Alaskans want fish first
It is time for Alaskans to stand together to defend our salmon and the rivers and streams they depend on. We haven't even closed the book on Pebble and we already have yet another outside company eyeing our most precious resource, salmon, and looking to trade it away for short-term, out-of-state jobs and profit. Don't even get me started on how PAC RIM is proposing to strip mine for coal, a dying industry that pollutes our air and adds mercury to our water.
Gov. Walker's transition team made it clear — Alaskans want a "fish first" policy. Gov. Walker, ensure that your DNR chooses salmon over coal and protect the Chuitna area.
-- Laura Comer
Anchorage
Who does Sullivan represent?
I was pleased to learn that our freshman senator, Dan Sullivan came out in favor of changing the name of Mount McKinley to its original name, Denali. Perhaps his wife is encouraging him to do the right thing and overcome his Ohio roots.
Too bad the senator has been missing our incredible weather of late. He spent the past weekend cozying up to his paymasters at the Charles and David Koch donor retreat in Dana Point, California,along with five other U.S. senators, seven governors and three congressmen. Sixteen elected Republicans groveling at the feet of the rich and powerful — it makes you wonder who Sen. Sullivan really represents.
-- Dan Heynen
Palmer
Compassion for humans?
It's been my consistent observation that "animal rights" movements overwhelmingly consist of emotionally stunted, over-privileged white people who lack empathy for their fellow human beings — particularly those with whom they don't socially or culturally identify — to the point where they value other species as more noble, worthy and beautiful than their own.
Such pathetic "'people" don't hesitate to argue that killing an animal is just as bad as killing a human. And all but the most extreme of them refuse to admit the other, and unavoidable, side of their argument — that in their eyes killing human beings (except for themselves) is no worse than, or not as bad as, killing an animal.
That's why you have these outraged, vibrating fuzz-brains going berserk about some "Great White Dentist" drilling a lion in Zimbabwe but shrug their shoulders with indifference to the fact that American cops have gunned down nearly 400 of their human neighbors since the beginning of the year.
I'll laugh in the face of any one of these sad individuals who claims he or she has "compassion for all living things."
-- Al-Hajj Frederick Minshall
Anchorage
All beings deserving of life
Re: Thomas H. Morse letter "Trophy hunting is disgusting" (Aug. 6) wherein he states: "All animals slaughtered by humans are Cecil the lion," and "All beings, human and nonhuman alike, are deserving of a life free of human cruelty as Cecil. We are all Cecil." He covers a spectrum of creatures human and nonhuman. Somehow he leaves out unborn children. What's up with that?
Today's Dilbert cartoon has an interesting line in it from Alice: "Did you brush your teeth too aggressively and accidently stab yourself in the brain?" I'd bet abortion doctors wouldn't be amused by that quip, or would they?
-- William Ahrens
Eagle River
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