Show Thursday September 2002 A4 The Herald Journal Our view Saddam must allow weapons inspections or we invade Nibley park opposition hard to understand I this world where there are so many good things to get upset about — war terrorism racial intolerance hunger — it's a little hard to understand why some Nibley residents are so bothered by a proposed park The proposed design would allow a park on Hollow Road However many neighbors along the road oppose everything from the soccer fields to lighting and claim that ' by putting a park there people at best arc going to engage in drug sales at worst get killed This inflamed rhetoric borders on melodrama If roads leading to the park are inadequate roads can be upgraded If lighting is a problem a whole array of options are available to direct where the light shines All of these reasons — whether reasonable or irrational — seem to be the kind of obstacles that could be easily overcome in the planning stages So this begs an obvious ques- 10-ac- re tion: What is the real problem? That seems to be hard to say Yet what's easy to say is standoff "No” (WITH SADDAM Area children deserve a park they can go to without having to cross dangerous intersections Nibley deserves to have a park with soccer fields Kudos to the neighbors who refused to sign a petition against the proposed park and thus didn’t become just another scared voice battling a benevolent project Hats off to the city council for wanting to build something nice — something permanent for all of Nibley to enjoy It is also nice to see the council defer to a community planning council that will try to address die neighborhood’s concerns Granted many questions remain about the Hollow Ridge neighborhood’s motivations but maybe the most important question of all is: Will Nibley let a park that will benefit the whole town be nixed because of the disgruntled voices of a few? irritates us more in Idaho than our reputation as a haven for Our tolerance of in the past brought us this hensive history book and would like to invite the public to participate We are especially interested in stories and photos about the old jail Stories from the 'Inside” would be of special sorry legacy These days we can make a case that Idaho has become a place that stands up for human rights That case was strengthened this summer when Boise resi- ’ L dents dedicat- ed the Anne Frank Human interest The Commission would also like to invite David Sparks to donate the cell back to the city where permanent display could be set up for the Rights Memorial The blot on Idaho’simage started with weapons inspections without conditions or we invade Td the editor The Richmond Historic Preservar tion Commission would like to commend The Herald Journal for Jason Bergreen’s Sept 7 article “The Slammer’ concerning Richmond's old city jail We Would like to clarify one fact Hie article states that the jail had to be demolished after the earthquake of 1959 The Richmond City earth-- : quake actually happened in 1962 alter which many of the city ’s unique architectural buildings had to be destroyed The Commission is in the process of writing an updated and compre- - Idaho sheds reputation of hate By Rocky Barker No neo-Naz- public His exemplary service as Richmond City Marshal will never be forgotten If you have other interesting sto- ries about Richmond please contact the city office Richard Minneapolis) S ince a smaller share of Americans are breaking the law than at any time since the ’70s who's being locked iip? The answer of course is drug addicts— most of them imprisoned under mandatory minimum-sentencin- g laws enacted two decades back In 1980 there were about 42000 drug offenders in America’s prisons and jails now the number is nearing half a million Imprisoning drug offenders might make sense if it worked to squelch drug abuse but it doesn’t States that boost incarceration rales typically experience a jump in drug use Worse the drug kingpins that mandatory minimums were created drug-offend- er on the Range rs Barbara Stewart Secretary Marie Lundgren Treasurer Doyle Webb Richmond Preservation Commission to disable don’t seem to be the ones feeling the sting Most of America’s users or drug inmates are low-lev- el street dealers only about penny-ant- e a tenth qualify as big-tidealers Shouldn't this matter — that the drug war isn’t working? No matter how many smugglers the feds find or crack houses the cops raid the motivated addict somehow can still find a fix Skeptical people are right to wonder Why is this nation so eager to fight a futile war and so reluctant to tactics that opt for demand-contr- ol could actually have an effect? Evidence shows that the surest and ' cheapest way to diminish drug abuse is to help kids steer dear of it and to provide treatment to those already in its grip Even so only 4 cents of dollar is spent on every anti-dru- g prevention and treatment' called him “a closet Jew” and to threats of more violence Eventually the bombas were arrested and the terror tactics ended Though Butler was never legally linked to the attacks his position weakened te Wassmuth went on to form the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment carrying on the fight against racism and intolerance through the 1990s when militia groups and so called Christian-identit- y churches took the mantle of intolerance from Butler Wassmuth laid the groundwork that made Pacific Northwestemers look into their own souls He made political and business leaders uncomfortable forcing them to declare themselves and join the fight He showed how the region’s wider perception of intolerance was hurting efforts at economic development The transformation didn’t always come with a change of