Readers write: Letters to the editor, October 13, 2017

Governor, protect our salmon

Dear Gov. Walker: Salmon runs in Alaska are, over time, a virtually limitless renewable resource and treasure. Salmon runs are central to our way of life, culture, economy and identity. Salmon trump almost all other resource priorities, particularly non-renewable resources. Valuable ores in the ground are not going anywhere; we can conserve them for the future until we can develop safe and clean mining technology. Invest in mining research and development in Fairbanks, make it a premier engineering graduate school and invent the future right here in Alaska. Clean and safe mining technology, developed at UAF and with private organizations, right here in Alaska and exported around the world.
Please, do the right thing, stand for salmon and work to create a clean, sustainable and prosperous future.

— John Hettinger
Anchorage

Community event info important

As a long-time reader, I urge you to maintain the number of columns devoted to the arts and non-profit calendar in the "Play" section. For many of us, your newspaper is our best guide to what's happening around town. Please continue to provide community events information on behalf of sponsors and readers alike. Thank you.

— Sue Scherwin
Girdwood

Not just anyone can run
background checks for firearms

A letter on Oct. 10 suggests shocking an Alaska gun show by loudly asking how long background investigations would take. The great majority of vendors at gun shows are private citizens selling firearms to other private citizens. Would the author of that letter be shocked himself to learn that there is no process in place where one private citizen can conduct by himself a firearms background check on another private citizen? Firearm background checks can be done only by federally licensed dealers except, of course, in the case of operation Fast and Furious, where licensed dealers were instructed by our own government to sell hundreds of firearms to known drug dealers without conducting background checks.

— Bill Bailey
Sterling

Our congressional delegation must fight for more than Alaska

Alaska's congressional delegation always campaigns by bragging about how they fight for Alaska. Now that a dotard occupies the adult day care center located in the White House and apparently, according to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is capable of starting World War III, I sincerely hope Alaska's congressional delegation begins to do what is right for America, not just Alaska.

It is disturbing to think that Alaska's congressional delegation would sell out the Constitution and excuse the behavior of Donald Trump because they think it is more important to broker a deal to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or other nefarious dealings.

Oh, and for those obsequious citizens who fall at the feet of Sen. Murkowski for her vote on the Affordable Health Care Act, consider this: Sen. Murkowski had seven years to write an alternative bill that would be an improvement and to create bipartisan support for her bill, but the fact is Sen. Murkowski did nothing of the sort. Apparently fighting for Alaska consumes all her time, because she is strangely silent about Donald Trump.

— Jed Whittaker
Anchorage

Let feds pursue auto theft cases

The feds are charging the coffee stand robbers in federal court as the coffee beans in the coffee stands are involved in interstate commerce. How about the feds get involved in the hundreds of automobile thefts? Are not most motor vehicles transported from other states to Alaska also interstate commerce? Think how much more time APD would have to investigate other crimes if the FBI took over the auto thefts. We're paying for it whether the investigation is conducted by local law enforcement or feds.

— Patrick Hames
Nikiski

Our enemy looks very familiar

A New York Times article posted in the ADN (Oct. 10) said: An "… examination of hundreds of (Facebook) posts shows that one of the most powerful weapons that Russian agents used to reshape American politics was the anger, passion and misinformation that real Americans were broadcasting across social media platforms."

As Pogo so astutely pointed out years ago, we have met the enemy and they are us. It boggles the mind that so many are so willing to listen to so few and accept anything appearing in social media as fact while at the same time serious journalism continues its unfortunate decline.

— Mike Jens
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 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.