Letters to the editor

A mother's loss

We can't bring back her son but maybe others will be saved

Editor, The Times:

Nothing we can say will bring back Cindy Sheehan's precious son Casey, nor take away her heartache, but our hearts swell with pride for her courageous stand, braving the sweltering Crawford, Texas, sun, a compassionate, loving mother, and true American, who relentlessly demands truth and accountability from our rulers, Bush, et al. ["Anti-war voice resonates in mother's Texas vigil," Times page one, Aug. 11, and "Bush: I sympathize, but we can't pull out," page one, Aug. 12.]

We sadly mourn and pray for those who have lost their loved ones, and for those still in harm's way. Our men and women were sent to Afghanistan and Iraq to defend our country and people from terrorists; however, it soon became possible for powerful families to increase their wealth.

Drastic changes, resulting from Sheehan's heroic investigative work with legislators and with grand jury indictments, into the truth regarding the Downing Street memo, WMD fraud, Valerie Plame security violations, and great 9/11 tragedy, are imminent.

Let us offer a silent prayer to allow this shift for the U.S.A. and its democracy to easily and without harm redirect itself as a government for the people.

We admire Sheehan's great determination and vision to bring the war to an end. We pray that those who have created travesty will be brought to justice.

— Arnold Neal Troeh (captain, U.S. Air Force; Vietnam '68-'69), Seattle

The things she carried

Cindy Sheehan understands perfectly what President Bush's position on the war is. She's aligned herself with leftish organizations and anti-war activists that I'm sure her son didn't agree with.

While we all mourn the loss of her son, her childish anti-war vigil dishonors his sacrifice.

I understand her grief, but to use his death for political grandstanding, and for anti-war protesters and the media to abet her in this endeavor, is shameful.

— Thomas Ancich, Seattle

Black band

As usual, The Times only tells part of the story about Cindy Sheehan, making it sound like this poor grieving woman has gone on her own to talk to George Bush.

Let's add to this story that, after the first meeting she had with Bush, she said he was a decent and caring man. Now all of a sudden, with financial backing and being programmed on what to say from MoveOn.org and [liberal film producer] Michael Moore, she is the darling of the news media.

Also let's add that all her family want her to stop besmirching her son's memory and stop this foolishness.

— Jerry Jackson, Shoreline

Yellow rose

The actions of this president are speaking volumes on his cowardice, when he can't be bothered meeting with Cindy Sheehan. She deserves his respect for her sorrow.

We all deserve an explanation of how he has allowed more than 1,800 American soldiers to die.

Until the next election, America will constantly be in despair due to the lack of heartfelt concern by this administration.

— Sandi Hulden, Kelso

Roundly defeated

Cindy Sheehan's vigil brought to mind a conversation I had with a friend who was a Marine just back from [the war in] Vietnam. He was still on active duty, and I remember him standing in his uniform while we talked.

My friend defended the Vietnam War, saying that if we pulled out, his buddies would have died for nothing. I remember asking him what sense it made for more people to die for his buddies' sake, and I wondered what his dead buddies would think of more guys dying in their names.

For some reason, something clicked for my friend that day, and his sentiments turned against the war.

Whatever the outcome of Sheehan's efforts, she is asking the right question. To conduct a war for the sake of those who have already died in that same war is to disrespect the memory of those who have died.

— Sherry Narens, Seattle

Human nature

Forget confinement

In response to Woodland Park Zoo's announcement that it is planning to send one of its Asian elephants, Bamboo, to the Point Defiance Zoo because of her aggressive behavior after 38 years at WPZ ["Defiant attitude better suited for Point Defiance," Local News, Aug. 12], I disagree with this decision.

It is well known that the neurotic behavior [exhibited by] elephants like Bamboo is caused by years of close-confinement captivity in small zoo exhibits and circuses. They are migratory by nature and are used to walking 30-50 miles per day in the wild. They need this exercise and free access to vegetation and change of scenery to maintain optimum physical and mental health.

In captivity, they exhibit either the classic, repetitive bobbing and swaying or various forms of aggression.

Virtually their entire quality of life is sacrificed just so they can be put on display to visitors who stop for a few seconds and then move on to the next exhibit.

It's time for Bamboo to permanently check out of the zoo system in this country. It has not served her well. WPZ should send Bamboo, instead, to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, a 2,700-acre natural habitat, where she will be able to live once again as she would have lived in the wild if she had not been stolen from her herd as an infant. The sanctuary has had tremendous success for more than 10 years in rehabilitating neglected and abused animals.

Woodland Park Zoo, let the healing begin. Please release Bamboo now.

— Nancy Farnam, Edmonds

Beginning again

Leap the whirlwind

I fail to see why Darwin's theory of evolution is not properly placed in philosophy class, as it stands in as a replacement for God ["Creationism vs. evolution: Can faith and science co-exist?" News, Aug. 11].

There is more complexity today? Where are the dinosaurs, the woolly mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers? What about the ancient classical writers? The pyramids of Egypt still stymie the greatest minds of today.

Unrelated species do appear fully formed in the fossil record as if from nowhere, and contrary to where evolution says they should be found.

Less complexity exists today.

The sciences do not need evolution. Darwin's theory comes in only for "when" and "how," but it answers neither correctly. There is error everywhere with the postulates that form the theory of evolution.

Darwin's theory offers only glorified guessing.

So why is unproven evolutionary dogma taught in science class?

— Linda Neilsen, Kent

Thank God, it's settled

An analogy, if you please: Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, and my mother raised us to celebrate it. She also took us to see Santa Claus. No conflict there; it is a religious and non-religious holiday. Ask any child.

So, humans — whom the cockroaches may be studying as anthropological finds someday — are easy also: Our bodies evolved (science) and our souls (religion) were created.

I think that settles it.

— Rita Nalette, Seattle