Letters to the editor

Worse problems

We have far more serious problems in this country than Social Security. These problems include: 1. The growing deficit, 2. U.S. corporations moving off shore to avoid taxes, 3. Out-sourcing of jobs, 4. The trade deficit, 5. Unfair trade agreements, 6. Medicare funding, 7. Funding Super Fund site cleanups, 8. Global warming, 9. Research and development of cleaner energy fuels and technology, 10. Border security and millions of illegal aliens. We can't have Homeland Security without border security.

Big money and PAC's fund political campaigns. However, it is the large middle class that elects you and our president. If you believe President Bush's plan is the best for future generations of the middle class, then pass it. But first, Congress and the President need to give up your own free retirement system and join Social Security (pay into it). If the people were able to vote on an initiative to include all of you in Social Security and Medicare, it would pass in a heartbeat. If you can't stand up and do what is right for the middle class, you do not deserve to represent us.

Don Fenton

One Grizzly Way

Clancy

First, spay and neuter

Jonah Goldberg's opinion piece, March 18, "First, kill the cats," made the point that Wisconsin is justified if it allows hunting and killing of feral cats.

Feral, or wild, cats--as well as pet cats--are nearly the same small predators that humans partially tamed several thousand years ago. And both tame and feral cats are survivors who can fend for themselves if necessary. So let's not punish any of them for their skills.

Here's a better way to hear more songbirds: Respect the cats, but deny their reproduction. Most feral cats have become so because their parents were ignored when lost, or were kept only to kill barn mice--but not spayed or neutered.

Responsible pet owners have vets neuter their male cats and spay their females. Those who care about animals and human health trap feral cats, have them "fixed" and immunized against rabies, and return the kitties to the wild. In October of 2004 this community sponsored a special clinic that spayed and neutered almost 1,400 pets, 900+ of which were cats. In the future, another clinic may occur, emphasizing cats.

In the meantime, let's trap and fix so many feral cats that we'll hear more birds. And so there, Mr. Goldberg!

Jane Benson

25 Jefferson St.

Poor coverage

As a parent of a Helena Bighorn PeeWee B state champion hockey player, how sad it was to wait for an entire week before any mention of their incredible accomplishment was even made in the Helena Independent Record.

You ignored the article and photo that were submitted by a parent right after the team win. A tiny little mention of the team's efforts was published a week later.

Your paper makes a bigger deal of other Helena sports teams' losing games (whether it be the older Bighorn players or basketball) than it did of the amazing effort it took for 11-and 12-year-old kids to win the state championship PeeWee B Hockey titles, two years in a row!

I cannot understand how your paper has justified overlooking such an incredible event in the lives of these young boys who played for months and months and got to the state tournament (placing first in the overall regular season, as well) and who then went on to take first place at state.

Brenda Brask

Parent of Tony Brask

Helena Bighorn PeeWee B

State champion hockey player

Killing as fun?

After having served in the active Army and the Montana Army National Guard for 30 years, I'll have to say I was shocked by recent remarks of Lt. Gen. James Mattis who said, "It's fun to shoot some people."

His remarks brought to mind the story about the naval commander in the Pacific whose crew had just sunk a Japanese ship and they were cheering. He told them to stop, and said, "Those men are dying out there." The commandant of the Marine Corps, in an attempt to explain the General's remarks said, "I know he intended to reflect the harsh realities of war." One of the "harsh realities" the commandant failed to mention was that we may get to like it or romanticize it.

Even General Robert E. Lee recognized this tendency in the military when he said, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow fond of it."

I know there are many active and retired military personnel who will disagree with me. I know you. I have served with you, but remember, General Douglas MacArthur once described the American fighting man, "...as one of the noblest figures in the world." Let's not change that.

Ed Canty (Col. U.S.A Retired)

102 S. Cooke

AmeriCorps grateful

In January, the Helena community joined local AmeriCorps volunteers to honor Martin Luther King Jr., hosting a diversity fair benefiting the Friendship Center. There were more than 160 participants.

Thank you to the YWCA which graciously donated the use of its facilities for the event. Thank you to Luke Duran at Allegra; the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence for contributing to the making of flyers; to all of the organizations that donated their time, honoring Dr. King by making it "a day on, not a day off"; also Montana Supporting Soldiers, Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; the Tiernan Irish Dancers, Keith Synness and Special Olympics, Kumamoto Plaza, the Carroll College Gay Straight Alliance, Lalitha Murali and students from the Montessori School, Central Elementary, and the Capital High School Link Crew, United Way, Nabisco, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, and Van's Thriftway, Associated Dermatology of Helena P.C. A special thanks to all of the volunteers and to those who contributed donations to the Friendship Center.

We feel that by coming together as a community to recognize and celebrate our diversity, we are truly able to create a sense of unity.

Lisa Crowley, Stephanie Wrightsman,

AmeriCorps*VISTA

640 N. Rodney