Supporting mental health, Kamiakin mascot, climate change and other Herald letters
SARC lists ideas for holiday health
Holiday Help: The Support, Advocacy Resource Center would like to encourage everyone to take stock of their mental and emotional health during this holiday season.
Anniversaries of death, memories, and Christmas long ago and the temptation of a “Hallmark” Christmas may be overwhelming. Some suggestions to create a better holiday season for you and your loved ones include to create your own holiday for yourself. What are your expectations and what do you know will happen? Only do what feels good for your health. Say “no” if the circumstances will be “just too much.”
Anticipate difficult holiday interactions. Think ahead, make lists and pick and choose what is best for you. Plan how you want to cope with the difficult days that may be coming and do not be alone. The holidays are very depressing and can trigger so many feelings. The reliving of trauma may be overwhelming. Identify a support person.
Create a holiday that you and your family will enjoy. Rest!
Sherrie Lennox, Support, Advocacy, Resource Center, Richland
We seem to prefer climate disaster
Yes, it’s too late to deal effectively with climate change. The reason is we are human. We are the only species that names itself ‘wise man’ and routinely demonstrates that we are not wise, even stupid.
We don’t live long enough to value a future 100 years off. We don’t really care what kind of world our grandchildren will inherit. After all, we won’t be there. Besides, we know that the climate changes all the time and that humanity cannot possibly affect climate. Our inability to tell the difference between weather and climate doesn’t matter.
We love money, certainly more than protecting our home planet. We firmly believe that our economy is far more important than our environment.
We value emotion over reason, opinion over knowledge, belief over fact, and lies over truth.
We follow a cult leader, believe absurd conspiracy “theories,” refuse life-saving vaccines and are affronted to wear a mask in a pandemic. Our God-given right to absolute freedom is more important than protecting others lives.
We are stubborn, value anti-science, and dismiss facts contrary to our opinions. Scientists are ignorant if they don’t agree with our opinions.
Human nature is the simple reason we prefer climate disaster.
Edward Rykiel, Richland
Mascot name fuss has him wondering
The Name Crisis confuses me. I was happy to read that Kamiakin is still allowed to be Braves. Sadly, the Washington Redskins didn’t fare so well. Ironically, I received some forms from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms with a return address of Redskin Drive in Herndon, Va.
What will happen to people with names like Charlie Brown, Clint Black, Betty White, Zane Grey or Tom Savage? Will Ford Motors be forced to rename the Thunderbird? Games will never be over till the fat lady sings. Slim Whitman may never sing again. Will the University of Idaho still be Vandals? Certainly Los Angeles will not be allowed to use “the city of Angels.”
Almost Sincerely, Mike Nom de Plume
Mike Mehren, Hermiston
Mascot changes right thing to do
I am a part of the Kennewick School District and I think everyone should be informed on why the KSD schools like Kamiakin and Legacy High School are being asked to change their mascots. Respecting the tribes in our surrounding counties, we should change these mascots if they want us to due to the fact that they have been represented by these for many, many years.
These tribes own what we use, and I think we should have asked them over the years if it was okay continuing to use them. Overall, I think it is a smart idea to change our school mascots, though it will be sad to lose what we know them by; it’s the right thing.
Kaylee Pellman, Kennewick
Poor Liz Cheney
Poor Liz Cheney (“Wyoming GOP disavows Cheney as a Republican,” Tri-City Herald, Nov. 17), now a pariah. She had the audacity to speak the truth about Biden’s predecessor, a no-no in this party of lock-step obedience and blindness to a perennial liar and insurrectionist.
There is no room these days for people of thought or dissent in the GOP, as witness the recent questionnaire for the position of local sheriff — fealty to Donald Trump, nothing more, no room for anything except subservience to autocracy. Perhaps if Ms. Cheney were more like (Congress members) Greene, Boebert, Gaetz, Gosar, Gohmert, Johnson, Cruz, Scalise and others — party adorables — the GOP would throw a ticker tape parade for her in Cheyenne. But her honesty alone will never allow this conservative body to accept her belief that, “There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the U.S. of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”
Liz Cheney, you are no Kellyanne Conway.
Bink Owen, Walla Walla
Do politicians still have principles?
Until 2017, I understood and approved the social issues of the Democrats and economic issues of the Republicans. However, in 2020 the Republicans adopted word for word their platform of 2016. Few could determine what the Republicans really stood for since they said little about the future.
Today, Republicans appear to merely support their chances of re-election without policy considerations. For example, Republican leadership in the House of Representatives support Congressman Paul Gosar’s portrayal of himself killing Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and physically attacking President Biden. Congressman Gosar intended to be humorous, but murdering an elected official is not funny. It is simply bad taste. If the Republicans propose such nonpolitical issues, the electorate should reconsider how they vote.
We all can have our opinions about crime and economics. Just keep it civil. We should encourage opposing ideas and even promote their discussion.
The Democrats should be able to compromise better than they have. Lately I find myself rooting for the Democrats only because the Republicans don’t offer anything better. They all need to reconsider their principles … or even whether they have any.
Jerry Greenfield, Richland
Harris does little as vice president
Kamala Harris is like a pretty, petite starfish. Unfortunately, starfish have no brains. She has drawn the vice president’s salary for many months now, and I can’t think of anything that she’s accomplished.
Take, for example, the border crisis. It appears that we have paid for her to take no action, other than to recently blame good old Donald Trump for the flood of illegals, drugs and illness occurring on her watch. You know, I didn’t think anyone could be as crass as (Nancy) Pelosi bragging about her vast storage of ice cream during one of her ridiculous interviews, but Harris appears to have gone lower still.
Kurt Lewis, Richland
Miscarriage of justice
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” is an old saying that sadly pertains to the case of Kyle Rittenhouse. He was a vigilante who killed two people and injured a third. Good intentions do not excuse murder.
Wisconsin law prohibits anyone under 18 years of age from being armed. Hunting laws there say children under age 12 can’t hunt with guns. For Rittenhouse’s attorney to claim he was hunting was ludicrous (unless he was hunting people).
Rittenhouse should have been convicted of homicide and attempted homicide, and of being a minor in possession of a firearm (semiautomatic rifle).
The law pertains to everyone, including young white men who probably play way too many video games and want to be the hero.
Amy Small, Richland