Letters to the Editor

by Inlander Staff
Be Mindful -- In the story "Teaching Exercise" (11/20/03), Karen Cowan is quoted as stating, "Without a sound body, you can't have a sound mind."


This is news to me, as I suspect it would be to Stephen Hawking, Franklin D. Roosevelt (were he still alive), Stevie Wonder and Mohammed Ali, to name a few. On the other hand, people with reportedly sound bodies include G.W. Bush, A. Schwarzenegger, and Joey Tribiani. One would not need university credit in debate to effectively posit that these folks are lacking something upstairs.


P.S. I'd type this with all ten digits, if I had ten digits.





Henry Hodgman


Spokane, Wash.





Truth About Timeline -- It is obvious that Mr. Symkus didn't like the movie Timeline ("Going Medieval," 11/27/03). He may have gone to the movie with the intention of giving it a bad review, or possibly didn't even watch the middle of it, and is trying to save face by calling it a 'stinker.'


The premise of the film is that the time travelers have only six hours to rescue the professor from medieval times during a huge battle. Hence, the annoying, constant checking of the "little computer gadgets" that will get them home. The "peasant woman" is Lady Claire, whose role is intrinsic to the plot and history. It is never an issue to tell the difference between the English and the French. I guess that he just didn't get it...the French were attacking to reclaim their castle, which the English were occupying. The "wholly unnecessary business about the race against time to return" is the plot line. It jumps back and forth between the present and the past to keep the action moving in that race to return. What kind of an action film would it be if the travelers went back in time, hung out for a few days, and came home? That's what we watch the History Channel for.


Mr. Symkus wants a physics lesson and a comedy with boring music. Well, if he wants to see Eric Idle anytime soon he can go to the Met next weekend, but I suggest he stay away from adventure and sci-fi movies from now on, since they confuse and bore him so. In my opinion, Timeline is satisfying, and anyone not stuck in the mundane would most likely agree.





Robynne Therrian


Post Falls, Idaho





Differing Memories -- A response to Theresa Allen's letter, "A Peacenik Speaks" (11/27/03), is in order. A self-styled "peacenik" from the Vietnam era, she claimed that "None of my crony peaceniks or I blamed the returning vets for anything." I would ask her then, just who coined the phrase "Baby Killer?" To whom was it directed, and who used it? Her letter again shows that if you can't make history, revise it.





Warren Walker


Spokane, Wash.





STA Spends Too Much -- In response to the letter "Save the STA" (12/4/03) by Cristina Brown, while I agree with Ms. Brown's thoughts regarding how former Sen. West didn't do much to help save the STA and I also hope that Mayor West will work and do things differently than Sen. West. However, I want to point that saving the STA isn't entirely the responsibility of the mayor or the senator.


STA will step up, be responsible and make better economic choices to help save itself. (It should have done so a long time ago.) For starters, why, if they are so horribly drowning in debt, are they still running the waterfall at the Plaza? I once read in the paper that it costs a little over $10,000 dollars to run and maintain a year! Hmm, let's think, what would STA riders like more? To continue riding the bus, or to look at a waterfall until they can no longer ride the bus because STA has to close its doors due to insufficient funds? The STA waterfall is beautiful, but when they're drowning in debt, is it worth $10,000?


Then there are the signs that they put up on top of the zone terminals advertising the businesses inside. It may have been a good advertising technique; alas, I'm sure those signs weren't cheap. Wasn't the banner on the east side of the STA Plaza sufficient enough? I'm sure there are other ways the STA could save money if they started to think more wisely.


So while I completely agree with Ms. Brown's letter, I also think that STA needs to make some changes (economically speaking) before it receives any help from Mayor West. As a fellow bus rider I, like many others, will be stuck in a rut if STA makes cutbacks on bus schedules or closes its doors. Hopefully, STA will open its eyes and perform differently than it has in the past. Then maybe Mayor West can help save them as well.





Jessica Hill


Spokane, Wash.





Publication date: 12/18/03