Donations are not being used to help animals
Re: “When animal rights groups attack,” Jan. 5
Donors to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals surely have no idea their money is going to pay a whopping $9.3 million settlement in a federal racketeering lawsuit. A recent poll of 1,000 donors to the Humane Society of the United States, which is still a defendant in the racketeering litigation, found that 75 percent of donors gave to the organization to help pet shelters reduce the pet euthanasia rate. The numbers are surely similar for the ASPCA’s donors.
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This gap between perception and reality is even worse in HSUS’ case considering that the organization doesn’t run a single pet shelter (the ASPCA runs just one). Both groups benefit from donors confusing them with similarly named local animal shelters.
In a perfect world, their ads would no longer show needy dogs and cats. They’d show Tony Soprano.
— Rick Berman
Executive director, Center for Consumer Freedom
Washington
Supreme Court opened door for abortion restrictions
Re: “Abortion restrictions are unconstitutional,” From Readers, Jan. 2
Edd Doerr makes a grievous mistake by saying that abortion opponents have “no respect for women’s religious freedom.” God’s law tells us no one has the right to kill an innocent human being.
He claims the government has no right to impose restrictions on abortion, but even the Supreme Court’s Casey decision opened the door to limiting abortion. And government has a duty to protectallits people.
Doerr also says that neither the Bible nor science supports personhood for the preborn prior to 28 weeks gestation. But all competent embryologists agree we become human at conception. And Luke’s biblical infancy narrative, as well as Isaiah and Samson, clearly state that we are persons from conception.
If, according to Doerr, we only become persons at 28 weeks, surely he would at least want to outlaw killing the preborn for profit after that.
— Diane Hess
Damascus
Gun owners should be liable for ‘accidents’
Since gunaholics are primarily responsible for the fear created by the misuse of firearms, they should bear the burden of alleviating it.
My son suggests that all firearms be locked up so people would view them with respect. Every gun should be sold in a secure container. In case of an “accident,” the owner could be prosecuted.
All firearms already sold should be declared by their owners and put under lock and key, with perhaps a small tax to pay for it.
We do not need our schools transformed into barracks with armed guards at the doors.
— Madeleine Soudee
Washington
