Letters to the editor — May 16

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• Published May 16, 2008

Judges need more discretion in sentencing

A judge’s job is to implement the law after thorough study and evaluation of each case. We do not allow them to do that with our mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and the three-strikes law in particular.

These laws do not always make sense yet our judges without question and without wisdom must follow them. In many cases, this is truly unfortunate.

Regardless of the individual situation, we simply send people to be warehoused, making some of them tax burdens for life with zero opportunity of release ever.

As evidenced by our overfull prison population and the ever-increasing Department of Corrections budget and the need to construct more and more prisons, it is time to review our sentencing policies and to enact some reform measures.

Let’s give the power and the tools back to the judges so they can do their jobs.

Andrea Robbins, Olympia

Carter was wrong to meet with Hamas

James Earl Carter, once again, demonstrated what a wise choice America made in voting him out of office in 1980. Not content to be a former president, he has chosen to interfere in the foreign policy of the United States by meeting with Hamas.

Carter was asked not to meet with Hamas. He was warned that the visit would only serve to legitimize the group. Because he knows better, he met with the terrorists anyway. He left the meeting proclaiming peace was possible and Hamas would accept Israel. Hamas clarified that they would only offer a 10-year truce if Israel met all of its demands. Hamas has stated that a worldwide jihad is its goal.

Maybe Carter should recall his colleague, Neville Chamberlain, who sold out Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler for “peace in our time.” World War II was the result of his treachery and appeasement.

In order to negotiate peace, both sides need to have a sincere desire for peace. Carter obviously does not understand that basic principle. All he did was create propaganda for terrorists bent on war and show exactly how naive and pathetic he truly is.