Poor example at Fun Run

For the “elite” adult runner guy who shoved hard a 70-year-old woman working as a volunteer at the Sequim Fun Color Run because she got in your way, good for you. You hurt her in the process, but not to worry.

I hope you still made the cut for your personal goals of athletic greatness. Damn anyone who gets in your way. The example you set for all the children participating right beside you will not be forgotten by them.

Denis Hamner

Sequim

Shop, support local

Some months ago Kris Johnson wrote a Guest Opinion, “Shopping small is a big way to help your home town.” I wholeheartedly agree.

Each year I thank my local service providers with holiday gift cards to a local business. But I’m always unsure of where they like to shop/dine/enjoy a cup of coffee with friends. I’ve lived in other locations where these types of gift cards are available.

For a couple of years now I have reached out to the chamber of commerce and asked them to work with local businesses to generate a “generic” gift card that would be honored at multiple locations.

Maybe if more of us contacted the chamber and our favorite shops we could have this option before the next holiday season!

JoAnne Yerkes

Sequim

A solution for the RHC issue

Many Gazette readers believe that reproductive health care (RHC) should be illegal, whether the immature fetus is known to be severely deformed or dead or the fetus was caused by rape or incest or the immature fetus mother’s life is threatened, and the pregnancy forced to be carried full term.

For nearly 50 years, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision was the law. In June, 2022, SCOTUS prejudicially overturned that law and gave the states rights to oversee RHC.

Since that time, various state legislatures have made the situation much, much worse by passing laws, which threaten pregnant women’s RHC and doctors, who provide RHC, with prosecution, fines, legal fees and extended jail time. Some of these laws are absurd, such as Texas and Idaho.

Given that a pregnant woman is denied RHC by a state law threatening prosecution (and worse) of both her and any attending doctor, forcing her to carry the fetus to term, whether the fetus or the woman is healthy or not, seems a bit absurd.

I believe there is a solution to this injustice. For those, who create these anti-abortion laws, require them to sign a legal document to care for the born fetus, regardless of its condition, to age 18, the cost of all food, housing, medical care, clothing, education, et al.

Legislators, men or women, who have no part in causing the pregnancy but have the audacity to pass laws to prosecute a private woman or educated doctors necessary to provide RHC, should have the total responsibility of what happens to the potential mother, required RHC, and/or the fetus.

Legislators’ and law enforcers’ personal beliefs should not be involved.

Richard Hahn

Sequim

‘New and improved’?

If I told you that the silver in my “silver room” was stacked less than three feet deep, would you envision a vault like Scrooge McDuck’s? If I only had two silver coins, one atop the other in my “silver room,” that would have been a factual statement (except I don’t have a silver room), but it was designed to make you believe something different.

President Biden just had his physical, but “there was no need to do a cognitive test” according to the doctor. That is a phrase designed to make you believe that the president is OK cognitively. But is that what the doctor said? It could also mean that his cognitive capabilities are apparent and severely impaired.

Words and phrases have specific meanings. Politicians are masters of making you believe something they never said. A good way to begin to pay attention to things like this is to study advertising. Does it say “new and improved” on your laundry detergent? OK, what is new and improved? The box? The color of the box? The cleaning power? You don’t know unless it tells you specifically.

Apply this to every politician that is speaking. Listen carefully to exactly what they say and how they say it. They are masters of deception, and President Biden was too unfit to stand trial but just fine to lead this country? I don’t think so, but maybe he’s “new and improved.”

Mark A. White

Port Angeles

Local resolutions won’t end the conflict in the Middle East

Here’s hoping Sequim’s city council doesn’t follow Port Townsend’s and others by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Local politicians wading ankle-deep into international affairs by passing meaningless resolutions is merely political masturbation.

After 75 years of conflict between Palestinians and Israel, the only viable solution to peace in the Middle East is what it has always been: complete and total victory by one side or the other.

And as Hamas and its ilk have never sought, nor will ever seek, peace, even when offered concessions, it should be abundantly clear by now to any thoughtful person which side should be the victor.

Paul Schmidt

Sequim

Just the facts …

Those of a certain age — like old — will remember a TV show called “Dragnet” wherein detective Joe Friday would say, when interviewing a subject, “Just give me the facts.”

Like Joe, I prefer a news article that “Just gives me the facts” because that’s what I need… facts… Because I want an article that makes me think and not one that tells me what to think. One that explores — not ignores — differing viewpoints. “Just give me the facts” and I’ll make up my own mind.

For instance, provide reports about climate change from all perspectives and not just ones railing how it is a threat to all humanity If climate change is, in fact, dangerous, I can figure that out by myself.

Some say it is the most serious issue of our time … that it will cause intense heat, droughts, hurricanes, fires, floods, and rising sea levels. But it hasn’t yet! And may not!

For instance, research reflects that today’s temperatures are lower than those of past times (climate.gov/media/113323) … present day conditions are not noticeably dryer than years past (drought.gov) … major hurricanes striking the U.S. have steadily decreased in the past 80 years (nhc.noaa.gov) … major forest fires are a fraction of those previously recorded … flooding events and magnitudes are decreasing (agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com).

Remember, we’ve a right to our own opinion but not our own facts and, per detective Joe, these are the facts, like ‘em or not.

Oh, and forget your dreams of a seaside home because, darn it, the oceans just ain’t rising that fast (nov79.com).

Dick Pilling

Port Angeles