Readers
Giffords fails cowboys by not backing act
The Kentucky Derby reminds us of our love and partnership with the horse.
But American horses remain in jeopardy of being stolen from our backyards and stables and taken to profiteers who sell them at auctions.
Killer buyers then transport them under horrendous condition to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
Up to the day public pressure closed the last U.S. horse slaughter plant in Illinois, there were reports of mares giving birth to foals in holding areas while awaiting slaughter.
There were reports of injured, crippled and abused horses suffering miserably, provided no food and no water after long journeys under horrific conditions.
Seventy percent of Americans want to end horse slaughter, and Congress has concurred time and again.
Federal legislation pending in the House and Senate would end horse slaughter and prohibit the use of double-decker trailers, meant for cattle, to transport horses.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva and Sen. John McCain are co-sponsors of the Equine Cruelty Act. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was a co-sponsor in the last Congress but has not yet signed onto equine legislation since her re-election. This is a great disappointment to her constituents and the horse community.
Among the 97 pieces of legislation for which Giffords is a sponsor or co-sponsor is HR 322, to declare July 25 as National Day of the Cowboy. How can Ms. Giffords honor the cowboy and sell the horse he rode in on down the road to the slaughter plant?
Call Sen. Jon Kyl at 202-224-4521 and ask him to become a co-sponsor of S 727. Call Giffords at 202-225-2542 and ask her to co-sponsor HR 503 the Equine Cruelty Act, HR 1018 Restoring Protection for Wild Horses and Burros Act and HR 305 Horse Transportation Act.
Legislation to honor the cowboy cannot matter much without his faithful partner, the horse.
Julianne French
Refreshing to watch Obama at work
It is refreshing to see our president go through a deliberative process.
He explains his decisions with logic, in speeches, press conferences and town hall meetings where “real” people from all parties ask questions.
With all the things on his plate, mistakes, even big ones are inevitable.
Some in his own party won’t stand up to banks on behalf of underwater mortgage debtors for the most important element of President Obama’s bankruptcy reform package.
Meanwhile, the other party has lost one of its three (of 41) moderating elements in the Senate with the switch of Arlen Spector.
There is so much to be corrected. Thank heaven the guy with the shovel has started to fill the holes instead of making them deeper.
Barry Kirschner
Students truly benefit from extracurriculars
College admissions requirements change quickly.
High school students need a good grade point average and a good score on their SAT or ACT. But they also need more.
Participation in extracurricular activities helps a student’s GPA, behavior, attendance and academic performance while building their résumé to help with college admissions.
Researcher Douglas Reeves studied a Woodstock, Ill., school that had added a comprehensive extracurricular program. In one year after the program became active, the ninth-grade failure rate in math, science, social studies and English dropped nearly 40 percent.
The school had more national merit honorees than ever and, in five years, it doubled the number of students taking and passing advance placement classes and exams.
The graduation rate rose to 88 percent – its highest level in 10 years – with 94 percent of the graduates planning to attend some postsecondary education.
With moderate participation in activities, students benefit. All it takes is a little encouragement by teachers and parents.
Sports, student council, debate, clubs, all build a student’s résumé, help build life skills and a work ethic. This is an easy way to help students succeed.
Jacob Rich
freshman
University of Arizona
HR 1388 passage gives support to terrorists
Why is this not being given proper coverage? This is nothing less than presidential support for terrorists who are enemies of America.
HR 1388 was just passed behind our backs. You may want to read about it.
It wasn’t mentioned on the news, just went by on the ticker tape at the bottom of the CNN screen.
By executive order, President Barack Obama has ordered the expenditure of $20.3 million in “migration assistance” to the Palestinian refugees and “conflict victims” in Gaza.
This is the news that didn’t make the headlines.
The “presidential determination,” which allows hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with ties to Hamas to resettle in the United States, was signed on Jan. 27 and appeared in the Federal Register on Feb. 4.
Few on Capitol Hill, or in the media, took note that the order provides a free ticket replete with housing and food allowances to individuals who have displayed their overwhelming support to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the parliamentary election of January 2006.
Thomas Wheeler