Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 76
At this time of the year, I usually take time to reflect on the several years I was associated with the game of football. Contrary to what some people think, football coaches teach their players much more than how to block and tackle. Coaches are teachers who use football as a vehicle to instill in their players the essential attributes of character, citizenship, and ethics. My first coach had instructions for almost every occasion. He would recite them and post different ones in the locker room. My favorite was, “Focus downfield. No m...
The local news coverage of the celebration for units returning from Iraq and Afghanistan left me with mixed emotions. I was delighted that our fighting men and women were being embraced by our community. At the same time, however, I couldn't help feeling an emptiness as I recalled the lack of welcome for those of us who returned from Viet Nam. We came home to an ungrateful, and sometimes hostile, nation. In some extreme cases, we were spit on as we got off the plane. Some of us had relatives...
Sending federal marshals into Portland, Chicago, and other cities will go down as one of the President’s biggest mistakes. It hurts him politically, it harms the already tarnished image of the police, and it works against the rule of law and order. Sending Homeland Security forces to quell the protests under the guise of protecting federal property creates a no-win situation for the President. If his troops clear the streets, he will be rightfully accused of denying the right of peaceful assembly. Any use of force will be countered by the c...
I was sitting in my recliner scrolling through the channels the other day looking for something interesting to watch. At last count my cable gives me access to 119 channels, none of which could hold a candle to the Ed Sullivan Show. For $212 dollars a month, you would think I could find something worth watching. I remember when TV was free except for commercial interruptions. We now have more commercials than we have ever had plus a cable bill that exceeds my first house payment. We were one of the last houses in our area to get a TV. I would...
Sixty-six years ago, racism was part of the fabric of America, especially in the deep south. Few of us actually experienced separate water coolers, segregated bathrooms, or all white schools. I am glad that I did not. The Supreme Court ruling in the Brown vs Board of Education was supposed to change all that, but it met with stiff resistance. Sixty-three years ago, nine students required military escorts to and from school in Little Rock, Arkansas. White privilege was real, and racism was endemic in American society. We have come a long way sin...
Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression. The highlight of his inaugural address was, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” The same is true today. Panic has disrupted more lives than the virus, and the statewide edict to wear masks in all public places adds to the panic. The governor stated the wearing of masks was, “imperative as economic activity increases.” Wearing of masks, however, will be a detriment to economic activity. My wife and I went to the movie last week in Newport. When Pend Oreille...
During the 2019 flu season, 61,000 Americans died; over 1,000 of them were from Washington State. The loss of life was tragic for those who lost loved ones, but it was not cause for panic. The coronavirus has claimed just over 100,000 Americans, 1,100 from Washington. COVID-19 is a severe flu epidemic, but it is not cause to panic. I am not trying to belittle the impact of the disease, but the numbers don’t justify the world-wide fear that put forty-one million Americans put of work. Mass hysteria is nothing new. Fear results from the s...
I have been watching news reports of the efforts to curb the virus and more recently the efforts to ease restrictions to reopen the economy. Initially, I sensed a wave of nationalism that united all of us against the growing pandemic. This unity lasted for about three days after the first cases were discovered in a Seattle nursing home. Our Governor began to blame the Trump administration for lack of preparedness. As the outbreak spread to ravish New York, Governor Inslee found an ally and both Governors blamed the federal government for all...
Several years ago in a previous life, I was the commander of a military base. It was a fairly large installation responsible for sensitive missions and hardware. Our chief of security was named George. George had been a specialist for some time and was very good at what he did. He was totally focused on the security of the base. He would have been very happy if we had locked down the entire perimeter and patrolled it with dogs and armed guards. George was so focused that he lived within a bubble that excluded all considerations other than...
I am a numbers guy – always have been. In my early childhood, I dreamed of either being a famous singer or a writer, but my voice changed from an alto to bull frog baritone about the same time as I realized I had no spelling gene. My sisters had it, but to my dismay, I inherited my Grandfather’s inability to spell. To offset my spelling deficiency, Dad enrolled me in all the math courses our school offered. I continued to explore the quantitative sciences through graduate school. Even with an adequate academic background, I find it imp...
I continue to adhere to the stay-at-home order. I have been following orders all my life, although I find them to be easier to follow when they make sense. Much of the Governor’s restrictions are common logic; others, however, are hard to understand. Most of our shops are closed, and we are prohibited from going to church, but marijuana is considered essential to the functioning of our community. We are encouraged to bring our reusable shopping bags to be filled by grocery clerks, but we are prohibited from checking out books from the l...
The President is concerned about the economy, as well he should be. Our Governor is concerned about the disease spreading across our state and nation, as well he should be. We are in the midst of a global emergency, both medically and economically. The data for almost anywhere but China show that the pandemic has yet to level out. The rate of new cases continues to rise. Hundreds of patients are dying each day in Italy, Spain, Germany and across Europe. I agree with the scientists when they warn about the potential impact on the homeless. I...
About the only non-fiction I read is the local newspaper. I try to avoid the New York Times and Washington Post so I am confident I am reading real news. Other than that, I usually read light fiction; shoot-em-up detective stories, super human heroes, etc. My son, however, has not given up on improving my intellect and frequently urges me to read something he considers worthwhile. He sent me a copy of The Silk Road several months ago, and I finally got around to looking at it last week. It is a historical examination of the trade route between...
