Letters to the editor: Feb. 24, 2021
Republican Party politics
“Why we launched a state freedom-fighting caucus,” (TNT, 2/14).
I see state Sen. Phil Fortunato and his “Freedom Caucus” claim to be a voice for all Washingtonians. Yet their statement of goals is a warmed-over version of Republican individual fetishism.
It’s all about me; the rest of the community we really don’t care about.
Republicans are now the party of Trump, so they ignore the U.S. Constitution – established to “promote the general welfare.”
Our governor has followed the constitutional mandate; consequently, Washington has far fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than any state with a Republican governor following the irresponsible philosophy of the “Freedom Caucus” and their “own version of the American dream.”
Well, senator, my version of the American Dream is to follow common sense rules set down by the governor and live to see another day.
You might also read the preamble to the U.S. Constitution; it starts with “We the People,” not “It’s All About Me.”
William F. Johnston, Tacoma
School name change
The Tacoma School Board has decided to change the name of my high school because of a president who was a racist over a century ago.
Woodrow Wilson was not a seditionist or an enemy of this country but a political animal during a time of resurgence of horrible policies.
As a social liberal but a fiscal conservative, I find the waste of $400,000 to change this name not only foolish but also that it plays into the “ cancel culture” we have been painted with by the Republican Party.
I know I am not alone in requesting that the School Board rethink this change. There are thousands of Wilson graduates who would be willing to sign a statement against this change if one was sent out to households in the Wilson High School area, let alone all the many others who have graduated from our high school.
Where is the petition?
William Scot Ellis, Tacoma
Pollution prevention
Plastic is everywhere. We use plastic utensils to eat, we drink out of plastic water bottles, the list goes on.
Plastics can be hard to avoid; sometimes these items seem to be all that’s available. However, they are extremely harmful to our environment, wildlife and even for humans.
Did you know that we consume about a credit card worth of plastic each week between things we ingest and the air we breathe? It is honestly quite scary.
Marine life is also often affected negatively by plastic pollution because they mistake plastic for food and get trapped in it.
The solution to this problem is ultimately to stop using single-use plastics, such as foam containers. Washington House Bill 1118 and Senate Bill 5022 both aim to address these issues.
If they pass the Legislature, we have a great shot at ensuring that the environment, animals and humans can live healthier, more pollution-free lives.
Maddie Moore, Bonney Lake
This story was originally published February 24, 2021 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor: Feb. 24, 2021."