Opinions aimed at a ban of pit bull dogs are way off the reasoned mark
Dear Editor,
The local hysteria about pit bulls is nauseating, particularly, the recent comments (calling for a ban) by Editor Mark Derry and letter writer J. Casalegno; asking “if a child” is next was even worse. Two quotes regarding dog aggression, one from the American Kennel Club, sum it up well.
“Because of [the Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s] natural fondness for people, most Staffords are temperamentally ill-suited for guard or attack-dog training.”
“Most deadly incidents involving Pit Bulls occur because of the manner in which the canine in question had been raised. Almost all of the fatal incidents involve Pit Bulls that had been trained for dog fighting.”
Much like when there are highly-publicized shootings (which seem to be a part of Obama’s America), we hear media mouthpieces and local ignorance calling for bans or restrictions or “control,” to punish the vast majority who harm no one, conveniently overlooking the same type of tragedy in Norway, where there is more gun “control.”
Whether the ignorance comes from grandstanding (building one’s newspaper readership or political career), from Hitlerism (scapegoating a group), from emotion (being a victim or close to a victim, and having a politician use your grief for his political career), or just wanting to fix the problem, level heads and justice need to prevail.
It is unfair to punish, even through the harassment passed off as “control,” the owners of pit bulls who do no harm; the number of such (harmless) dogs greatly exceeds the few that attack. Same goes for auto-loading rifles.
Much like the AR-15 style is the most popular rifle in America, I am delighted to see far more pit bulls around Gilroy than all other breeds combined.
Dog owners, pay close attention to any politician who tries to take your dogs away (or restrict them in any way). I have recall petitions at the ready.
Alan Viarengo, Gilroy
What the U.S. has to do to win is to really focus on dealing with reality
Dear Editor,
Politics these days are very interesting. The world of reality is in a battle to the death with the world of crazy, and it seems the reality is winning because crazy is collapsing in on itself. What crazy doesn’t realize is that reality always wins. There is no power in the universe that can go up against reality.
I feel that we, as a nation, choose reality over crazy in the last election and that members of both parties need to make a commitment to all Americans to put reality first. Let us all agree, no matter what party we identify with, to insist on a reality first process for determining what is the right thing we, as a country, should do – choose reality and say no to crazy!
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
South Valley Islamics want community to know that they are shocked by violence
Dear Editor, We, members of the South Valley Islamic Community, are appalled, shocked and saddened by the violent and cowardly attempt to silence a brave 14-year-old girl in Pakistan by the Taliban. Such senseless acts of violence are an affront to all peace-loving people.
Many atrocities are committed in the name of one religion or another, with the full knowledge that the religion in question, or any religion for that matter, has not and would never sanction these terrible crimes.
As believing Muslims, it pains us to have characters like the Taliban invoke our faith to perpetrate their acts of violence.
We strongly condemn these violent acts and reject them in the name of our faith and our collective humanity.
Karen Musa, SVIC president
Beds for veterans going unused in north state while homeless are on the streets
Dear Editor,
Something to consider over the holidays … There are 150 warm, dry, and furnished apartments still sitting empty at the brand new Redding Veterans Home, almost one year after being completed in January 2012 at a cost of $88 million.
It costs $119,000 each month to staff and maintain this unused facility, including salaries, benefits and utilities, totaling roughly $1.43 million dollars a year.
There are 3 to 4 more months of cold, wet, windy winter weather ahead for California residents.
There were 2,213 total individuals, representing 1,581 households, who were homeless at some point in 2011 and 983 total individuals, representing 423 households, were imminently at-risk of becoming homeless. Those numbers include 315 children who were homeless and 458 children who were imminently at-risk of becoming homeless.
Of those, 99 veterans were homeless (Source: City of Redding Shasta County Homeless Continuum of Care Council, www.co.shasta.ca.us/index/housing_index/coc_index.aspx).
If you feel the Veterans Home should be offered as a place of respite for the homeless, at least until such time as it is utilized for its intended purpose, please consider sharing your thoughts with Peter J. Gravett, Secretary, California Department of Veterans Affairs, at Pe***********@cd**.gov or 1227 O Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814.
I did. Dare I Say, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Pete Stiglich, Cottonwood