It was a busy week in American politics. The Democrats were embarrassed when the results of the Iowa caucus were overshadowed by administrative glitches. The State of the Union address was choreographed to promote the successes of the current administration. Mitt Romney is contemplating the fallout of being the only Republican to vote to remove the President from office. The impeachment ended without cheers from either side, but it is thankfully finished. Now is the time to sit back and ask ourselves if our nation has benefited from the impeach...
The legislature has directed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove the catch limits on bass, walleye and channel catfish in all waters of the state where they coexist with salmon. It seems that someone in the legislature realized the existence of a connection between bass and whales. It is about time. Everything in nature is connected to everything else. In this case, our politicians are concerned about the declining numbers of the resident Puget Sound orca pod. Orcas and bass both eat salmon, therefore, if the numbers of...
I got snowed in last week. I was at our cabin on the Pend Oreille River where it was quiet, and I could do some writing with no interruptions. There was an unfinished poem running around in my head that I just couldn’t quite get a handle on. I don’t know about other people who write, but I tend to get random thoughts that coagulate in my brain until they take on a vague shape. These unfinished ruminations can keep me awake until I write them down, so I retreated to the cabin for a peaceful interlude to clear my mind. I had a lot of things tha...
We are one of the few countries in the world that allows citizens to criticize the government. In many countries, remarks critical to those in power are considered treason. How free are the people of China to speak out against their national leaders? In Iran, it is a crime against the state to worship in other than the prescribed manner. Additionally, it is illegal to offer proposals contrary to the establishment’s version of the truth. In America, however, we are free to criticize, or even condemn, the actions of our government. Our nation was...
The bowl season is about over. The last game is Jan. 13, so we will have to watch the pros until February sometime. After that our TVs will be football free for eight months or so. WSU lost to Air Force in the Cheez-it Bowl. I didn’t even know there was a Cheez-it Bowl. There are so many now I have lost track. I remember when going to a bowl was a very big deal. Now all you need is a mediocre season to qualify for a big pay day. The Rose Bowl paid $66 million last year. This year should be even bigger. Even the relatively obscure Cheez-it B...
Before I get into the merits of the case, let me say that I am no fan of Donald Trump. Never have been and probably never will be. He is crass, rude and acts like an immature bully. He is everything that you would not want in a diplomat. I can understand why people don’t like him. On the other hand, I agree with him on many issues. For far too long, our friends and allies have taken advantage of our generosity. China uses trade as a weapon. Our national debt is growing out of control, and our lack of border security threatens our s...
During the decade or so that I taught English to high school freshmen, I would adjust my teaching schedule to begin a block on poetry a few weeks before winter vacation. Poetry needs to be heard to be appreciated, thus, I would begin and end each class period by reading a poem aloud. The last day before holiday break, I would read Clement Moore’s epic that begins “Twas the night before Christmas.” This poem defines the American version of Santa Claus. We would then read and discuss some other traditional Christmas poems and song lyrics. I concl...
Nancy Pelosi said she undertook impeachment "prayerfully," and apparently what she was praying was that she could get it over with as soon as possible. The House is preparing to send a flagrantly incomplete factual record to the Senate as the basis of an effort to remove a sitting president for the first time in our history. Pelosi has affected a posture of heavy-heartedness since the outset of the process, saying that "there's no joy in this" and urging a somber spirit as Democrats pursue the facts wherever they may take them -- so long as...
Initiative 976 establishing $30 car tags was once again supported by a solid majority of our state’s voters. If this were an election between two candidates, the loser would have conceded long ago. Not so with this initiative. This is the third time in less than a decade that the exact question has been brought before the people. Democracy has once again ruled, and it should be a closed issue, but it’s not. As was the case in previous elections, opponents are asking the courts to overturn the results. There is no doubt about the will of the...
The clear loser of the Democratic primary is "Medicare for All." First, it demonstrated the unreliability of Kamala Harris out of the gate, when she endorsed it before quickly backing off. Now, it has blunted the momentum of Elizabeth Warren, made a mockery of her claim to be an uber-wonk and shredded her implicit appeal to Bernie Sanders supporters as an equally committed left-winger without the baggage. Under pressure for weeks for details related to her version of the proposal, Warren has now backed all the way down to promising to pass...
The all-female space-walk was front page news for several days until it was replaced by a story about a female squadron commander at Fairchild Air Force Base. The reality of capable women shouldn’t be a news splash. The attributes for becoming an astronaut or a military commander have nothing to do with gender. I look forward to the day when everyone realizes that. Our country seems to be lagging behind the rest of the world in accepting women in the role of national leaders. Maybe we just need the right individual to break the ice. We h...
The 2019 election is history. The results are in except for a few stragglers left to count; not enough to change the outcome. Before the 2020 campaign engulfs us, we have a brief opportunity to examine the latest results to see what we can learn. I was impressed with the voters. It would have been tempting to look at the long list of confusing advisory votes and lump them all either yea or nay. But they didn’t. It appears they actually read each one before marking their ballots. It gives me confidence in our democratic system. I would have m...
