A great sadness
I am old. How old? Even older than a boomer! I was a war baby, born to parents who were members of “our greatest generation.” This generation made incredible sacrifices, both at home and overseas, to defeat powerful enemies on two fronts. They defeated Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Even more incredible, after the war, that generation created fast friends and allies out of these two enemies who became democracies.
Russia was another story. Starting out as part of the Nazi alliance, it became our ally when Germany turned on it. After the war it turned again to enemy as we engaged in a “cold war.” In a brief flirtation with democracy, it released its satellite countries to become separate nations. Then came Putin, trying to claw back those countries to his domination.
I am not just old, I am sad. How sad? Just thinking how our country has betrayed its “greatest generation” makes me weep. Half of the people in this country are going to vote for a man who openly admires Hitler, is “in love” with the dictator of North Korea, and who will do anything to win the approval of Putin! They justify this because the price of groceries is too high! I wonder how they are going to like ration books when we have to fight another war when the neo-Nazis and communists take over.
Helen Wootton
Moscow
Students excited about voting
It is with a smile that I write this letter. My husband and I volunteered on Election Day at the UI Rec Center, that precincts polling location.
From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the basketball court where we processed registrants was half- to three-quarters full. My guess is most of the voters were UI students who were voting for the first time. At times, while waiting for more new registration forms, we ran out of them three or four times, the students were courteous and calm. They chatted, formed lines and stayed upbeat. When some were told they could not vote they were disappointed but accepted the decision. Others left to bring back a required document so they could vote.
There was one small incident just after 8 p.m., a young man was upset because he couldn’t vote, he yelled a bit and I explained the law. He stormed onto the court, then came back and apologized, his friend shook my hand and also apologized to me.
This was our first time volunteering and I am grateful we saw first hand the dedication of the younger generation exercising their very important right to vote! Never let anyone tell you that students and young people don’t care and don’t vote.
Kathy Weber and Bill Lambert
Moscow
Congratulations, I guess
I guess congratulations are in order for always Trumpers on your hollow victory. One I believe you’ll soon come to regret — fascists usually end up turning on their “people.”
Remember when we were watching the twin towers crumbling on 9/11? And that awful feeling in the pit of one’s stomach? That’s what I was feeling Wednesday morning after finding out that lying jagoff had become president again.
But, you won’t hear me, Democrats and independents pissing and moaning about a freakin’ stolen election or election fraud like that hunk o’ excrement did. Nor will you see any liberal smashing their way into the U. S. Capitol. Or defecating in the halls of Congress. Or stealing government property. Or beating people with the American flag. Or crushing police officers to death. Nope.
What you have heard, already, is a gracious concession. This is how responsible people are supposed to act. Not like what that whining crybaby did on Jan. 6.
Damn straight, I’m hurting.
Former evangelicals and Trump Christians in support of that thing bear responsibility for this travesty.
By electing that misogynistic, lying felon Donald Trump, you have taken a giant crap on everything written in the Bible and made a mockery of the crumbling remnants of your faith.
I’ll say it again. I have no idea what I believe anymore, but it sure ain’t what you people believe ...
What happened to the truth, inclusion and forgiveness outlined in scripture?
You have taken Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and transformed it into the Fool on the Hill.
Jim Roach
Moscow
Worried about public schools
I am increasingly concerned about the future of public education in Idaho. There is a growing number of groups supporting school vouchers, tax breaks for private school households, or scholarships for K-12 students, whatever they want to call it, they all mean the same thing: fewer dollars to publicly funded schools.
I recently heard that there is an argument that the funds should follow the students — not the schools. On the surface this idea seems harmless enough — but it is essentially flawed. We do not decide where our taxes go based off our household values across the board. I do not pick which emergency services my taxes go toward. I do not cherry pick which public parks I will fund. While the notion of allowing funds to follow students may sound appealing, it overlooks the essential purpose of public services, including education. Just as we don’t allocate tax dollars based on personal preferences for which fire department, police service, or public park we support, we shouldn’t fragment the public education system by allowing funding to be siphoned off in favor of private or selective institutions.
Public education serves as the cornerstone of a fair and equitable society, ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to the resources they need to thrive. The more we allow public funds to be diverted to private interests, the more we undermine this vital institution.
Marie Duncan
Moscow
Kamiak Butte no place for wind project
Responding to Wayne Beebe’s letter to the editor on Oct. 26-27, 2024, and his question about the “NO WIND FARMS” signs in relation to the increased need for power generation. As a nonprofit group, “Save the Palouse” is neither for or against wind power. Our position is simply that industrial wind has no place around Kamiak Butte, nor the rolling hills of the Palouse region. This is the world’s best land for dryland farming and the area is more populated than it appears and many will be directly impacted by the imposition of industrial wind projects. It’s a horrible idea for such a beautiful region.
The simplest way to communicate the rejection of this ill-conceived endeavor called Harvest Hills Wind Project is simply stating NO WIND FARMS. At this time, Harvest Hills is the only proposed project in the area, and there’s only so much room on a sign. So, it’s simple, NO WIND FARMS wanted on the Palouse. And yes, it’s true more power generation is needed due to AI and crypto, but instead of forcing eastern Washington and the rural areas to endure industrial wind, why don’t they build them over on the west side of the state? If you look at nrel.gov, the wind charts show plenty of wind in that region. Oh, I know why they don’t want them there, they’ll have to look at them every day and put up with the noise and shadow flickers from the blades. Makes sense now!
Tom Thompson
Pullman
