AR-News: Collection of pro-animal letters in St Petersburg Times (US-FL)

[Karen Dawn]

St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

June 26, 2003 Thursday

 EDITORIAL; Pg. 15

 Candidates' views matter, not their rankings

 Democratic contenders race for cash, June 23.


Oppose animal fighting

Re: Fighting chance, by Wes Allison, June 16.

The article concerning the Animal Fighting Act was thorough in explaining
the challenges facing cockfighting enthusiasts. One viewpoint held by those
who oppose the law is that it discriminates against their cultural
traditions. However, as we know, slavery was once considered a cultural
right, but now has become unacceptable in our country. Cruelty to animals is
against basic moral and ethical values important to any society.

One breeder quoted in the article claimed that cockfighting as a sport was
being singled out by animal rights extremists. He mistakenly suggested that
other businesses, which also support animal abuse, go unopposed. Animal
rights activists across the nation are working to stop the indiscriminate
breeding that causes pet overpopulation, to expose the suffering of animals
used for entertainment, to cease animal testing, to lobby for the protection
of farm animals, and to encourage people to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle.
The movement to end all animal abuse is growing.

Justine McCoy, Crystal Beach

Don't blame the alligator

Re: 10-foot gator kills Lake County boy, June 19.

I am very sad for the boy's friends and families. No one deserves that type
of death. But this could have been avoided. It is well known in Florida that
rivers, lakes or any body of fresh water contain alligators - possibly
really big alligators. So no Floridian in his/her right mind should swim
there.

This incident particularly could have been avoided because the boys had
repeatedly seen alligators, "would climb out of the water," and then
presumably get back in. Why would you get back in? This was a tragic
accident, but it is no fault of the alligator. When a meal enters his home,
why shouldn't he try to eat it?

Please don't kill all of the alligators that you find. They were there
first. We are encroaching on them.

Katie Di Salvo, St. Petersburg

Why scapegoat feral cats?

Re: Cat fight in the lap of luxury, June 15.

When no less an authority than the Army Corps of Engineers states that
overdevelopment, pollution and drought are the chief causes of wildlife
decimation, why must the state of Florida continue to scapegoat the feral
cat? Since Tallahassee never met a scrap of unoccupied land it didn't wish
to develop, I certainly don't expect it to accept any blame.

Removal of entrenched feral colonies will only lead to an explosion in the
population of quite nonendangered rats, which will be bad news indeed for
bird eggs, nestlings and, most likely, the Key Largo rat.

I must also question Craig Pittman's implication that the well-heeled
residents of Ocean Reef would never abandon poor kitty; it must have been
the servants. In fact, animal cruelty knows no social class, and often the
poorest among us possess the most generous of hearts.

Elizabeth D. Van Atta, Tampa

Share your opinions

Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O.
Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They can be sent by fax to (727)
893-8675 or by e-mail to letters at sptimes.com (no attachments, please).

They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone
number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible.

Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all
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