areas open, parks will descend into lawlessness and unsanitary conditions. Who wants to expose their children to this? Visits will decrease; local communities will take the hit.

This is what happens when you take a wrecking ball to the federal workforce instead of a scalpel. Where are the Republican lawmakers? Please call Rep. Baumgartner’s office at (509) 353-2374 and (202) 225-2006.

Marty Huseman

Spokane Valley

Harassment is not a prank

On Feb. 18 in Spokane County Superior Court, I heard John Dawson Rhodes’ plea deal related to the stealing of the Veradale United Church of Christ’s Pride and Black Lives Matter flags and for the lawn damage from fuel sprayed to write Leviticus 20:13. Rhodes and his attorney named this activity as a prank.

“Prank” is used in social media and even in our schools as a way to dismiss hurtful behaviors. Worse still, it makes victims the problem if they don’t get the joke. This was not a joke. These were not people who knew us and were making a joke that would be “wink, wink , nudge, nudge” among friends.

This was calculated. Fuel was put into a weed sprayer to write a message. In the police report a defendant said they used the Bible passage only because one in their group really didn’t like LGBTQ stuff, but they didn’t know what the passage meant.

Here’s the thing : Even without knowing how this verse is used, they did it seemingly knowing it would hurt gay people and all of us who call gay people our family and believe with all our hearts that gay people are made in image of God like all of us.

No more using the word “prank” to get away with bullying, harassing, or intimidating in home, work, school or the community. We must all stop tolerating “pranks” as a way to minimize harmful actions.

It’s not funny.

The Rev. Gen Heywood

Spokane Valley

Washington tourism depends on TikTok

Seattle has a lot to offer tourists, and TikTok has allowed me to show thousands of people various attractions. A TikTok ban would devastate the tourism industry and economy in Washington.

As a Seattle resident, I turned to TikTok because I wanted to share the great things my city could offer. I didn’t realize how posting videos promoting attractions could translate to a real positive economic impact on my state, but it has. In fact, a recent survey found that after watching a TikTok video, 38 % of consumers visited a local business or attraction.

Without TikTok, I’m worried my state will be hurt economically. That’s why last month, I encouraged my followers to sign a petition delaying the ban by 270 days. While my videos received thousands of likes, it’s now up to our lawmakers, like Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, to realize the impact of a ban and stop it.

This is bigger than posting creative videos. Without TikTok, creators like me won’t be able to promote Washington businesses. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray , are you willing to sit back and watch your state suffer, or will you reconsider your position and help stop a TikTok ban?

Sheyla Cerda

Seattle