Crime

Recent rape is serious

I was very upset when my roommate showed me the article on The Beachcomber Web site about the teen being raped in the middle of the night in her home.

It bothered me it hadn’t appeared in the paper, but it did in the next printing on page 3. Such a dangerous situation deserves front-page status. A young person could be altered in terrible ways for the rest of her life.

Some people seem to ignore or avoid dealing with extremely difficult issues, such as rape, which is a growing crime worldwide.

The BBC reported last week that it is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in today’s violent world. It is to the benefit of us all to openly discuss such crimes and what can be done to prevent further assaults.

I have heard many rumors as I shop or talk to other Island residents about this. Because the safety of the victim is crucial, it is touchy addressing this effectively, especially when people would rather their children didn’t know or want it all to go away. Some blame the victim in the classic manner of entrenched sexism. I have encountered all of the above in the past few weeks. Someone said a similar incident occurred several years ago.

We need to hammer out this urgent problem the best way we can with honesty and inclusivity.

Perhaps a community talking circle with a speaking object passed would have depth if it were given several focused hours.

I am willing to do all I can to work on this, using my many years of experience supporting victims and speaking and writing about rape, battering, violence and potential solutions.

— Swaneagle Harijan

Dr. Sjardo Steneker

He is a quality physician

I am writing this letter in support of my doctor, Sjardo Steneker, after reading an article in the Feb. 10 issue of The Beachcomber (“Island doctor faces charges of alleged unprofessional conduct”).

Dr. Steneker is my general practitioner. He is a competent, thorough, intelligent doctor, devoted to the practice of medicine, with a high level of concern for his patients. He has helped me directly lead a healthier life here on Vashon. The senior and elder residents of Vashon particularly rely on Dr. Steneker to administer the batteries of tests offered to Medicare patients. Because of his special attributes, I feel fortunate and privileged to have him attend me.

After reading the article in The Beachcomber, I am concerned that Dr. Steneker is being harassed by one or more individuals on this Island bearing a vendetta against him. I am disturbed to see a good physician being potentially damaged by innuendo, gossip and delving into his personal life.

By way of background, my brother-in-law is a physician and former two-term head of the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, D.C.

We frequently had discussions about the difficulties of physicians navigating today’s ethical waters.

Additionally, I was a member of an ethics panel set up to investigate complaints regarding lawyer conduct. As such, I spent many hours investigating the sources and truthfulness of allegations against lawyers. Many, we determined, were at their core slanderous attacks on competent men and women who had to take time away from their practices to defend themselves.

As a young lawyer, I was particularly struck by the mean-spirited nature of many of the allegations.

I would be appalled if what appears to be a couple of mean-spirited people on this very small Island were able to attack him personally, smear his reputation, undermine his practice and damage his career. Dr. Steneker’s patients need him here on Vashon.

— John C. Hoag

Politics

No tax on sewers

Again this year, our state Legislature is considering bills that would grant authority to counties and cities to impose a 6 percent tax on water districts and sewer districts.

In this state, we exempt food from the sales tax because it is considered essential to sustaining life. Are water or sanitary sewer services any less essential to living?

If passed and signed by the governor and implemented by local legislative bodies, these new taxes would apply to the poor and the unemployed as well as those with higher incomes.

I realize that government revenue streams at all levels have diminished, something to be expected in an economic downturn. However, this scheme is not an appropriate remedy for budget problems.

Water and sewer districts fund their operations through usage rates charged to those they serve. These districts do not inherently have taxing authority and should not be forced into the business of being tax collectors for senior governments.

They should instead be allowed to focus on the business of providing clean water and sewage treatment.

I urge Islanders to contact our state lawmakers and respectfully but firmly ask them to put a stop to HB 3179.

Leave taxing to those entities that have that authority granted to them in the state Constitution. Do not use lesser entities to do your bidding.

— Ed Murphy