Critical race theory, voting rights, Snake dams and other Herald letters to the editor
Read both sides before deciding
The idea of “critical race theory” is another example of the Fox News syndrome. One individual took this legal term and added some disturbing ideas (“teaching students to hate our country”), and then Fox News latched on to this individual’s concept to make viewers further upset about the “culture wars.”
My Lutheranism teaches me that we are all “saint” and “sinner” at the same time. The same could be said of our country, and we need to be aware of both sides: the greatness of our country, but also its sins, in order to make the country better.
Our country believes that, in order to make a fair decision, a judge and jury need to listen to both sides of a case: defense and prosecution. The people who watch only Fox News or other right-biased media are, I believe, giving up their ability to make an appropriate decision since they only listen to one side. Do they hear the concerns about Trump’s administration?
I rarely listen to news, but I read reputable newspapers (as the Tri-City Herald) and also read transcripts of Fox News, so I try to see both sides. One needs to know more than Fox News.
Joyce Scherpelz, Richland
Port of Benton: Listen to people
Re: “Killing of the the soul of the Prosser airport” (Letter to the Editor, July 9). The Port of Benton appears to be following in the footsteps of the Port of Kennewick and ignoring the time-honored concept of listening to the people they were elected to serve, i.e., decided an issue without so much as a simple, “What do the citizens think?” The airport in Prosser is the people’s airport and they deserve a say in the process before the death knell sounds on yet another hallowed asset in our community.
Vista Field, formerly a wonderful facility serving the Mid-Columbia, was a 70+ year-old piece of Tri-City history summarily destroyed on the whim of so-called public servants who couldn’t care less about the importance of general and business aviation to the health of a community, not to mention the pleas of a significant number of Tri-City business leaders. Surely the port could come down from their high horse long enough to listen to the airport community and others before taking a dagger to the heart of another general aviation landmark. Shame on you.
Mike Talbot, Kennewick
Tighter voting law sensible to him
We don’t see any problem with having more secure voting laws. How can a law which applies to everyone be discriminatory, unless the implication is that some people are less capable of following a few simple requirements such as showing I.D.? (How could any responsible adult function without I.D.?) (Or such as) voting on time for mail-in ballots, or showing up at a local polling place? So much for the continuing myth of voter suppression.
Marc Dippre, Richland
Criticism of Biden was unmerited
(On July 4) a person criticized our President Joe Biden for his speech. I am very surprised the Tri-City Herald posted the letter as President Biden has done nothing but goodness, consideration, kindness toward everyone who comes into contact with him. He has devoted his life for the betterment of our country and no one has the right to pick on his speech or anything else personal about him.
No one should encourage meaness, cruelty or other remarks towards anyone with any physical problem. You never know. You could be next.
Barbara I. Whitney, Richland
Recall Sheriff
I retired from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office after more than 30 years of service as the Sergeant of Detectives and a respected member of the Tri-Cities Special Investigations Unit. Jerry Hatcher has been a cancer at the Sheriff’s Office since being brought back by Steve Keane. He has been vindictive and vengeful to those that disagree or oppose him. I refused to endorse or support him in either of his campaigns. I was targeted and finally in October of 2019, I had my authority to supervise the Detective Division taken away without cause.
Jerry Hatcher has complained that his command staff were doing things he was unaware of, which would make him the most inept Sheriff Benton County has ever had or he was completely aware of what was going on in the office but lacks the courage and integrity to say he knew what was happening. Either way, he should be disqualified from being Sheriff. I encourage the citizens of Benton County to vote yes to recall Jerry Hatcher.
Bob Brockman, Goodyear AZ
First dams to go shouldn’t be Snake
Two weeks of record heat, and our power grid survived, barely. Drought meant rivers were overheating. Because the Snake River dams reserve water, they were able to spill extra to keep rivers cool for fish. AC for both us and the fish! Aren’t the last couple of weeks concrete examples why we need these dams?
More bad news. California’s failing grid is taking power from neighboring states. And where will those states make up the lack? It’s not just Washington that uses Snake River dams to keep power affordable for our most vulnerable.
Let’s face it. More heat is likely. We all need those dams.
There are plenty of small, abandoned dams silting up salmon spawning grounds. Why not take the abandoned dams out first?
Matthew Ruane, Richland
‘Abuse’ to DJT refreshing
“Our country can’t take any more of this abuse!” (newsweek.com, 6/4) wails DJT, referring to an extension of his ban from Facebook. Ahh, the wounded one just doesn’t see (or read) how his abuse of Facebook resulted in its board giving him the boot. Contrary to his minions, I find his absence quite refreshing now that the noise and lies have died down.
But is it really the “country” feeling the abuse?
I should think the loser of a second term would be more inclusive of “abuse,” as in the grand jury being formed to see whether charges will be filed in New York. Or why not bellow about E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against DJT for rape? Then there’s the suit in Georgia which the nation was privy to when he tried to pressure the Secretary of State to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results — how mafia of him!
The real abuse is losing the election fairly, whereupon immunity went the way of reality.
P.S. I heard your blog poofed — due to a lack of interest which must surely be more abuse?
Bink Owen, Walla Walla
Solar cheaper, better than ever
As a longtime advocate for the development of solar projects in the Tri-Cities, I was pleased to see the recent article, “Solar is dirt-cheap and about to get even more powerful,” which ran on July 7. Solar technology has come a long way over the last few decades and is now cheaper and more efficient than ever.
Local projects such as the City of Richland’s Horn Rapids solar farm are already providing clean, reliable energy for the region and that capacity will only grow in coming years as new projects, such as the Horse Heaven development that includes solar, wind and battery storage, come online. In addition to the energy benefits, these projects can also provide much-needed jobs and economic activity for our community.
Rouzi Khoyi, Pasco
Zinn Education demonstrably false
I do not support threatening people regarding their beliefs, full stop.
However signing on to the Zinn Education Project does not reflect appropriate critical thinking skills I’d expect from those entrusted with educating our children. The first sentence on the Zinn Education Project website states: “Lawmakers in at least 26 states are attempting to pass legislation that would require teachers to lie to students about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism and oppression throughout U.S. history.”
This statement is demonstrably false as even a cursory reading of the legislation in question would show. Supporting this attempt to gaslight folks with genuine concerns regarding Critical Race Theory and associated theologies does not leave me with a good feeling regarding this teacher’s reasoning ability. I would encourage the Richland School Board to counsel this individual regarding appropriate social media conduct as it relates to her employment and as it reflects on the Richland school system.
David Shuford, Kennewick