Letters to the Editor
dogstar1949
Published Letters: 4 Editor's Choice: 2
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Does Race Exist?
[Read the article: Who are you?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As other writers have already noted, both Ms. Miller's article and the book it reviews contain unsupported and erroneous assertions. There is no evidence that Neanderthals were any more fearsome than homo sapiens, and there is plenty of evidence that agricultural societies are more agressive/warlike/territorial than hunter gatherers.
What is perhaps most dishartening about the article and the book; however, is the reference to the impact of "race"-- a concept that has no basis in biology. For a clear and concise critique of race as a scientific concept see: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/first/brace.html, C. Loring Brace's essay on the term "race."
I was fortunate to take Dr. Brace's course on the idea of race some thirty odd years ago at the University of Michigan. His insightful examination of the social construct of race made sense then, and it makes sense now. Why any serious discussion of the biology of the human species would make any reference to race as a valid category is beyond me.
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unanswered questions
[Read the article: Real threat or fake terror?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's all very well to make fun of a Midwestern village and its police force, but I don't see any answer in the article or the letters to the question I can't answer about this incident: Why would three young men drive to a Walmart in Caro, Michigan to purchase all those cell phones? Surely there are a great many Walmart stores located much, much closer to the buyers' homes.
Caro is located in the "thumb" of Michigan's mitten-shaped lower peninsula. It is not on the way to anywhere except other towns and farmland. It is not on, or even near, any highway. It is located near the intersection of two two-lane roads. It is a challenge to come up with any logical reason why someone would drive there to buy cell phones at a Walmart. It is certainly understandable that the staff at Walmart thought it unusual and that the police did too.
As for what is happening now that the charges have been dropped by the county prosecutor-- it has not been my experience that the FBI and local police agencies have a relationship where the FBI would step in and bail the locals out where there was a questionable arrest.
All that has transpired may be perfectly innocent, but I, for one, am staying tuned to see what happens.
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The Problem with Breed Specific Legislation
[Read the article: Pit bulls are innocent]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thank you for the thoughtful article on "pit bulls" and breed specific legislation. As you know from your own experience, there are many, many wonderful dogs who might be considered "pit bulls," a classification that can be very slippery, as demonstrated in the following link: http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html
Breed specific legislation focuses solely on a dog's perceived pedigree and the determination that a given dog is a particular breed or a dog that is a mix containing that breed. The breed specific approach is further complicated by what goes into making the determination that a certain breed is so "dangerous" that it should be treated differently from other breeds or even out and out banned. These determinations are affected not only by news reports that often mistakenly identify a particular dog as a "pit bull," but also by idividual experience with an individual dog. Someone who has been bitten by, say, a Cocker Spaniel, is likely to be forever wary of Cockers. This is particularly true of a person who does not have a lot of experience with different dogs.
The problem is with the people, not the dogs. When a person wants to scare/intimidate/threaten others with the dog at the end of the leash, that person will reward the chosen intimidator for agressive behavior that scares people. The intimidating effect will be easier if the dog is large or if it looks like a breed that has a "reputation." Banning specific breeds will do nothing-- NOTHING-- to stop this dynamic.
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Make choices that are sensible for you and your family
[Read the article: What I wouldn't do for my cat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A good veterinarian will tell you, in advance, the full cost of any testing or treatment, as well as the benefit of the procedure and the potential consequences of refraining from the treatment.
That said, $1,300 does not seem all that excessive in this day and age. I don't know about your household, but we spend about $60.00 per month for cable television-- something that is hardly necessary (and often far less entertaining than our pets). We drink wine with our pasta, instead of tap water, and routinely spend dollars on other non-esential items that, when added together, would certainly make a sizeable charitable donation to those less fortunate than we are.
Bringing a pet home entails both a financial and emotional investment. The cost of adopting a cat or dog from a shelter, or even paying a lot of money for a purebred andimal, is the least of the expenditures you will have over your pet's life span.
Should you have spent the money on Ferdinand? Only you can answer that question. Decisions on how much to spend have to be made on a case by case basis, considering you, your pet, and your family. That said, I would never, ever feel I had to defend an expenditure that was withing my means and that would preserve the quality of life for a companion who, as Roger Caras said, is not my whole life, but who makes my life whole.