WA killers will live their lives in prison on the taxpayers’ dime. Thanks, Democrats | Opinion

Death penalty abolished

Let’s all thank the Washington Legislature and Governor Jay Inslee. It is now official. In this state, mass murderers, serial killers and child torturers can all live out the rest of their possibly long lives courtesy of the taxpayers.

Just another slap in the face to those who have been victims of senseless violent acts.

What else can you do to further break the spirit of law-abiding, decent people?

Ron W Vietz, Edgewood

Preventing atrocities

April is Genocide Awareness Month, when we honor the victims of the Holocaust and the Armenian, Cambodian, Bosnian, Rwandan and other horrific genocides of our era. It now falls to us to remove the conditions that enable such crimes against humanity to occur. Increased funding for our federal Atrocities Prevention program is one way to address the scourge of genocide.

April is also a key month in the federal budget formulation process, during which time Congress negotiates a budget framework for Fiscal Year 2024. The atrocities prevention program, which has had a remarkable impact worldwide, is worthy of a significant increase — from $5 million to $25 million.

Individual lawmakers can have a significant impact on this process, so please contact all your federal congressional representatives and urge them to support an increase in the atrocities prevention program. Sen. Maria Cantwell has indicated support for this measure, but additional encouragement could be helpful.

The future will thank you.

Chris Ferguson, Tacoma

Religion and equity

Last quarter, I learned how to do in-text citations properly. Excellent instructor! But, when I was told to take religion out of my paper after writing an argumentative essay, I was flabbergasted. Initially, this essay was supposed to be our own idea. After the instructor’s suggestions, it became his idea, and I included it in the footnotes of my thesis.

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion. For example, the use of theological source material in homework. I’m not religious. I did source Aristotle’s quote on madness to better support my argument that what once was a divine blessing is now considered a mental illness.

After a complete rewrite and a theme change, I have learned the true meaning of equality … for some. In popular culture, we see a push for equality, justice, social change and an unbiased approach. If that’s the standard of acceptance, we cannot cherry-pick where that applies or go so far as to absolve the other side. Because that would result in us (a nation) finding ourselves in a house divided against itself that cannot stand (Lincoln. 1858).

In the end, I managed to include God in my paper and still get an A.

Hedi Ford, Tacoma

Backyard cottages

The Washington state legislature merits congratulations for legalizing backyard cottages statewide. Adding housing supply without invading the state’s beautiful wilderness is a wise choice for tempering inflation.

Rent hikes make up a large part of overall inflation, and housing shortages make it difficult for workers to live in the most prosperous, job-rich areas. When measures like the legalization of denser forms of housing eases inflationary pressures, the central bank doesn’t have to raise interest rates as quickly, so there’s less risk of bankruptcy for everyone from households to large banks to sovereign countries that borrow in dollars to finance imports and government spending.

Small acts like renting out converted garages can improve the well-being of people around the world. I hope the Legislature will go on to legalize more condo and apartment buildings, single-room-occupancy apartments — like the ones the protagonists of A Sentimental Education and Half a Person — lived in, townhomes, duplexes and mobile homes.

Congratulations to all of the legislators responding constructively to the crisis in our living costs.

Dawson C Allen, Tacoma