Vote Sandberg for judge
Roger Sandberg is on the ballot this year for Whitman County Superior Court Judge. I urge your readers to join in voting for Sandberg for judge.
As the county’s prosecuting attorney, I have worked with many judges, here and in other parts of the state; and I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that Mr. Sandberg deserves your vote.
Roger Sandberg has the knowledge, the broad experience, the common sense, and the plain good judgment that our next judge needs to have. Please vote Sandberg for judge.
Denis Tracy
Pullman
I’m sick of climate change
And I don’t want to hear about it anymore! A July 3 column said it this way: “Might we have a conversation about the ecology of the earth without a single murmur about global warming?” The writer castigates “weather news teams” for lacking imagination and relying on “‘unprecedented’ and ‘historic’ floods, heatwaves, droughts” to fuel “perpetual anxiety” in us.
During the following week we saw the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever, Death Valley’s record high temperatures, and California wildfires, fought in record heat — all driven by global warming, climate change, or however else we choose to describe what’s happening to Earth’s atmosphere.
The columnist went on to champion “rewilding,” defined as “helping nature heal,” specifically “creating the conditions for the ecosystem to restore itself.” Great! How might we achieve such admirable goals while ignoring what’s driving our changing climate? It’s a false dichotomy. Rewilding tries to restore ecosystems created from interactions among climate-driven weather patterns, soil-creation processes, and a succession of plant and animal communities over millennia.
Man’s disturbances of these original ecosystems are well-documented. Also well-documented, the science underlying global warming was first demonstrated in 1856 by Eunice Foote, an American scientist whose experiments demonstrated CO2’s warming effects on air temperature. Being a woman, she wasn’t permitted to share her findings at the AAAS; a man presented her paper.
Instead of avoiding it, we need to talk more about global warming and resulting climate changes. It’s hard to “rewild” anything under changing climatic conditions that ultimately govern all ecosystems. Undisturbed ecosystems matured through “primary succession;” ecosystems recovering after human disturbance do so through “secondary succession.” Think of western grasslands recovering from the 1930s “dustbowl” days, Topsoil from eastern Colorado darkened the nation’s skies before falling into the Atlantic Ocean. Global warming changes much, but nothing succeeds like succession.
Pete Haug
Colfax
Lend a hand to those who lend a hand
Recently, our community has seen the closure of several nonprofit organizations and a continuous struggle for others to keep their doors open. This is not just a loss of services; it represents a significant blow to the very fabric of our community.
Nonprofit organizations are the unsung heroes, tirelessly working to address a myriad of issues, from alleviating poverty and hunger to fostering the arts and culture that enrich our lives. Each of these organizations plays a crucial role in making our community a vibrant, inclusive and supportive place to live.
Consider the local food banks that ensure no family goes hungry, the shelters providing a safe haven for those without homes, and the cultural institutions that bring us together through theater, music and the arts. These organizations often operate with limited resources, relying heavily on the generosity of volunteers and donors. Yet, their impact is immeasurable.
Now, more than ever, these nonprofits need our help. The financial strain brought on by the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges means that many are struggling to pay bills and continue their operations. As a community, we have the power to make a difference.
Support your favorite nonprofits through donations, planned giving and volunteering. Even a small contribution can make a significant impact. Donations help keep programs running, planned giving secures their future and volunteering offers invaluable support that money can’t buy.
Supporting our nonprofits is not just an act of charity; it’s an investment in our community’s future. These organizations uplift those in need, enrich our cultural landscape, and create a stronger, more resilient community.
Visit their websites, attend their events, and contribute in any way you can. Our collective efforts can ensure that the Palouse remains a place where everyone thrives.
Kristin Lincoln
Executive director, Washington Idaho Symphony
Thanks to Pullman officials
Thank you to (Pullman) councilmembers (Trymaine) Gaither and (Eric) Fejeran for stepping up to the plate.
Thank you to councilmembers (Megan) Guido and (Pat) Wright for all the years.
Thank you to councilmember (Nathan) Weller for the often-prescient guidance.
Thank you to councilmember (Carla) de Lira for making me feel that we are less vulnerable to storm water issues.
Thank you to councilmember (Ann) Parks for demonstrating a compassionate and merciful approach by offering a ride to an old man who did not know that he needed one.
Thank you to Mayor (Francis) Benjamin for his many years of service and his now taking on of additional responsibilities.
Tod Merley
Pullman
What tone policing really means
I read the headline to Scotty Anderson’s July 11 opinion (“Dismayed by group’s conduct”) and a light went on inside my head. “I know this!” I thought. “This is tone policing!” Tone policing is a tool we use to discredit the comments and feelings of other people. It is strongly associated with race because often white people tell POC “we aren’t going to listen to you until you’re calm.” The message is that the less powerful person must approach the powerful group in a manner pleasing to the group. Honestly the powerful group doesn’t want to be approached at all; the true message is “your comments make us uncomfortable. Stop talking.”
I joined a book club about Layla Saad’s “Me and White Supremacy.” Saad’s book taught us about tone policing and a half-dozen other tools that groups in power use to maintain status quo. Yeah, reading that book made me woke but I really feel uplifted and like I can help share power with groups that are being kept out of our town. I recommend it.
Roger Crawford
Pullman
