Editor:
I was interested by Cathy Bustard's letter about the care of cats. Without getting into arguments about the differences between cats and dogs, or stressing unduly the claustrophobia felt by some rescued cats if cared for in the way she approves, I would like to move on and extend her argument a bit.
I, too, have seen sights that grieved me. There was the school friend killed by a car, the cousin who was damaged for life by a car, and numerous other humans who were similarly injured or killed. I wonder if our benevolent government should not consider locking us all up. Keep those children safe! In your house, in your yard, on a leash -- wherever they can't be hit by a car.
Then there were the birds. I've seen crows, pigeons, seagulls and sparrows crippled or killed by cars. Let's lock them up. Or what about the bees and the butterflies? While we're at it, we can lock up the dragonflies, damselflies, ladybugs and other beneficial insects, all of which take a beating by the automobile.
My point -- in case you've missed it -- is that Ms. Bustard has identified the wrong villain. It's not enough that automobiles pollute the air and the water (with things like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill). It's not enough that they've caused us to alter our way of life so a senior citizen who can no longer drive is generally required to give up home and community, because there are no small village grocery stores or other facilities available to those who walk. It's not even enough that they've caused more deaths (among humans) than any war known to history. Now they're going to deprive us and our cats of their freedom.
I acknowledge my hypocrisy. Living in a rural community, I often accept a drive. However, I want to go on record as saying that it is wrong, wicked, evil that we have allowed our world to become so dominated by the automobile that even a person who disapproves of it must use it in order to survive.
I want to suggest that we find a way to lock up the cars, and let the cats run free.
Sharon Leighton,
Central Bedeque
