Focus on the real problem behind all these police shootings: the bad guys | Opinion

Police shootings

The number of publicized police officer shootings should alarm the public for a whole different reason. Maybe the public should consider what our cops deal with every day, who they have to face. As a former elected official in a small, almost well-known, rural town, I learned a lot about the realities of policing and law enforcement since I was the lucky council member who “supervised” our cop, along with the mayor.

The quick intense lesson I learned was that law enforcement, the cops, from the Fish and Game guys right up to the state officers, do not deal with or encounter polite, cooperative, nice, gentle, smiling, friendly individuals, as a rule.

They deal with those “characters” that the rest of us don’t want to or cannot handle — do not know what to do with — on a daily basis.

Maybe the news should advertise, prioritize the identities, backgrounds, possible criminal records, drug choices, nasty abusive or violent habits, maybe even the bad guys’ high school transcripts, provide society with all the background of those who disrupt and threaten all of us. Society should sincerely, enthusiastically thank and support law enforcement; otherwise, where could we all be?

Frank Juiliano, Boise

Grizzlies

Montana and Washington States have commendably implemented mandatory bear identification courses to help reduce accidental grizzly mortality. However, it is disheartening that Idaho lags behind in bear identification education. The lack of respect exhibited by Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners and politicians towards grizzlies by not making bear id courses mandatory led to a tragic incident last June, where a Selkirk Grizzly was lost due to mistaken identity.

With each preventable grizzly death, the need for mandatory identification classes for all bear hunters in Idaho intensifies. It is high time for Idaho to prioritize the implementation of bear ID education. The lack of mandatory bear identification courses underscores the importance of denying Idaho’s lawsuit to delist grizzlies, as IDFG should never be entrusted to manage these majestic creatures without federal oversight.

The Inland Empire Task Force, out of Priest River, requests that the state withdraw its lawsuit, implement a mandatory bear identification class for bear hunters, and cease attempts to hinder grizzly bear recovery. Let us protect our wildlife and preserve our natural heritage by ensuring a safer coexistence between humans and bears. Idaho must take the responsible path forward and not try to monkey wrench grizzly recovery.

Paul Sieracki, Priest River

Trump indictment

In response to the indictment of former President Trump, several of his defenders including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have repeated the trope that grand juries, especially in Washington, D.C., would indict a “ham sandwich.”

Having served on a D.C. grand jury, I can attest this claim is false. As an attorney and member of the D.C. bar, I was called in the 1990s to serve with some 20-plus citizens of the District of Columbia. We met for eight hours a day for an entire month hearing felony cases brought by U.S. Attorneys for D.C. The jury members were active participants in the process where we questioned the evidence presented, and in several instances, we voted by majority not to indict.

The continued attacks on juries and judges by Donald Trump and his supporters are dangerous and pose a continuing threat to our democracy. They represent yet one more reason why he should never be re-elected to office.

Garry V. Wenske, Boise

Health care

Americans may think that health care professionals don’t care about the cost of care. I recently read an article from Kaiser Health News claiming that anyone in this group that does care about medical expenses or medical debt are the exception in the system. In my experience as a medical first responder, I know the opposite is true.

Most people who work within the health care industry have seen the impact high medical costs can have on patients and families. We know that patients cannot go on getting treated in a health care system that will crush them financially.

Health care professionals are the first ones to tell you that the system needs to change – and billing reform can drastically change the immediate financial impact felt by patients. An example of current legislation attempting to address this is the SITE Act, introduced in the Senate this session. This bill, along with other fair billing reforms, would fix problems in the system and lower costs for patients.

We want to see our patients get healthy and stay healthy. Congress should be passing legislation like the SITE Act to make this feasible.

Gretchen Manning, Mesa, Idaho

Tuberville

Remove U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, from the Armed Services Committee! What he is doing by blocking the promotions of our military leaders is unconscionable and downright dangerous. Not to mention it is disrupting the lives of hundreds of our hard-working military families that have been left in limbo for months, by pressing his personal ridiculous unshared views on the American people. Who does he think he is?

It is time for our Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo to step up and put a stop to this immediately. I hope the good people of Alabama remember his shenanigans and boot him out of office next election, for crying out loud why would you want someone like him representing you in the Senate? Tell him he should join the protesters at a Planned Parenthood clinic if he feels that strongly about it, and leave the rest of our American military families alone.

Steve Bullock, Meridian

Dams

To breach or not to breach that is the question. This is the most important decision that our region will face in the very near future. Everyone needs to educate themselves regarding proven methods that preserve and increase our anadromous fish populations and at the same time preserve and maintain the Columbia/Snake River System.

Learn more about these methods by attending The Pacific Northwest Fish Symposium on

Aug. 17, at Walla Walla Community College, 1470 Bridge St., Clarkston, Washington, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information and to register please visit https://cfpfd.org.

Darla Grimm, Lewiston