Democrats got it wrong
A week or so ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the born alive abortion survivors protection act with 210 Democrats voting against it — every Democrat except one.
As the Democrats control the Senate and Joe Biden is president, it most likely will be defeated.
If you are wondering what has gone wrong in our country, look no farther than the Democratic Party and the people who support them.
Tim Neumayer
Orofino
March for life
The peaceful, prayerful Lewiston-Clarkston Valley “March for Life” is Jan. 28. We meet in downtown Lewiston at Brackenbury Square at 10 a.m. until noon. for a short walk.
We value and celebrate life.
Ronda Granlund
Lewiston
Going paperless
I’m writing this to the letters page after writing an email to the Lewiston Tribune’s editor/owner.
I’m experiencing a closing chapter in my cherished First Amendment right to freedom of the press.
Starting today, no publication in our area will deliver to our rural home address — neither the Lewiston Tribune, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, nor the Spokesman-Review. I am paperless in an old logging company town.
I’m not sure how I’ll start my mornings or my fireplace going forward.
Luckily, I get the Daily News in my classroom through the Newspapers in Education program, so every Friday I’ll get 30 papers that I can recycle into fire starter at home.
And as Craig Clohessy wrote last week, I can find solace in the fact that at least four awesome young women from the school I’ve taught at for 25 years, Lincoln Middle School, are still producing print or radio journalism.
I am thankful for the work of Laura Guido, Hayat Norimine, Ella Turner-Rahman and Rachel Sun.
The future of journalism is in good hands.
And maybe if I can figure out how to stay logged in on my phone for good so that I can get articles from the Gray Lady, I can still get passably good news coverage from The New York Times and National Public Radio.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.
Michael R. Riley
Potlatch
Stifling abuse reports
Rep. Heather Scott, with Sen. Scott Herndon’s support, wants to criminalize false child abuse reports or allegations in Idaho.
On the surface, this sounds reasonable. Scott, according to a recent article, said, “There’s a ton of incidents that are turned in that are really false claims. Right now there’s just not a good punishment for that.”
Is Scott counting all reports that, once investigated, prove unsubstantiated? If so, unsubstantiated reports do not mean that the reporters were malicious.
Also, are Scott and Herndon aware reporters of abuse, neglect or abandonment can remain anonymous? According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website, there are more than 23,000 calls per year of suspected child abuse, neglect or abandonment.
Health and Welfare states: “It is OK if you are not sure if abuse, neglect, or abandonment has occurred but you feel you should call. Let the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) or law enforcement decide if they have enough information to respond. You do not need to prove abuse, neglect, or abandonment has occurred before you call and make a report.”
How will Scott’s proposal mesh with the fact that all Idaho citizens, except “duly ordained ministers of religion,” are required to report suspected abuse?
Under Scott’s proposed law, could those who follow reporting requirements face criminal charges if claims are unsubstantiated and parents or others so wish to press? One thing is for sure: Scott’s proposal will be a nightmare for prosecutors and will cost the counties scarce dollars.
Russell Gee
Lewiston
Woke at WSU
Be careful what you do or say, and in particular who you say or do it to.
Your great-grandchildren nine generations from now must be held accountable for your words and actions today.
So say officials at Washington State University on the National Day of Racial Healing.
Professor Lois James reportedly said that for nonminority students, it is often uncomfortable to feel blamed for the actions of their ancestors, but that taking accountability for these actions is still necessary.
Associate Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusive Excellence Lisa Guerrero echoed these sentiments, saying, “You don’t have to feel shame or feel guilt (for your ancestor’s actions), but you should feel accountable.”
What does that even mean?
“Accountable” definition: “... being required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible, as: ‘parents could be held accountable for their children’s actions’ or ‘government must be accountable to its citizens.’ ”
Both examples make sense and comport with the meanings in the English language taught for generations.
What does not make sense is: “You should feel responsible for the words and actions of your grandparents, nine generations removed. Notwithstanding that the laws and mores of your grandparents’ time were dramatically different then, you must feel responsible for what they did and said as if they had done so today. Shame on you if you don’t feel that responsibility.”
Whoever created Guerrero’s position should be held accountable to taxpayers for gross negligence and premeditated theft of public funds.
This is woke gone mad.
Rick Rogers
Clarkston
The fault, dear Brutus
A while back, the Lewiston Tribune published my letter about a 2018 poll showing a persistent majority of Democrats still believing Russia tampered with 2016 election results in former President Donald Trump’s favor.
Since that time, two items of note have come to my attention.
One was a compilation by TK News mashup artist Matt Orfalea of “the chattering classes” on legacy media still making that claim well after the 2018 YouGov poll I cited.
A new study published in Nature Communications on Jan. 9 calls into question the degree to which Russia even influenced voters that year.
Here’s how The Intercept summarized the findings: “The NYU study found that Russia’s Twitter campaign had no effect in part because barely anyone saw it. Moreover, to the extent anyone ever saw the Russian tweets, it was people who weren’t going to be easily influenced anyway.”
Reason — which has covered other studies quantifying Russian influence — notes: “Mainstream and liberal consumers of political news have been conditioned to believe that misinformation — often of foreign and Russian origin — is the source of countless modern maladies. But time and time again, data tell a different story.”
Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Trump in 2020 each had peculiar baggage that made their opponent more appealing. Take your respective lumps, Democrats and GOP, they’re courtesy of the American voters, not the Kremlin.
Links at Tumblr: https://at.tumblr.com/intervalist/the-fault-dear-brutus/mlvmzgobywi9
Thomas A. Hennigan
Asotin
