Letters to the editor: GOP politicians, Trump, rabid bats, racism, DMV, Mayor Bieter

GOP politicians

I understand, Reps. Simpson and Fulcher and Sens. Crapo and Risch, that standing with your party is of the utmost importance to politicians, that is where the money comes from for re-election. I can even understand that party loyalty is more important than representing the people that elected you, ah, because of the money. So, let’s talk about Idaho. As Republicans you could literally shoot someone on Main Street in Boise and you’d still get re-elected. So why do you continue to be silent when you know, in your very soul, that the things this president says and does are wrong? You would not lose your job in Idaho if you spoke out; in fact, you might even sway a few voters your way. You don’t live in a swing state, in case you weren’t aware. Wrong is wrong. How are you able to look in the mirror?

Trump

Muslims were Trump’s first hate target, including all immigrants from the Middle East. I’m not Muslim and not from the Middle East, but I still spoke up because I thought Trump wrong. Next, he is speaking against people of color. I do not fit that category but I spoke up because I believe racist behavior is wrong. He is against anyone of Latino descent. Racist behavior is wrong so I spoke up. Trump wants to stop freedom of the press because the truth does not mesh with Trump-speak. I think he’s wrong so I spoke up. In 2016 we elected a Manchurian Candidate as president. Now we have concentration camps holding children for the crime of being Latino seeking asylum. I keep speaking up, have you? Or are you waiting until he targets you with his hate? If you don’t speak up soon, there will be no one left to speak up for any of us.

Trump

I have read and heard of reports about our president’s disenchantment of certain representatives and senators. He has suggested that they self-deport back to the country they may have immigrated from. He characterized another congressman’s district as a rat- and rodent-infested place that no human being would want to live in. Not long ago he castigated John McCain for being captured and held as a prisoner of war. The same war our president effectively dodged from serving in. Of course, you have heard all of these things, and more. Since the early 1980s his many lawsuits and shady business deals have been widely reported by verifiable sources. A villain by any narrative, and yet he is our president.

Unbelievable as it seems, this American tragedy is being played out before us on reality TV. With each new tweet, our King George the III-like president chips away at our country’s nobleness. I contend that we refuse to acquiesce, shrug off, ignore or accept Mr. Trump’s behavior, words and actions, lest we be accused complicit in the baseness he espouses.

Speak out and vote against Donald Trump.

Rabid bats

A recent Statesman article told of a wildlife rehab person being bitten by a bat and getting inadequate medical advice. She was concerned because if she had followed that advice, she may have died from rabies. I write this letter to emphasize her concerns.

Rabies is not a common zoonotic (transmissable from animal to human) disease in Idaho, but it is present, an average of 16 cases per year over the past 20 years. It is transmitted by a bite from any mammal, but the most common human exposure comes from bats (dogs, cats, foxes and skunks are less common sources).

Bats are usually nocturnal, so any bat found during the daytime and unable to fly should be suspect for rabies. What is important to know and tell your children is that they should NEVER touch or attempt to capture any bat, especially if found in these circumstances, and not allow your pets to investigate them. You can call your local humane society or go to www.batworld.org to locate someone who can safely handle the bat.

All people who handle wildlife on a regular basis should have the rabies prevention vaccines. Yes, they are expensive, but what is your life worth?

Racism

Accusations using the word “racist” are being flung left and right, including most recently that of the current president, a rich white man, calling Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, a black man, a racist. Racism is not just a prejudice. It is a system of oppression over a group or groups of people by another group who occupy and maintain the economic and political power. The history of the United States is one of racism from its beginnings. Think of the slow, steady subduing and extermination of the native populations, all in the name of manifest destiny. If you are white, as I am, you and I have been enjoying the privileges that come from being white in a society dominated by whites. It doesn’t mean that as an individual I am racist, but by not even acknowledging the reality of our systemic oppression, we maintain it. Donald Trump’s accusation is not only absurd – the oppressor calling the oppressed a racist – it hides the truth of our system from ourselves.

DMV lines

Several weeks ago I went to the driver’s license office on Benjamin, only to find the line out the door and clear around the outside of the building, I have heard people tell of the process taking two or three hours to get through the line.

This morning I got up early, left my house at about 7 and drove to Idaho City. The drive was pleasant, the air cool (58 degrees) and the grass was still green up there. I got to the sheriff’s office/driver’s license office in about an hour and there was no line. It took about 15 minutes to get my new star card, and the ladies in the sheriff’s department could not have been nicer. Then I went across the street and had a lovely breakfast at Trudy’s and drove home, arriving there at about 10. It was a totally pleasant morning with no frustration..

I would advise people wanting to get a new license to go to an outlying office.

Mayor Bieter

Robert West’s words show just what he and his boss, Mayor Bieter, think of the taxpayers in the city of Boise. “People should be trusting our government to make decisions.” When citizens stand up to challenge what they think is a waste of their money, he tells them, in effect, to shut up and sit down. Please consider his arrogant words when you vote in November.

This story was originally published August 9, 2019 at 2:27 PM.