Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, June 22, 2015

Rebuilding trust in the Guard

I and most Alaskans applaud Brig. Gen. Laurie Hummel and Gov. Walker in their aggressive and yet thoughtful approaches to rooting out the ailments which plagued the Alaska National Guard over the past years. The recently released report by retired Juneau Superior Court Judge Patricia Collins brought the totality of the malaise within the Alaska Guard command structure into clear focus. Now Hummel and her staff appear to be working as a focused team to correct the past mistakes and failings. As a Vietnam combat veteran, I know the absolute necessity for a strong and trustworthy chain of command in the military. I wish them all well and hope for a complete revitalization of this very important part of Alaska's civil society.

-- Ted Trueblood

Rotary District Governor (2011-2012) District 5010 (Alaska, Yukon, Canada, Siberia and Russian Far East)

In grieving for Charleston victims, hate is not the answer

Wednesday evening, Alaskans, along with the rest of the nation, heard of the tragic events that took place at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, culminating in the loss of nine lives.

AFACT (Anchorage Faith & Action Congregations Together) sends its thoughts and prayers for strength and healing to the Charleston community and their sister congregations across the United States, including Leake Temple AME Zion Church in Anchorage.

Like many others, we are feeling a mix of emotions: pain, anger, grief, bewilderment and a deep sorrow for the victims of this senseless crime and their families.

While we may never understand what motivates a person to commit such a tragic and irrational act, we can take comfort in the Word of God in Ephesians 4:31-32:

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"Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

We can stand together with our brothers and sisters in faith and pray for an end to the bloodshed that has become all too common in our nation.

We can remember, even in our grief, the words of Dr. King, who knew so well, that the answer to violence is not more violence: "To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love."

Let us be the ones with sense enough and religion enough to return hate with love.

You are in our prayers,

-- Patrina Davis

AFACT Board Chair

Anchorage

Protect environment and save money

Our congressional delegation has the chance to protect the environment while saving taxpayers money. They should oppose bills being considered in Washington that would repeal a law requiring federal buildings be designed to reduce their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the Department of Energy, buildings account for 39 percent of total U.S. energy consumption, more than both the transportation and industry sectors. That's why Congress passed a law in 2007 that sets energy and emissions reduction targets for federal buildings. But the fossil fuel industry is working to repeal it.

Some have argued that the law's requirements can never be met. But building professionals are already meeting them, including the retrofit of the Wayne N. Aspinall Federal Building in Grand Junction, Colorado, which will be the federal government's first site net-zero energy building on the National Register of Historic Places. The result is better energy performance for federal agencies and lower overall costs for taxpayers.

Repealing this law would dramatically harm the federal government's ability to design and build facilities that use less energy, save taxpayers money, and protect the environment.

-- Melissa Morse

Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.

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