Feedback from our readers

Endangered elephants

Kudos to Bolivia for banning circuses with animals [“Presently Tense,” July 29]. Elephants are highly social and intelligent animals with sensitive needs. In the wild, they walk tens of miles a day with their families. In contrast, Ringling Bros. circus is awaiting a verdict on a trial in which evidence demonstrated that the circus chain endangered Asian elephants for an average of more than 26 hours at a time, sometimes for as many as 60 to 100 hours straight on extended trips. A recent undercover investigation of the circus revealed a Ringling head elephant trainer and animal superintendent striking elephants in the head, trunk and ears with heavy, metal-tipped bullhooks. If kids knew about this behind-the-scenes abuse, they’d have to be dragged to the circus.

I don’t want ’em already!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing about couples who don’t want children [“Sordid Tales,” July 22]. I, too, do not want those sticky little humans.

I adore my nephews, but part of the reason I adore them is I can return them to their mother. People always tell me, “Oh, you’ll change your mind some day,” and I’m pretty damn certain I won’t. That parenting instinct—yeah, I’m too selfish to nurture that. I can nurture in small doses, but the 24/7 bit? Nah.

I’m amazed at your patience with people, though it may be because you have another half to support you. When my friends cursed me and said, “Watch, you’ll be one of those women who pops out a football team,” I wanted to punch them both. Just like having children should be a serious decision, the choice not to should be, as well. You have some great points that I can bring up to people, along with my normal “Hey, if I can’t afford to support myself, what right do I have to bring someone else into the world I can’t support?” and “There are enough kids out there whose parents don’t want them; if I change my mind, I’ll adopt” arguments. Thanks for letting me ramble my appreciation for you article.

Dems good, GOP bad

About your Aug. 5 editorial supporting a constitutional convention: 

Unions are not special interests. That is Republican blowback. Unions represent 53 percent of workers, and professionals wish to belong to them. And 70 percent of Americans support them.

Districts are not “safe” if they are one party or the other; they are representing a specific unified neighborhood and should be safe.

Redistricting is an attempt at gerrymandering by the Republicans, who want to insert more Republicans into Democratic districts and dominate them with money.

Those calling for the California constitutional convention do not want to change the two-thirds vote on budgets and taxes.

The unions supported the proposition to change the two-thirds vote on budgets and taxes and was suspiciously defeated, perhaps hacked.

Term limits are also a Republican-backed idea that favors Republicans who have more candidates and more money to run candidates, and this discriminates against Democrats.

You are right that any boards, epecially those appointed and not elected, will favor Republicans and should be avoided. [Editor’s note: That’s not something we said.]

The proposition process has been coopted by Republicans to take over the Democratic-majority Legislature with money and false advertising.  Advise that when in doubt, vote no. Thank you.