Readers write: Letters to the editor, July 18, 2017

What's good for the goose is also good for the gander

Paul Jenkins is outraged again. His panties are in a bunch because the Anchorage Assembly passed a resolution in support of consuming marijuana in the store where it is purchased. Apparently he is not upset by the policy change. He's concerned it was adopted without any public hearings. He quotes Assembly member Amy Demboski: "I think it's bad public policy … to start this trend. An important public policy decision should have public hearings. People should have the chance to weigh in." I agree wholeheartedly.

I'm thrilled to see conservatives like Jenkins and Demboski must also be offended by the tactics of congressional Republicans in their efforts to "repeal and replace" "Obamacare." It would be outrageously hypocritical for them to support a legislative process that radically transforms one-sixth of America's economy without a single hearing in the U.S. House or Senate.

Rep. Don Young should be ashamed he voted for this terrible legislation after promising to oppose it. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan should stick to "regular order" and demand hearings before passing a bill written by lobbyists in secret. To do less would be a betrayal of Alaskan's best interests. After all, "Obamacare" survived over 100 public hearings before becoming law. America works best when major policy decisions are vetted publicly by all sides. To do less is to abandon democracy. I sincerely hope our congressional delegation supports democracy over totalitarianism — 22 million Americans who stand to lose their health insurance certainly do.

— John A. Farleigh
Anchorage

Hard to practice golden rule

Barbara Hood's tongue-in-cheek treatise on the golden rule (ADN, July 16), while meant to be satirical, struck a chord with me. She mentioned the multitude of religions that profess the rule to be a tenet of their's (and their's alone), but don't practice it much. Most religions claim to consist of only peaceful persons, but let someone's behavior or speech differ from their dogmatic views and there is a concerted effort to change or dismiss the person — sometimes permanently.
Religions are not tolerant. They want to be accepted on their own terms. In the USA they would like all of us to support, tax-wise, their chosen way; but don't touch religions' tax-free status. They would like their selected politicians to put their dogmas into law, and believe anyone with a difference of opinion is engaged in a "war on religion."

Christians, Jews, Muslims and communists profess they are always peaceful, yet, over the ages, have engaged in more wars (holy, of course) than any of the heathen horde.

Treating others as you yourself would like to be treated is not a very wide-spread practice; which, I think, was the message Hood intended to pass on.

— Dick Palmatier
Wasilla

Hero finally comes home

KTUU reporter Dan Carpenter's story July 14 on the return home of Pfc. Hansen Kirkpatrick was beautiful. Kirkpatrick was killed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan on July 3. I truly appreciate the quiet respect and dignity with which Carpenter presented this final trip home for one of Alaska's heroes. It made me pause to reflect how much I honor and cherish each and every veteran, and current, military member.

May peace and comfort envelop the hearts of Pfc. Kirkpatrick's family and friends. Thank you for your loved one's service and sacrifice.

— Jacqueline Fries
Anchorage

Disputes settle none of the mysteries of 'mankind'

ADN's TV schedule as subject of complaint has been supplanted by the "cradle of civilization" discussion — surely "one small step for mankind." (At least until daylight saving time comes 'round again.) Admittedly, I have no stomach for the surfeit of tripe on current television, so the turn of topic is a rung up the ladder of interest. However, defining said "cradle" may devolve into nitpicking, despite a plethora of nits to pick these days. (Who is your mitochondrial momma? Who's yo' daddy … I say Tigris; you say Euphrates … Facebook, anyone?)

Cradles, like boats, are made to be rocked, and according to the William Ross Wallace poem, the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world: motherhood being that hand. But considering how we have arrived in a nanosecond of geologic time to where our species is today, the cradle hands appear to be patriarchal. The film, "Birth of a Nation," e.g., rocked a very ugly cradle.

That latest earthquake rumbling might be a mitochondrial mother turning over in her Rift Valley grave. What is this thing we have wrought called "civilization"? E.E. Cummings told us to "pity this busy monster, manunkind … not."

Our cradle, where and whenever it was, and the rest of the planet are being turned into a coffin. A recent letter by Mr. Mikes on the subject advocates giving common sense precedence over the Bible. So true. Alas, common sense has become the Shakespearian "brief candle." Cummings advised that there's "… a good universe next door; let's go."

But "ET" left with no forwarding address.

— George Harbeson Jr.
Homer

Accident avoided, barely

To the big dump truck driver who ran the red light on Raspberry Road about 11:30 a.m. on Saturday: If I had entered the intersection at Cranberry Street one second earlier, my pickup truck and I would have been smashed to smithereens. From two blocks away on Cranberry, I saw the light was green for me, so I was glad I wouldn't have to wait at the light. Just as I came up to the crosswalk (the light was still green for me), you went barreling through the intersection at high speed. I hit the brakes immediately! Then the traffic light changed, and I waited for the next cycle. You did not just try to squeak through that light, but ran through it after it was red for quite a while.

After speaking to the police dispatcher, I realized I should have followed you and gotten your license plate number. I am asking all citizens out there to do so if they witness such traffic infractions and turn these lawbreakers in.

— Jean Tam
Anchorage

Camping courtesy 101

This is in response the July 16 We Alaskans essay by Joseph Robertia. As a 40-plus-year camper in Alaska and lover of the many beauties of this state, I must take exception to Robertia's statement that his Seward camping neighbor's "nightmare" (a result of "softly playing guitar and giggling till just about midnight" emanating from Robertia's campsite), was simply a matter of perspective. In most campgrounds there are rules and expectations about quiet hours, which generally run from about 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. One might thus conclude that Robertia's perspective lacked the element of common courtesy. I'm just glad I wasn't camped next to you!

— Marianne Inman
Soldotna

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 under 200 words 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.