Letters and Comments for April 1, 2009

Powers, Sykes

Working together works

To the Editor:

I am very appreciative of the recent coverage provided by The Observer for the activities of the EOU student group Alliance for Social Change.

We have already heard from former university students and others who are interested in joining our efforts.

I am also grateful for the wonderful collaboration we have with the local citizens group CURRENTS of Justice for Peace. The members of this group have been instrumental in bringing opportunities for collaborative events to our attention — especially the recent Walk for Warmth, which raised more than $10,000 for local citizens needing assistance with winter heating bills. CURRENTS also sought our co-sponsorship of the Eyes Wide Open exhibit (reflecting on the true costs of the war in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan), and earlier the free public showing of the then feature film “Inconvenient Truth.”

The students brought their energy and passion to carrying these projects forward, and our broader community is the richer for everyone’s contribution. Such collaborative efforts during these difficult economic times are especially necessary as it becomes clear how much we need one another.

Rosemary Powers

La Grande

Recreation, not public service

To the Editor:

In response to Ms. Hansen’s March 17 letter about trapping, I would like to point out that although her father may have caught all his fingers in traps, he didn’t spend up to 48 hours struggling to free them. The prolonged agony inflicted on animals in traps is the reason so many consider trapping to be indecent.

It’s not for nothing that trappers have the slang expression “wring-off” to describe an animal chewing off its foot to escape. Trapping is not offensive just because it endangers people’s dogs when they’re out for a hike, but also because it’s devoid of any respect or concern for the animal caught. Hunters aim to kill cleanly and selectively. Trappers aim to kill cruelly and indiscriminately.

As for disease control, I will quote the furbearer coordinator of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in a recent letter on that subject: “FWP regulates furbearer trapping seasons for recreational harvest opportunities. Montana’s harvest seasons are not based on reducing or controlling diseases.”

The ODFW would likely say the same, since studies to date have not established any strong correlation between fur trapping and disease control. Fur trapping is a recreation, not a public service.

If wild animals are to be killed, it should be done cleanly. They should not be tortured to death.

Wally Sykes

Joseph