Dare to stay woke
“Trump’s victory: A rejection of elites and woke agendas,” gloats Dale Courtney in a Nov. 21 Daily News “His View.”
Apparently anyone who questions the domination of Trump ideology, anyone who affirms that this country is historically, systemically racist, anyone who stands up for the rights of LGBTQA individuals is now elite and woke.
Please dare to stay woke during the coming years of censorship and oppression.
Walter Hesford
Moscow
Interesting takeaways from podcast
I have recently been listening to the Sons of the Patriarchy podcast, which documents the rise of Christian Nationalism and abuse concomitantly associated with CREC churches, which is short for Christ Church affiliated plants. I highly recommend it: Women certainly are ill-treated in those communities, but one feels almost as bad for Doug Wilson’s yes-men, catamites and pillow-munchers, all of them, in service to his pooterish cardboard intellectualism.
Dana Banks
Moscow
This one’s for my mother
My mother was a staunch Democrat who, at 101, almost lived to see Joe Biden trump Trump in 2020. She would have been thrilled. Upon her passing in July 2020, friends and family vowed that when they put pencil to ballot for Biden, they would say, “This one’s for you, Ruth!”
I’m relieved that neither of my parents lived to see the horrors of Jan. 6, the outcome of the 2024 election or the dystopian decision required of special counsel Jack Smith to dismiss all charges against now-President-elect Trump.
While the MAGA crowd serves time for the insurrection hosted by Trump, Trump continues to play the law like a cat plays a mouse. My mother would be appalled, but would most likely fall back on her mantra for when life goes awry: “Who ever said life was fair?”
Who, indeed?
Not my paternal grandfather, who escaped to New York from his conscription in the Czar’s army; nor my maternal grandfather, who served as a U.S. Army medic in World War I and came home with shell shock. They knew first-hand how unfair life can be, which is why they both emigrated to this “golden land” that welcomed them and knew their worth. In their memory, I will continue to write to maintain the right to continue.
But this time next year, will we still be allowed to freely voice our opinions? Will there still be a venue in which to voice them?
No matter the price, we must not allow our voices to be silenced. We must recognize and fight against tyranny wherever it finds us.
Lisa Kliger
Moscow
The yard stick of history
Using our yard stick, we can work from the present to the past. Today there are 195 countries recognized by the UN. All of today’s global powers have long histories. The U.S. is the newest. Iran is 14.5 times older, China is 12 times older and Russia is 3.5 times older. We are the first to experiment with democracy as a form of government.
Today’s dominant powers have suffered through invasions, civil wars and periods of serious instability. Our own Civil War cost us 600,000 with wounds so deep they still threaten our union. Now the possibility that our democracy may give way to autocracy exist. We may find hope after reviewing what saved us from the very beginning. Early political divisions challenged the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Federalists voted in favor of the Constitution (1787) and anti-federalist, who insisted on adding the Bill of Rights, approved of it in 1791. Nothing is new about citizens with strong differing opinions on a variety of issues. The enduring hallmark of our country is a willingness to compromise. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are the products of men and women who labored to create a more perfect union. Compromise is not a sign of weakness but rather a statement of strength. Today, 46 million U.S. citizens were foreign born. In America today, there are 1,500 people of different races. This beautiful tapestry of diversity makes us the world’s strongest country.
Stan Smith
Viola
Wonderful ArtWalk event
As Sales & Marketing director at Paradise Creek of Olympus, I would like to personally thank the artists who submitted art for our November ArtWalk. Not including the fabric arts, blacklight art exhibit and items displayed on tables, we had more than 170 different paintings, photographs and drawings, lining the halls at our Moscow Village campus on Eisenhower. It was an amazing evening with several attendees expressing surprise by the sheer number of pieces on display.
I want to give a huge shout-out to the Palouse Hills Weavers Guild and specifically Jan Keller for her help coordinating their wonderful display of weavings and demonstrations on various looms. It was so special to see our residents and the community engage with the weavers as they created their beautiful weavings. Additionally, I want to thank the Palouse Patchers and Wayne and Leslie Sprouse for allowing us to borrow quilt racks so we could display several stunning quilts as part of the event. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the efforts of my team members. This event could not happen without their help with all of the tasks that needed to be done to make it a special evening.
Finally, if you weren’t able to make it to ArtWalk, please consider stopping by as many of the pieces will continue to be on display for a short time. It is so worth the trip to the east side of Moscow and hopefully will entice even more people to attend when we host ArtWalk again in 2025.
Tammie Poe
Moscow
Keeping rural areas healthy
The University of Washington School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Health Partnership unites providers in rural communities with students, faculty and providers to improve health.
This holiday season, we express deep gratitude for the time, expertise, collaboration and support from our health partners — the extensive network of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, medical assistants and allied health care professionals — who are educating and mentoring the next generation of health care providers to serve communities like Pullman. Our health partners are a cornerstone in delivering top-ranked medical education.
Together, we are stronger, preparing the next generation of physicians for Pullman and beyond.
Geoff Jones, M.D.
Assistant clinical dean, Eastern and Central Washington, University of Washington School of Medicine
Spokane
