Friday's letters: Bitter-cold cruelty

Published: Friday, January 15, 2010 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 5:56 p.m.

During this past cold spell, my heart was aching for our companions left out in the cold. I saw a dog in someone's yard, chained up and shivering from the cold. I got in touch with an animal shelter that passed along my concerns to Animal Control, but the dog had shelter, a bare wooden doghouse and water. According to the law, everything the dog had was sufficient. Animal Control's hands were tied.

I saw with my own eyes what the dog had and knew it was not sufficient. I shuddered when I considered the agony of suffering hour upon hour of relentless bitter cold. I even called the police to see whether leaving a dog out in 17-degree weather was not considered as cruelty to animals, and was assured that it was within the law. Within the law -- I just cannot understand how suffering is within the law. The law doesn't specify that an animal must be sheltered from the bitter cold.

Nearly every sector of our society depends upon dogs for help. They are inducted into our police force to track and bring down criminals; they are used by our government to sniff out contraband and explosives; they are even used by our soldiers to sniff out explosives; they are used to sniff out cancers and to predict seizures; they are used by the blind and the deaf as their eyes and ears; they are used to visit our nursing homes to boost morale. They are used for all this, but as far as having rights protecting them from freezing to death -- not a chance!

We know how to use them, we just won't protect them. What is wrong with this picture?

Cheryl Rhodes


Acknowledging the enemy

During World War II, Nazi saboteurs landed on Long Island and planned to destroy many critical targets in America. They were apprehended, tried by a military court and found guilty. Two received long prison sentences, and six were quickly executed.

Now we have the "underwear bomber." Like all Muslim extremists, he was dedicated to one task -- killing Americans. Are we not at war? What will it take before our nation realizes we are at war?

The Muslim extremists are our enemies. All of the fanatics who have attacked us -- our embassy in Iran, Americans in Lebanon, the Marine barracks in Beirut, Flight 847 in Athens, Pan Am Flight 103, the World Trade Center bombing, our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the 9/11 attacks -- were Muslim males ages 17 to 40.

So why is the Transportation Security Administration frisking 85-year-old ladies? Why are we so stupid that we can't speak honestly and directly? Even the president has finally admitted that we are at war. We know who the enemy is. We know what he looks like. Now let's attack him!

Otis Livingston

Columbus, N.C.


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