Re: “Judge says Washington can’t make pharmacies sell Plan B” (TNT, 2-22).
To all the pharmacists out there who daily do a wonderful job without the need to pass moral judgment on their customers, thank you.
To all those who feel that their personal issues are more important than patient care, perhaps you are in the wrong profession.
Some Afghans recently protested the burning of the Quran at a U.S. base in Afghanistan (TNT, 2-22). The Afghans take things such as this very seriously and are devout Muslims. Recently, an Afghan man strangled his wife because she gave birth to a third daughter rather than a hoped-for son. Yet no Afghan Muslims were protesting in the streets regarding this murder.
We are wasting our efforts in trying to change the Afghans and other Muslims. They are rooted firmly in the 7th century, and there is no way a Western (and, in Muslim eyes, Christian) nation can change …
Sara Schilling’s obituary for George Ota (TNT, 2-18) was a wonderful tribute to an American. It continues to haunt me.
Sadly, many descendants of newer immigrants have chosen not to embrace their new country. Unlike Ota and his family, few seem to me to embrace the American ethic of hard work, education and self-reliance.
Almost all of us are children of immigrants who sacrificed a great deal to come to this country at some time in the past and we continue to reap the rewards of the work ethic taught to us by those sacrifices.
Ota and his family …
Conservative moms and grandmothers can no longer stay out of politics because it causes arguments and hard feelings. The future success of our kids and grandkids is in jeopardy.
Just as we would protect our kids from physical danger, we must protect our kids and grandkids from economic danger. We must actively support the conservative candidate of our choice. We can’t just show up at the polling place and vote. We have to try and convince our friends and neighbors to see the threat of another four years of Barack Obama as president and work actively to get out the …
Re: “EPA deadline drives state to boost air rules” (TNT, 2021).
The air pollution regulators are at it again relative to restricting wood-stove burning in our area.
They just don’t understand that enforcing burn bans based on artificial political boundaries doesn’t work. For example, under a King County burn OK and a Pierce County burn bank, a home on the Enumclaw side of White River could burn away legally, while a home a few feet across the river in Buckley would be banned from burning and subject to heavy penalties and fines.
The regulators should be smart enough to …
Re: “Washington state investigates cause of BP refinery blaze” (TNT, 2-19) and photo.
With all that black smoke spewing for hours at least, “the U.S. EPA tested the air near the facility and at locations downwind and found no measurable threats from airborne pollutants related to the fire, according to the article.
Meanwhile, the Pierce County air pollution sniffers are ready to shut down with $1,000 fines the few remaining stokers of wood-burning stoves or heaters.
Do the Pierce County sniffers and the Cherry Point air sniffers come from the same planet?
Re: “Keep rates low on capital gains” (letter, 2-21).
The author makes a fascinating argument for low tax rates on capital gains: Investors are taking a risk, which should justify a lower rate. They are, in his words, “taking a gamble.”
Perhaps we should follow this logic and lower tax rates on lottery winners and casino habitues. By his reasoning, they are more worthy of encouragement than those who merely work for a living.
Re: “Church stands its ground” (letter, 2-22).
I applaud the writer’s opinion regarding politicians’ reluctance to take a stand on moral grounds. One should hope they would have the courage to take the stand which accurately represents their electorate, regardless of personal viewpoint.
It is a great country that grants its citizens the right to practice religion – or not to – and to protect them from persecution thereof.
I would like to borrow the line of reasoning employed to define adherence to rules imposed on employees of faith-based organizations. That logic can be used to defend that which …