Opinion News
Letters to the editor, 11-18
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Show respect
In the Oct. 28 Journal, unthinkable, these protesters have lost their minds, what they have left. I call them un-Americans to go to anyone's funeral and carry on as they did. If I were president, I would send them out of our America.
The five young women who displayed an American flag, thank you. In your hearts you have what is not in the hearts of the seven sick protesters. True Christians would never carry on like that.
Death is to be respected no matter who it is, as God will judge us on how we treat our dead. Our families of the military should have the right to bury their loved ones without a zoo showing up.
Our troops and families need all our respect at this time. We need to support all of our troops, no matter how you think of the war. Give them your prayers and show love and respect to their families.
God bless the five young women.
Show respect for our dead.
PAULETTE REED
Ellsworth AFB
Sorry, Leo
So Leo D. Lion wrote a letter to the editor? On first thought, we had one intellectual cat on our hands! But poor Leo thinks that his "Uncle Bob's eating of a dog" somehow caused many previous generations of lions to have no knowledge of birth control, thus necessitating management of their current over-population. (Could Uncle Bob possibly have eaten a dog because too many territorial lions around him wouldn't let him in their area for the pursuit of their ample prey?)
Leo says, "can't we all just get along?" Here he quotes some humans (who were seeking to soothe their consciences after building houses all over the wildlife meadows).
Tear Along the Dotted Lion left large footprints in the dust/snow in and around our barn and garage last winter. He ate garbage. He had to be suffering hunger prior to "stooping so low." I miss the snowshoe rabbits, bobcats, foxes, etc., which have been devoured or displaced in my area.
Sorry, Leo, you are beautiful. So are/were the other creatures. Can you say, "Balanced wildlife management"?
B. KAY BAUMANN
Custer
Fund it all
I listen with amusement (perhaps bemusement) to the words of the self-righteous proclaiming their sincere gratitude for our soldiers. I read about the disturbing condition of the veterans' quarters at the homeless shelter. I watch in a state of "shock and awe" as elected officials distribute $42 million of taxpayer money to the frivolous, unproductive or just plain dumb.
A novel idea: City leaders meet with the Mission director. Ask just one question: how much? Fund it all at the very next council meeting. The soccer moms will get over it. And veterans have priority over prisoners.
Otherwise, do not talk to me about your patriotism or heartfelt thanks for America's citizen soldiers.
LAWRENCE M. KOSTANESKI
Rapid City
Vigilante justice
The Wild West is back ... in some people's minds. Several weeks ago, Butch Divan was "found guilty" of "violation of probation" in that two cows and one calf, which were not his, were found on land not owned by him but deemed controlled by him. He's now sentenced to prison.
I suspect these cattle had "help" getting where they were, but saying that, I'm doing what others have done, speculating with absolutely no proof.
We've had five years of an unprofessional, one-sided investigation, unreturned phone calls, a "lost" bill of sale and accusations with no real proof.
Butch invited the original investigator to search all of our cattle and pastures at the time he was first accused. Instead, they chose to do it at an appointed time with a lot of fanfare!
"Someone" wants to believe there is rampant cattle rustling going on. Not so here!
What has been proved is that a group of people can work themselves up into a vigilante state of mind with the aid of an unethical prosecutor and others, known and unknown to us, and railroad an innocent man.
LINDA DIVAN
Martin
Season over
The first-ever Black Hills mountain lion hunting season is over, with a lot of controversy. The Wyoming side of the Black Hills has had a lion season for some time now, without any problems.
The S.D. GF&P has estimated our mountain lion population at 145 lions. (I personally believe there are a lot more.) Thirteen lions were killed during the short hunting season, leaving 132 lions.
It's a well-known fact that deer are the lions' main food source and that each adult mountain lion needs roughly a deer a week, which in a year's time will amount to 6,864 deer being killed and eaten by those 132 mountain lions.
Next spring, after the does have their fawns, there will be a lot of those does killed by mountain lions, leaving hundreds of motherless baby deer. I'm sure that Gov. Rounds and the GF&P will be heading up a posse to go round up all those starving baby deer, like they did with the mountain lion cubs.
Or do we just save the animals, who if their population is not kept in check, will come into our cities, towns and into our yards, and kill and drag off our babies?
RAYMOND KASIAH
Rapid City
Sensationalism
How unfeeling and cruel it was for the Journal to print the article ("GF&P begins lion review," Nov. 4) about the mountain lion killed by a "hunter" who described eating the meat, and who plans to have the lion mounted!
It was bad enough to see pictures of the beautiful creatures after death on the front page every day. Now you shove this garbage in our faces.
