Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29

Faith is more than Nativity scenes

It fascinates me that people are truly enraged over some statues in a public park. In this the season of giving, I would expect the truly faithful to be out doing good works and helping the needy. Sheltering, as Cardinal Dolan reminded us, the other Middle Eastern refugees like Jesus, Mary and Joseph —those in need of comfort and stability in their lives, as were the weary travelers in that stable that night.

There are symbols and then there are those who work on solutions. As a person who believes that spirituality is never outside one’s true soul, it seems to me that actions speak far louder than hysterical protest. Live your faith and quit pretending that a Nativity scene is what it is all about. The action of giving comfort to those in trouble makes your anger over this appear quite shallow. Statues? Really?

Racism: Conservatives own it, regardless of label

Re: “Who really founded the KKK?” (TNT letter, 12/18).

The letter writer makes a bad attempt to perpetrate the disingenuous trope that the white supremacy movement is related to the modern Democratic Party. He distorts history and perpetuates a lie. Not nice.

He leaves out one important word: “conservative.” Anyone with a casual interest in American history knows the “Party of Lincoln” (who freed the slaves) was once the more liberal political party, though before Abe was dry in his casket it became the party of corporatists believing government should coddle the rich.

The Democrats (the “People’s Party) was a big tent of all who thought government should favor the common man, including laborers, unions, farmers, small business and anyone who hated the big banks.The South was staunchly Democratic right up into the 1960s, while blacks were reliably Republican.

Mental health: Thanks to those who blocked tax

Re: “County leaders stumble in dark on mental health,” (TNT, 12/18).

Pierce County Council member Joyce McDonald was unfairly singled out in your editorial. There are already more than 700 taxes levied on the people of this state. Enough is enough.

The mental health problem began with funding cuts at the federal level. It was dropped on state legislatures, which in turn dropped it on local communities.

Government was created to solve problems individuals and local citizens cannot solve. Larger sources of community are needed to build interstate freeways and to handle mental health and homeless problems Both are bigger than any city or county.

Council members McDonald, Jim McCune and Dan Roach should be applauded for their efforts to divert the solution back to the political body that dropped it.

Remember, only 22 of the 39 counties in Washington have caved in to pay this type of tax. Proudly, Pierce County leads the other 17.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29."