heart But if came nevertheless Wassmuth’s health deteriorated in 1999 when he came down with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also called Lou Gehrig’s disease After he was diagnosed Wassmuth with the aid of a cane climbed the tower at the Aryan Nations compound in Hayden Lake Not long after it was pulled down and demolished “Bill was an early voice for human rights and human dignity in our state” said Iaho Gov Dirk Kempthorne “He knew what it was to be a target of hate Yet he persevered and because of his efforts Idaho today is no longer home to groups that espouse hatred and viosix-sta- the Anne Frank Memorial in a celebration of tolerance and diversity The memorial tells the story of the Dutch girl who died in a Nazi concentration camp but whose diary survived to become a beacon of hope for the world Hie memorial along the Boise River greenbelt includes a wall of quotes from both human-righ- ts leaders and unsung people who promote tolerance in the Anne Frank tradition The New York Tunes said the memorial places Idaho at the forefront of human rights education Many people helped Idaho make that transformation but perhaps nonemore than Bill Wassmuth who died in Ellfcnsburg Wash a week after the Anne Frank Memorial opened Wassmuth was one of a group of Coeur d’Alene citizens who became fed up with Butler’s slurs and threats of violence When Butler attracted is skinheads and to his annual meeting in 1986 Wassmuth then a Catholic priest went op television to denounce Butler’s ideas Wassmuth was sitting in the living room of the rectory at Pius X Catholic Church on Sept 15 1986 when a pipe bomb exploded at the kitchen door His attackers had planned to toss the bomb through his living room window and kill him one later confessed Fortunately they changed their minds and Wassmuth was shaken up but not injured He was also not intimidated into silence Two weeks later after three more bombs exploded at Coeur d’Alene businesses Wassmuth responded by organizing a rally to reconfirm the community’s commitment to human rights He stood up to Butler who But- aeronautics engineer who established the Church of Jesus Christ Christ- ianAtyan Nations In the 1970s he moved his headquarters to Hayden Lake in north Idaho declaring his goal the creation of an “Aryan homeland” in the Pacific Northwest Every summer he held a festival that attracted racists and religious zealots from the Klu Klux Klan to skinheads The gathering made for ugly ‘ Prison time is not the answer in drug war ( hate-monge- is Writers in' a former Other views The Star Tribune without conditions and shave off his mustache or we invade : Your view Richmond seeks stories from history Saddam must allow weapons inspections Saddam must allow neo-Naz- words and ugly headlines His followers killed Denver radio personality Alan Bog robbed banks and spread fear throughout the West They may not have been politically powerful but they created what these days we call “buzz” at a level far beyond their numbers When television shows like “ER” sfad Hollywood movies featured Neo-Nacharacters they always came from zi Idaho Butler and the Aryan Nations are bankrupts now He lost a costly lawsuit filed by a woman and her son who were roughed up by his security guards! His compound in Hayden Lake has been leveled and will soon serve as a human-righ- ts center Then this August Boise dedicated lence” Idaho and the rest of the West still have a long way to go But thanksto people like Bill Wassmuth we’ve hadloc heroes to show us die way Rocky Barker is a contributor to Writers on the Range a service of High Country News in Paonia Colorado (hcnorg) He is an environmental writer with the Idaho Statesman Lawmakers Here is a list of addresses and phone numbers for some of Cache VaK 08 representatives in government CACHE COUNTY COUNCIL Darrel Lee Gibbons -r- epresenting the north dtrict — 840 S 1600 West Lewiston 84320 258-52Layne Beck —representing the 38 : northeast district— 628 E 380 South Smithfield 84335 563-322-9 John A Hansen —representing the south district— 252 EMain Hyrum 84319 2456584 the Larry Anhder southeast district — 3475 S 250 West Logan Cory 84321753-510- 4 Yeates— representing Logan district No 1- - 281 S 100 East 7 Logan 84321 Kathy Robison —representing N 400 Logan district No 2-- 335 West Logan 84321 753-510-9 Craig Petersen —representing Logan district No 3— 1440 E 1220 North Logan 84341 8 752-902- 752-667- Mallard Fillmore Herald Journal fopMeptfearw Ttwisep-ttt- to WMops-tHA- He!? Tlw Opinion page is Mended to acquaint with a variety at viewpoints on matters of pubic importance arto provide memben of tia community with a forum for their view ' Personal columns cartoons and Men from naden reflect the opinions o( their witen and creator Edtorialsundertheheadng'Our Vtow represent the views of the Hertod Journal M board Members of the edtorial board: RfiKBHOlt V 503- Editorial policy e - ' foPNAPpWttH 7a New to U leaden ' DARRELL EHRUCMdty CINDY YURTHleaturea adtor adtor BRUCE SMITFVpuMstier CHARLES MoCOliUMAnanaglng adtor amckaont an mortify to kgatfmd out ofa mdtitude of tongues tian ay of tentative selection’ - Lettersjpolicy j The Herald Journal welcomes Mare to the editor Potential Mow or oflenslvq Man w not be published however and the adtor reeervee the right to edtallettan to conform to the length and Kyle requirements ottos Lattern should be: typewritten and double-space- d ' No more than 450 words in length Addressed end Indude daytime phone number tor putpoaea of verification Signed by the author Indviduala am Imitod to one pubtshedlet- tar within any y period Address Mtanto hjtottarOhjnewmoont Guest an also welcome and are run the adtor ar dsentton jurist (WMO) |