Letters to the editor

Horses damaging public lands

Wild vs. feral is the question. It's that time again for a quick education class on the issue of feral horses and burros on our public lands.

One only needs to query any search engine with the question "how long have horses been in North America?" This is a search every person that donates money or time to horse advocacy groups should do. There you will find, without any dissenting stories, the history of horses and burros. Then you should ask yourself, am I contributing to the demise of our delicate balance of ecosystems on our public lands? The answer is yes, you are. You only have to look at the damage feral swine are causing in the southern states, not to mention quagga muscles, northern pike, Asian carp, snake head fish, boa constrictors and many other species of invasive animals, whether or not they were intentionally introduced or not. The ecosystem cannot support these animals, period.

Since the Spaniards introduced them in the 16th century, simply because they didn't want to take them home with them and when they returned they could recapture them. Well that didn't work out so well. The Native Americans saw them for what they were, beasts of burden and used them. Until 1971 they were managed by culling them for use, now they are overpopulating and damaging beyond repair our public lands. It's time to change that and repeal the law.

Richard Doke Sr.

Carson City

Taxpayers paying for abortions

On Jan. 23, the Nevada Appeal published an AP article written by John Hanna. The title of the article was "40 years after Roe v. Wade, abortion foes march on." My wife read the headline to me and said, "What does that make you think?" For me I thought, "If you are a foe of abortion then those who are not foes must be friends of abortion."

I am sure that most liberals would not think of themselves as friends of abortion. Hanna goes on to show his bent right away in his opening line "abortion opponents." I really have never considered myself as an opponent as much as I am a supporter for the sanctity of life. But it troubles me to think that I am for the sanctity of life, and yet I also pay for abortions.

How many Americans know that in 2011 Planned Parenthood received 45 percent of its operating income from taxpayers, which enabled them to perform 334,00 abortions alone in 2011. There is no way around it, every tax-paying American supports abortions. Therefore, we as a nation do not hold a high value on life. We hold a higher value on the sanctity of personal choice and personal rights.

Ben Fleming

Carson City