What would Adams say?
What might Founding Father John Adams (America’s second president) think of tyrannical tactics employed today, as attempts to muzzle doctors expressing honestly-held, serious concerns with the COVID-19 shot? What could the domino effect of “scaring the tar” out of doctors, in general, then, be? Has it come to: “Toe the line and share the captured company line, or we’ll smear your good name, persecute and prosecute you, then snatch away your medical license?”
During a Senate hearing, it was stated, “True collaboration comes from true transparency.”
Lawyer Eleanor Holmes Norton said, “The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don’t agree with.”
When John Adams, a lawyer, chose to (unpopularly) defend British soldiers after the Boston Massacre “through principle,” it “defied conventional thinking.”
Why do it? There was a higher precedent at stake. He wanted to “demonstrate a fair legal system” and later recounted ramifications: Not doing so would have left a “foul stain upon this country.”
Our Founding Fathers desired a free, fair country, not a tyrannical one. If doctors ... cannot share true opinions on important topics impacting lives, it will indeed “leave a foul stain” on our nation.
We ought to speak up, for ourselves, our rights and for those to come, even for other countries (what happens in America doesn’t stay in America), and for those behind, like principled, bold John Adams, who set an example of what freedom actually means.
Silence is compliance.
Ronda Granlund
Clarkston
About giant wing dams
Given that only two options seem to be on the table regarding the Snake River dams, here’s a third: Why not reengineer the Snake River dams into giant wing dams? A wing dam could provide flow from the bottom to provide colder downstream water while allowing migrating fish to possibly go around. In addition, a wing dam may be engineered to continue providing, or possibly provide more, electricity than the present dams.
Mankind has already proven that it’s possible to do better than nature in providing ideal habitat for salmonoids. Those who have fished the Missouri River below Holter Dam in Montana know cold water released from the bottom of Holter Reservoir provides a better environment for trout than previously existed.
Do the Snake River dams currently supply cold water from beneath the dams? If removed, would the cold water advantage be compromised? Can we afford the loss of power given the current and growing need for it? Should resources — read taxpayer money — be used to go forward, not backward?
Yes, reengineering the Snake River dams would be an ambitious project, but no more far-fetched than tearing down the existing dams .... Removing the dams for unknowns (guessing that salmon runs will improve), while eliminating known benefits (irrigation and power) is simply not good thinking.
Seems like reengineering the dams would provide a win-win for both sides, and I’m confident in American know-how there are hotshot engineers out there who could make world-beating designs to benefit all.
Bill Perconti
Goldendale, Wash.
Rest in peace, USA
Oops. No newspaper by the door one morning. No problem. I called the Tribune and was delivered a newspaper shortly after by a friendly person. Thank you. If you ever publish on Mondays again you’ll be near perfect.
I read a letter to the editor by Sharon Taylor (Tribune, Feb. 19) which was well-written by a wise and kind lady. It was headlined “No longer proud.” It spoke my feelings, but I am not a kind lady.
I will not hold back words. When I hear these inept, unqualified people who represent our country overseas, spewing these immoral plans they come up with and then saying it is the will of the American people, I want to puke. Rest in peace, USA (1776-2024).
Change the name. It’s not the United States anymore. It is an insult to call ourselves that right now.
Brad Stewart
Lewiston
Special Guillory story
Thank you for the special article on Xavier Guillory (Tribune, Feb. 14). I was able to briefly meet him about five years ago and was very impressed.
The article also mentioned his father, Raphael. I had the honor and privilege of being Raphael’s high school basketball coach for his sophomore through senior years. Not only was Raphael an all-state-caliber player, but a tremendous person as well. The article is correct in stating that Raphael was the leading scorer for the 1987-88 team, but he was also the leading scorer in the state tournament that year.
For the 1988-89 team, he was our leading rebounder and third leading scorer. Raphael was very instrumental in our winning streak of 81 games (not 84 as mentioned in the article). I’ll always remember Raphael stating to his teammates that none of them will ever beat him in running our “champion makers” (down to the other end and back once or twice). He had the speed to back it up, but saying that meant he could never take it easy. He always had to sprint his hardest.
Thanks again for sharing the story of two special athletes and their wonderful family.
Bruce Crossfield
Clarkston
Your favorite dictator?
I always seem to be of the opposite opinion of Donald Trump. We know about the help from Russia during the presidential elections, and now Trump is trying to help Vladimir Putin get control of Ukraine, so they’re looking like real buds.
Even though Trump admires the forever President Xi Jinping, of China, I think his favorite communist dictator is Putin. Personally, I like the way Xi has helped China’s 1.4 billion people get out of poverty, and is creating the world’s strongest economy, just like the U.S. should be doing. That puts Xi as my favorite.
As a red state, I think most offspring would champion Putin, but I don’t know that for sure. Who is your favorite communist dictator? If Trump destroys our Constitution, then Elon Musk could become our dictator. Then he would be my favorite.
Gordon Hoffman
Lewiston
Flag bill wastes money
Thanks to “King” Jay Inslee, our state is $20 billion in debt. Fortunately Gov. Bob Ferguson is taking serious steps to cut costs. The rest of the Democratic politicians don’t get the picture.
It seems the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee think they need to waste millions of our dollars and waste their time replacing our state flag.
This diversity, equity and inclusion committee thinks the flag’s design “lacks relevance to the state’s identity.” I’ve looked at all 50 state flags and ours is the only instantly recognizable flag.
I guess we could put trees, dams, airplanes, salmon, eagles or farmers on the flag like several other states. But all of these are disappearing so how relevant will they be?
Don’t waste our money. Where’s Elon Musk when you need him?
Richard Barnes
Clarkston
DOGE is saving money
In the Feb. 21 Tribune there was an article on the Department of Government Efficiency being the one most Americans want removed. Curious, since it costs nothing. Elon Musk draws no salary. It finds how the government spends our tax dollars and reports it. It has no power to change anything. It only recommends.
The Associated Press pointed out the Americans who wanted it eliminated were mostly Democrats while Republicans mostly wanted to keep it. I would be willing to bet that in actuality it is the source of their information rather than their beliefs. I have not seen anything in the Tribune about DOGE saving taxpayer dollars. Why? Could it be that the Associated Press received $19 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development, The New York Times, $50 million, and the list goes on? Even the BBC received $3 million. Not really a free press.
DOGE has found there are 16,131,103 Americans more than 110 years old; the oldest 360 on the Social Security register. Might want to clean that up and voter rolls at the same time.
Why are Democrats so against looking into government expenditures? Could it be that the Biden administration gave Stacie Abrams $2 million of our tax dollars to start a nonprofit which has done nothing? Or the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, has 64 nongovernment organizations for which he receives millions from USAID? The government has 3 million employees, 4.6 million credit cards, $40 billion a year in charges. Go DOGE.
Dan Long
Clarkston
