Why Single Out Muslims?
Dear Editor,
The very fact that Morgan Hill residents Robert and Joanne Parish and San Jose resident Tom Campbell place quotes around the word community in their Aug. 10 Morgan Hill Times letter to the editor regarding the proposed Muslim center in San Martin sends alarm bells off in my head. Would the writers use quotes were we talking about Catholic, Hebrew or Protestant communities? I think not. Would we ask any other religious organization to submit to background checks, financial dealings and their members’ political positions? I think not.
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that there are radicals in every organized religion, but that most members simply wish to practice their beliefs with others who are like minded and believe as they do. And that, to me, is the definition of “community.”
If the writers don’t like the idea of living among so many Muslims, I’d suggest they get used to it. Moving to another town won’t help. When President Bush and his advisors decided to go after Saddam Hussein, (how quickly we forgot Osama Bin Laden) they guaranteed Americans a future of living with the ramifications of their actions. There is no question that all of us will have many Muslim neighbors in the not too distant future. We need only look at our Japanese, German, Korean and Vietnamese neighbors to be reminded that they were once our enemies and most are now contributing members of American society and many even serve as elected officials, and yes, sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States the writers profess to believe in.
Joanne Fisher, Morgan Hill
Greedy Breeders Killed Healthy Pets Act
Dear Editor,
Thanks to greedy breeders who lobbied shamelessly to kill the California Healthy Pets Act, the proposed bill, AB 1634, has been shelved. Thoughtless people like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears continue plunking down their credit cards for puppy mill pups sold at pet stores. All the while, young, healthy, and friendly animals continue to die in California’s animal shelters simply for lack of homes. The proposed bill wouldn’t have stopped breeders from bringing more animals into this overpopulated world; it only required a fee for a breeding permit-a fee that would have likely been covered by far less than half the selling price of one puppy!
That’s why PETA has sponsored a giant billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles reminding everyone that breeders kill shelter dogs’ chances. Most breeders comfortably remove themselves from the gruesome life-and-death reality of animal shelters, but that doesn’t change the fact that every time someone buys a puppy or kitten from a breeder or pet store, an animal in a shelter loses her chance at a home and will be killed.
Each year, more than 400,000 animals are killed in California’s shelters; nationwide the number is nearly 4 million. Ending this killing is as simple as A-B-C: Animal Birth Control. Have your animals spayed or neutered and adopt animals from shelters instead of buying them from breeders or pet stores. To learn more, visit www.HelpingAnimals.com.
Daphna Nachminovitch
Director, Domestic Animals and Wildlife Rescue & Information
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
