Readers write: Letters to the editor, October 10, 2017

Missing Cole's columns

Just a word or seven to lament the dropping of Dermot Cole's excellent columns. We regularly read both Cole's and Wohlforth's offerings and derived great pleasure from the depth and perceptiveness of both columnists. Sadly, whoever dictated that change kept the far less talented party-liner Paul Jenkins.

I hope that Mr. Cole pulls together a sampling of favorite columns and publishes them in book form — that would be refreshing, and would offer students models of quality writing.

— Don McDermott
Anchorage

Please control your dogs

On Sunday, Oct. 8, three dogs, ignoring the repeated calls of their owner, chased and harassed a bull and cow moose for over an hour on the backside of Flattop off Canyon Road in Chugach State Park. Not only does this harassment put undue stress on the moose during this time of rut, but it could lead to potentially dangerous encounters with the many trail users in this area. Furthermore, state park regulations mandate that a person "may not have a pet in an undeveloped area of a park where leash control is not required unless that pet is under control by that person at all times" (11 AAC.12.130).

Dog owners, if you cannot control your pet, please do not bring them into Chugach State Park.

— Pat Pourchot
Anchorage

Jenkins short on ideas that could help reduce gun violence

"As predictable as sunrise." That's what Paul Jenkins calls "panicked calls from the left" for solutions to "America's 'gun problem.' " Are there quote marks around "gun problem" because Mr. Jenkins doesn't feel that we have a problem? I'd say his column, too, was as predictable as sunrise.

Long on reasons why gun control will never, ever work, Mr. Jenkins is short on ideas that could help. Ultimately, the estimable defender of gun rights does concede this much: "There must be answers to identifying and dealing with those among us most likely to kill, answers that are constitutional and address specific problems."

Here, I hope Mr. Jenkins is right. A leftist myself, I have one suggestion I hope is not panicked: Why don't we clear away the obstacles imposed by Congress more than 20 years ago that limit or ban federal research into gun violence? Of the more than thirty thousand lives lost to guns in America each year, more than twenty thousand are suicides. Others are accidental deaths, including children. Might there be ways to reduce these numbers that could pass constitutional muster? Let us try to find out.

— Richard Emanuel
Anchorage

Disaster waiting to happen

Have you looked at Rock Creek Mine's history with the EPA in Nome? Pebble mine is a disaster waiting to happen.

Just ask 90 percent of the people in Nome, unless they were on the payroll.

— Wayne Flint
Anchor Point

Zinke should step down
before he does more harm

We should all be very concerned about the recent actions of Ryan Zinke, President Trump's appalling secretary of the Interior. Zinke chartered a $12,000 private plane, owned by Wyoming oil and gas executives, for a trip between two airports that run regular commercial flights at a small fraction of that cost. An Interior Department executive quit and claimed retaliation because he disclosed how climate change impacts Alaska Native communities. This is taking place as he schemes to remove planned protections for land held sacred by Native Americans in the Lower 48, slashes the size of our national monuments and opens public lands adjacent to our national parks for oil and gas drilling to further enrich Big Oil executives.

He even has the gall to question the patriotism of his employees with his statement "I got 30 percent of the crew that's not loyal to the flag," as a description of those in his department who raise legitimate concerns regarding his policies. His actions lead us down the now common path of wasteful, unscientific, hypocritical actions by Trump appointees. This disgusting behavior on the part of our secretary of the Interior strongly suggests that he has no business managing our public lands. He should step down before he does even more harm to our country.

— Tom Mader
Cooper Landing

Can't trace the untraceable

In regards to Krista Soderland, daughter of a hunter (Letters, Oct. 8):
Ma'am, we also are a family of hunters. That said, the price of freedom is that you cannot stop the untraceable person who does not have a record. In your article you stated that a person can walk in and purchase a weapon capable of mass destruction without so much as a hunting license. Well, this is not so. First everyone who wants to purchase a firearm from a dealer now must have a background check and identification and this extends to online sales and gun shows.

Even if you pass those requirements, unless you have a federal firearms license you still cannot purchase a fully automatic weapon. If you obtain a federal license, these weapons are priced far out of the reach of the typical citizen.
I'm not sure what makes an individual do these type of completely terrible things like the Las Vegas shooting and I'm not sure we will ever know, but I, like you, will pray for the victims, their families and all involved.

— Bob Lopetrone
Anchorage

Indigenous Peoples Day
can spark a needed dialogue

Monday we celebrated our first Indigenous Peoples Day. This was not a day to erase one history and replace it with another, instead it is one way to celebrate the stories, the culture, the language, the resilience of not only the indigenous peoples of our state, but throughout the world. Monday is also a recognition of our collective history, a history we all share: a history of colonization.

Ideally, Indigenous Peoples Day will incite conversations and questions about the full history of our nation and eventually create some shifts in how we have, and continue to treat indigenous peoples. But how do we, non-Native peoples, show up in support of our Native neighbors? I suggest we support this community through true commitment to sovereignty, not just celebrate their food, fashion and festivals. One way we can all do this, right now, under a Trump administration is demand the protection of places that those born to the land want to see protected.

The Gwich'in peoples of Northeast Alaska and over into Canada have been unitedly standing for the protection of the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the birthing and calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd and their source of food security, since the late '80s. While many will tell you this issue is complex due to the variety of policies and stakeholders involved, we must remember that these are public lands and therefore the voice of every American should have a say. While that is true, if we want to promote sovereignty we must look to the peoples of the land, not the corporations, to make decisions on their traditional lands. The Gwich'in have, for decades, worked to see this land protected as it is the sacred place where life begins, the birthing ground for the Porcupine caribou.

My hope as we celebrate our first Indigenous Peoples Day, is that we take time to think about our shared history and find concrete ways to act in true support of sovereignty. This will look different to the over 230 recognized tribes in the state and the individuals that come from those tribes, but what is completely certain today, as it has been for generations, is the Gwich'in peoples want to see the protection the caribou birthing grounds, and they deserve our help in that long-fought struggle.

— Jessica Girard
Fairbanks

Unsure what the point was
of Haycox's column

I read professor Steve Haycox's Friday column (Oct. 6) over several times, and I still don't get his point. Perhaps he wished to downgrade our pioneer predecessors to a group of homeless itinerants, following the government dole westward? The scholars, whose studies of 30 years ago he holds up as gospel, had a specific purpose in mind — to do just that, in the name of the current view of historical political correctness.

Sure, our government provided law enforcement to blossoming communities, military protection to new settlers, shelter from hostile Indians, and homesteading opportunities for those who agreed to settle and work the land. That's what governments do, or should do.

But it did not send U.S. Marshals to communities that did not exist. It did not build forts and provide military presence until tragedies indicated a need. It didn't provide support before there were people to be supported. And those people who went west before any government support existed, were certainly, in the professor's own words, persevering, self-reliant, ingenious, and determined. And, I might add, brave.

And yes, the government — not the individual settlers — took the land from Indian tribes — tribes that had taken it from other tribes, who had in turn taken it from other tribes, ad infinitum. (Which doesn't make it right, but that's how things were in earlier centuries.)

It is difficult in these times to find people to admire, and to hold up as examples of the early American spirit. What harm does it do to allow us pride in our forebears, none of whom had the luxury of examining their lives from the viewpoint of current fads in a time 200 years in their future?

— Don Neal
Anchorage

Issues solved in 2 steps

Resolving the issues of health care and firearm regulation might be brought about by two simple actions:

1. Deny government-funded health care to elected officials and;

2. Allow weapons into (and ban weapon detectors from) locations where elected officials meet to conduct the people's business.
— Lynn Willis
Eagle River

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.