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We have all watched the “news” morph from factual reporting that includes both sides of a story using neutral language, into “clickbait” that triggers burning outrage. While this propaganda technique has clearly succeeded in roping in huge audiences, once one’s anger is spent, what remains? Emptiness. Skewed perception.
I believe that in a calmer climate, people actually crave nuance and authenticity. They wish to be empowered to understand both sides of an issue to formulate their own hypotheses, rather than being told what to think and believe.
Enter artificial intelligence. I have abandoned one news site that proudly declared nearly all their content is now written or edited by AI. When I read articles, I strive to feel the heart and presence of mind guiding the author’s chosen words. There is no heart in an AI-generated article! One can’t even be sure it’s factually accurate, since AI is still prone to “hallucinating”.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Miner’s staff bios on the inserts of recent editions. Now when I read The Miner, I can better sense the humanity of the editors and reporters. I’ll take Authentic Interactions over Artificial Intelligence every day of the week!
Kamori Cattadoris Newport
Don’t give up
We’ve had many presidents over the years that people loved to make fun of. We had Jimmy Carter people made fun of his brother all the time. And we had Richard Nixon who was a terrible person and ended up leaving office on his own without being thrown out. We had Gerald Ford, people made fun of him because I guess he was a little clumsy. We can’t forget Ronald Reagan He loved jelly beans and did a few questionable things. We had the two Bushes. We can’t forget Bill Clinton who got a little in the oval office. But then we moved up to Barack Obama.
Then came the worst of the worst, Donald Trump. People made fun of Joe Biden, even though he did some wonderful things for our country, and for me I didn’t go to sleep terrified every night, wondering what was going to happen next.
We have people being murdered. That is ICE/Border Patrol. I’m absolutely horrified because our rights are being taken away.
Now the rats are turning on one another and playing the blame game. We as individuals need to tell them enough is enough. Don’t give up.
Jeannie Hutchins Newport
Interesting times
Patel’s FBI just raided Fulton County GA’s election office. They came out with over 700 boxes of 2020 ballots and electronic equipment. If you remember, there was a lot of speculation of fraud in the Fulton County 2020 election (and elsewhere). Well now maybe we will find out. Trump has always said the 2020 election was rigged. Even recently in Davos. Maybe he knows something.
Eric Coomer of Dominion voting systems just admitted under oath that he was working with foreigners during the 2020 election. There is a Grand Jury in FL that is currently looking into RussiaGate and Hillary’s emails.
The Gateway Pundit (and a few others) are reporting that DNI’s Tulsi Gabbard just released documents to DOJ that point all the way to Obama as the operation to target Trump. Time will tell one way or the other.
If any of this is true, then the snowball is beginning to roll downhill.
Glen Pierce Spokane/Cusick
Republicans turn on 2nd Amendment
The Trump Administration has declared the Second Amendment void after the latest ICE killing of an armed American citizen. They said you can’t bring a gun to a protest of the government. Funny how you elected Republicans and they became the tyrannical government that you used as the reason to have guns to protect your constitutional rights.
Your membership in the Trump tribe requires you to surrender using your guns and not carry them near a federal agent. Otherwise, you could get shot 10 times and die seconds after you are disarmed by the government.
Following Trump’s new standard, the next president could send the ATF to smash in your front door without a judicial warrant and take your guns because you live in a city that didn’t vote for the president.
Trump’s federal agents can now shoot you dead just for carrying a firearm. I mean who would take a firearm to a government protest like they did at Lexington and Concord at the start of our war of independence from the British? Will armed citizens of this community oppose federal agents with their firearms as the agents are smashing in their front door? There is nothing like dying with your boots on.
Pete Scobby Newport
Why written questions?
In speaking with an attendee, they praised the well-executed presentations and handout information at the school and hospital district meeting on January 24 at the PUD conference room. However, they objected to the format of the meeting. Participants were required to submit written questions on index cards for screening. Subsequently, the questions were read aloud to the presenters. I’m having a bit of trouble understanding this change when the organizers’ letter was published in the newspaper on January 21, which stated, “Attendees will be encouraged to submit written questions for the presenters.”
How does that encourage participation by your audience? Weren’t all attendees adults? It’s unclear to me why individuals were unable to raise their hands and pose questions. Their format could have effectively excluded attendees from participating by the screening of questions. One example for eliminating a question was its illegibility. Thus the need for vocal participation. Additionally, it failed to offer an avenue for follow-up questions. In my opinion, the requirement appears to be inconsistent with the written format in the organizers’ letter and may have discouraged attendees from full participation.
“My way or the highway” is not an appropriate format when requesting financial assistance.
Renee Webster Newport
Baumgartner aims to sabotage
Michael Baumgartner asked me this week if I think the US should take Greenland. He framed it casually, as if asking whether I think he should wear green or blue tomorrow, equating the independence of a sovereign country to a click-bait opinion poll.
That Baumgartner would use in this manner a topic of such dire consequence to the world, illustrates, as always, just how unfit for office this depraved man is. Through inane performance, he chooses to denigrate the people of Greenland and our Danish allies rather than understand his serious responsibility to his country and constituents as a member of congress. It’s not a game Mike.
Baumgartner also continues to portray his betrayal of CD5 constituents as “winning” by touting the crumbs Republicans offer to our agricultural community. Farmers don’t want handouts; they want markets. But the Republicans killed the markets by allowing Trump’s disastrous tariff taxes, with Baumgartner’s full-throated approval. Yes, tariffs are a tax on us; no one else is paying them.
And with Baumgartner’s baseless request to begin “program-integrity” reviews of Washington’s Medicaid services, child nutrition programs, and child-care subsidy systems, he aims to further sabotage our systems here in eastern Washington. I guess it’s the second act, after torpedoing healthcare.
How did we elect such a repugnant individual to be our reflection of CD5 in Washington DC. Let’s not make that same mistake this November. Vote him OUT.
Lisa Wolfe Kettle Falls
Don’t fall for Baumgartner, Trump’s bait and switch
Michael Baumgartner and Donald Trump want you to buy their bait and switch tactics.
They shout for fiscal responsibility. However, in his first term in office Donald Trump added $8.4 trillion in debt; almost twice as much as Biden’s $4.3 trillion. Michael Baumgartner supports the President’s budget. They say they are looking out for the average American. According to the Federal Reserve, the top 0.1 percent of American households saw their wealth grow by 90 percent after President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. How much has your wealth grown?
They justified the hostile takeover of Venezuela by citing a war on drugs. They have since admitted that it was for oil and regime change. Recently, Donald Trump pardoned ex-Honduran president Hernández who was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and transporting machine guns. Where’s the logic?
Michael Baumgartner and Donald Trump supported tariffs that hurt the American economy including Fifth District agriculture and small businesses. They supported cuts to Medicaid. They now expect thanks for relief bills for agriculture and rural healthcare.
Don’t fall for their bait and switch. We’re smarter.
J.R. Wyatt Elk