I used the term "hunter" loosely. He lured the animal with a device that sounds like a fawn in distress. I grew up here and understand the laws of nature, so I realize that sometimes the killing of an animal is necessary, if it is attacking. However, there are lots of people who are sensitive like me and don't need to see the proof of the kill.
You went too far with this article. You are only trying to keep things stirred up because it sells papers. This is not good journalism. It smacks of "sensationalism" like the tabloids at the supermarket checkout lines.
DIANNE DAILEY
Rapid City
Editor's note: The Journal only published two photos of a dead mountain lion on its front page.
Bright future
Americans seem to have become extremely disillusioned with politics-as-usual today. With severe partisanship surprising even the hard-line legislators in Washington, South Dakota can count its blessings in at least one extremely hard working, talented and caring individual.
I feel like one of the luckiest people in this state to have worked for and been exposed to the constant dedication of Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth to South Dakota values and priorities.
From the first-hand experience of working in her Rapid City office since her election in June of 2004, I attest to Stephanie's rejection of partisan politics, her sincere interest in the needs of average South Dakotans, and the constant long hours of hard work she and her staff continue to invest in the service of this state.
While I have left her office to move on to other opportunities, I want to take a moment to thank Stephanie for restoring my faith in politics and inspiring me to understand that public service through government can be a noble and worthwhile endeavor. Her bright future in public service also serves as a very bright future for South Dakota.
EMILY LEFHOLZ
Rapid City
Road show
The Journal recently published an Associated Press article on a 17-member South Dakota state task force on abortion. The article said that the task force would either try to further restrict abortion or try to ban "nearly all abortions in South Dakota." Your article mentions that most of the 17 members are strong foes of abortion. It also says that most of the testimony came from out-of-state opponents of abortion.
One would hope that the Legislature, the press and the South Dakota public would give no weight to the opinions of such a task force. It is composed of abortion foes who want to impose their views on other people. It sounds like it used a traveling road show of out-of-state opponents of abortion to testify.
Why does the task force (which is spending our tax dollars) not concentrate more on the views of South Dakota folks?
Hopefully, we won't let those who want to ban abortions in cases of rape or incest, or to protect the life of the mother use the findings of this task force to impose their views on South Dakota.
DAVID NICKEL
Spearfish
No tax freeze
Recently my friend Sen. Jim Lintz made comments in the news about our property tax assessment plan, which need correcting.
1. There is no tax freeze, as Lintz stated. There is no freeze of any kind, just a limit as to how much property assessment can go up.
2. Lintz claimed he won't be able to sell his land to his children because of high taxes. Not true! Legislation requiring sales between family members assessments remain the same will be part of the plan.
3. Disparities between neighbors' taxes already exist. Our present system is full of overtaxed and undertaxed properties.
4. Are Lintz and other legislators opposing this measure turning their backs on the elderly, ag producers, small business owners, and homeowners who are being driven from their properties because of increasing assessments and ever-increasing taxes?
If we don't pass this measure, assessments and taxes will continue climbing unchecked.
Sales price is the fairest assessment. South Dakota taxes nearly everything on sales price, except real estate, which is based on arbitrary property assessments based on someone else's ability to purchase property.
Sen. BILL NAPOLI
Rapid City
Teach forgiveness
I am writing this letter to comment on the "Celibacy that 'one more thing'" Forum article (Oct. 29) by Bishop Blase Cupich. Bishop Cupich states that in order to emulate Christ, priests need to sacrifice that "one more thing," which is sex.
Actually, Jesus never mentioned the subject at all except for speaking about adultery. It was the Apostle Paul who mentioned it and Paul said in so many words that a person could devote their full attention to God if they remained unmarried, but that if they married, they would also have to satisfy their wife or husband. However, Paul also said in other epistles when commenting on the qualities of an overseer, which many interpret to be a pastor, that he should be a man of but one wife.
Be that as it may, I see this discussion as far less important than the effort to teach forgiveness. I think we should be talking more about this and less about theological side issues that do not get to the root of the problem in this country, which is a lack of forgiveness.
WILLIAM T. ELLIOTT
Hot Springs
Fought for freedom
The Nov. 1 letter by John O. Ruff was excellent! This war may not be popular with everyone who didn't serve, but it hit the nail on the head.
Being a veteran of the Gulf War and a Christian, I must say, Thank you. It's hard for people to understand the sacrifice if they never served in a combat zone. I love my country and it's freedom I fought for!
Every veteran feels this war in their soul and prays that it will be resolved as soon as possible.
Be proud of what we're doing in the world and thank God for the men and women who are willing to protect the world's freedom. Remember, they all volunteered to serve proudly.
SKIP COLLVER
Box Elder
Letters welcome
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