Children and libraries
Representative Kingsley and senators Carlson and Foreman stood in every library and classroom thumping their chests crying “pornography,” “indoctrination,” “grooming” while vilifying teachers and librarians. Their hostile attacks do little to reduce sexual assault of children.
Children currently have an endless supply of sexually explicit, shaming, racist, grooming, suicide ideation, etc., at their fingertips. Parents, become familiar with social media and streaming platforms your children have access to. Decide what you want your children connecting with. As a family, set boundaries with clear consequences for not respecting those boundaries. Stopitnow.org is a valuable resource for you.
Visit libraries and encourage your children to use libraries. Have a topic or author you do not want your children to read? Librarians will help you find authors you feel comfortable with. Read to and with your children. Regularly check books your children have checked out. Set clear boundaries and consequences if/when boundaries are crossed.
Have concerns about a book in your children’s classrooms? Contact teachers to learn why it is part of lessons or in the library. If necessary, work together to find a solution.
Vilifying and threatening teachers and librarians does not eradicate the sexual abuse of children. It is time Kingsley, Carlson and Foreman stop scapegoating librarians and teachers. Instead dedicate funds for workshops, programs and publications helping parents and others stop child abuse. For those who have experienced sexual abuse, their families need affordable access to therapists now. The information is available; Idaho legislators need to get those services to families.
Vickie Fadness
Lewiston
Gas station derbies
Yes, Washington, I understand. Your fuel prices are out of control. I don’t blame you for coming to the hungry mouth sounds and the green Jurassic fella with his stinky friend. But why so much ire at the pumps? Jockeying wildly for position, wedging your Subarus and Suburbans to box out the next, lines waiting for precious go-juice spilling into the streets. “Outta my way, Idaho! No soup for you!” Would it hurt to be a bit more, oh, let’s say, courteous when you visit us?
A recent excursion to the pump island was not the first filled with screamed obscenities and one-fingered salutes, well-rehearsed and expertly executed. Seems you all think I’m cutting the line if I position my vehicle so the pump hose can reach it. Excuse me, Washington? That’s no way to treat an Idaho taxpayer whose contribution offers you ‘cheap’ fuel. Want lower fuel prices at home? Then contact your elected officials about Washington’s regressive tax structure. Maybe suggest changes to the “government by initiative” that got you here in the first place? Come to think of it, you have a full tank of octane on-the-cheap, so drive on over to Olympia. Make appointments and ask them where the fuel taxes are going? Evidently not roadways or infrastructure. May as well poke the bear too and see if they have anything to say about lottery dollars and funding education (D’oh!). Oh, and rather than leading with your purple-purple and DiNoCo default behavior, perhaps try respect? Rationale? Diplomacy? But who knows, they are politicians after all.
At any rate, good luck in the gas-em-up’ derby. Meanwhile, guess I’ll skip a fancy java and go pay an extra $5 to fill up in desert isles of the good ol’ Evergreen State. Someone’s gotta pay your taxes.
Gordon Peterson
Moscow
Two books worth reading
Dale Courtney’s view (Daily News column, Sept. 27) involving the Centers for Disease Control sparked a resonant chord within me. Trust in government institutions is waning. So, who would you like to trust, the multibillion dollar corporations whose only allegiance is to the largest profit that can be made? Let’s be transparent about what is really happening in the Big Pharma world and the food industries who basically are not being held accountable for the damage they are inflicting on our health-care system and American’s bank accounts.
Having just read “Sickening — How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care and How We Can Repair It,” I was appalled at how commercial distortion of scientific evidence is what is now informing our health care. I then read the equally disturbing book called “Ultra Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food,” which was an eye-opener about our food industries. So, I would say that armed with the knowledge in these two books, we need more government regulation by those who have nothing to gain but the betterment of all our people.
Katherine Keener
Palouse
A special ‘100th’
I would like to express my profound appreciation for all who attended my 100th birthday party back in June at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre (in Moscow).
I decided to have the party 27 years early since I think I may have a previous engagement on June 28, 2050. I want to keep my options open. A special thanks to the staff at the Kenworthy, especially Aaron. Thanks to all who gave me a most incredible birthday gift and to Jerry Lee, James “Chico” King and Allyson King for their kind words and efforts. I am truly blessed to have such great friends.
Antone G. Holmquist
Moscow
Women are smart
First let me apologize to the 54% of U.S. women who already know this. Please note that I purposefully chose the word “smart” not smarter. Women separated from each other in two countries by over 8,909 miles have found different solutions to the violation of their human rights by their governments.
Women in many states reacted to the Dobbs vs. Jackson decision in 2022 reversing their right to an abortion under Roe vs. Wade by protesting. In my judgment this response will determine the outcome of the presidential election in 2024. Legislatures in 23 states, either before or after the Dobbs decision have enacted legislation to protect a women’s right to an abortion.
Admittedly, I am not a world traveler but have been to Russia four times. On one occasion I asked a few women about why they usually had only one child. I found the response amusing but insightful. “If you are married, a husband counts for two children.” Having more than one child to give up to the government that might send another precious person away into a war to be killed was all they could bear.
As for “Women are smart,” it is an obvious truth. A number of years back, one of my stepdaughters was thinking about becoming a veterinarian. The Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1899. Most photos of graduates were men but in recent times, more than half were women.
Women now make up 53.8% of students in medical schools, 51.6% in dental schools, 80% in veterinary schools, 60% of college undergrad programs and 1.6-to-1 for graduate schools. Women also make up 22% of the student population in engineering schools, 49% in architecture schools and more than 20% in mainline schools of theology for the past 20 years.
Generalizations by their nature are false, but having said that my experience with girls and women is that they are more disciplined, work harder and their achievements enrich us all.
Stan Smith
Viola
