Letters to the Editor

I've written many letters in support of gay rights. On May 1 this year, one of my letters was published in the Source.

In the debate between intelligent design (ID) and evolution there is often an important element that is left out: The scientific method. And while there can be an endless debate on definitions of the word "science," it's important to remember how science is used to arrive at certain conclusions before we use it to conclude that some vague concept of intelligence created the universe.
It's logical to conclude that for something to be "scientific," someone used the scientific method to come to that conclusion. And what is the scientific method? If we remember from elementary school, roughly it is observation, hypothesis, prediction, experimentation, and conclusion. Now, when one says that ID is scientific, he or she is forgetting an important detail, and that's the experimental step of the scientific method. If someone observes that the physical world is extraordinarily complex, makes the hypothesis that there must have been an intelligence that designed everything, predicts that this is the case, and concludes that an intelligence or god or whatever designed it all, an important step was missed, experimentation! So far, there have been no experiments set up that give conclusive evidence that an intelligent being or force designed things.

Seems there's an issue about a feral feline at The High Desert Museum and the effect on the other species sharing its environment. Sound familiar?
 
Why do we always whine about the glowing ember while ignoring the raging forest fire we created behind us? Which species has destroyed and endangered more fellow creatures than any other, including feral felines? Who is wiping out wolves with helicopters and destroying the habitat, not to mention the polar bear species, of our northern regions? Who has destroyed countless species of plants and potential herbal remedies by clear-cutting rainforests? Who created DDT? Which species wiped out the cod fisheries off the east coast of our country?
Why don't we all just open our eyes, our minds, and put our mouths and pens to more effective, long-term gains than the future of chipmunks?Yep, I know this would require intelligence and maturity, which may be asking too much of the human species, but why not give the kitty some slack and start cleaning up our own (bigger) mess?
One who tries to see the tree from the forest.

Sooner or later everyone asks the question, "Where do we come from?" The answer carries profound implications. Until this question is answered we cannot solve another fundamental question that is key to ethics, religion and the meaning of life (if any): "Are we here for a purpose?"
There are two possible answers: the universe and life and its diversity - natural phenomena - are the product of 1) a combination of only natural laws and chance (the "naturalistic hypothesis;") or 2) a combination of law, chance and design - the activity of a mind or some sort of intelligence that has the power to manipulate matter and energy (the "design hypothesis.") The latter produces purpose, the former does not.
The naturalistic hypothesis is supported by theories of chemical evolution (with respect to the origin of the universe and life) and by Darwinian evolution (with the respect to the origin of the diversity of life.) The design hypothesis is supported by the purposeful characteristics of exceedingly complex natural systems that are frequently described as "fine tuned." Each hypothesis is densely laden with philosophical and religious baggage, and clear thinking is required in order to separate the science for the philosophy, the evidence from the implications and reality from imagination.

Dr Holly O'Brien was right on in her letter regarding animal abuse in our area. She brought up the worthwhile idea of the Source doing an article on animal cruelty laws and what the public can do if they witness animal abuse. I was disappointed that you did not jump on her suggestion, choosing instead to print only a summary of the general concept of the law. You did the public a disservice by ignoring her advice, which called for also pointing out what the public can DO when such shameful behavior is viewed.
Please do take her valuable recommendation about doing an in-depth article on animal cruelty and its prevention. This is a subject that can never be brought up too many times; people who abuse animals rarely stop there. One of my dogs, Piper, was subjected to an electrified food dish for three years, before he came to be my forever friend. His owner was married with children. What example does this set for them?

Some of the largest nitrate polluters are the golf courses. The courses are massive green grass lawns being grown in a semi-arid environment. What makes plants green? Nitrogen. Therefore, in order to have green golf courses on the edge of the desert one needs massive amounts of polluting nitrogen. Plant nutrient uptake can be significantly altered by the ph of the solution it is being delivered in, meaning the grass might not even be able to use much of the fertilizer being applied. Much of this nitrogen (among many other chemicals in synthetic commercial golf course fertilizer) stays in the ground unused by the grass. Even when used by the grass these chemicals go back into the soil when the plant dies.

Letter of the Week 
We're not exactly sure who brought us this week's letter of the
week, as she flies under the righteous handle of Mora Lee Sound. But
anyone who calls out the Advice Goddesses' panties has our respect. Go
Mora Lee!

Amy, the Advice Goddess,
My commentary is in reference to your wellspring Source of advice to Nun for Me in last week's paper:
Is this really what our world has arrived at? Has God been replaced by a goddess whose "good advice" is to ditch the woman with high morality and a sense of self-worth in favor of floozies who will drop their pants at the first fluctuation of a hormone?
As for Biblical criticisms, please open your Bible more often than you open your "after-one-night-stand" birth control pills, and you might see that the Old (Mosaic) Law Covenant in which disobedient children were "stoned" was replaced by an entirely New Covenant dominated by Christian principles. (Romans 7:6) Yes, "principles" - another word you may want to look up in the dictionary, the other dusty book presently buried by the thong undies of your avid advice-takers.

Letter of the Week
Kommissar Daly's "jokes" are particularly UNFUNNY, insensitive and demeaning to women and those 5% (reported) of male victims of domestic violence and battery. I am personally repulsed by his remarks on behalf of my late mother, herself a victim of my late father's brutality for many years.

The U.S.

I'm writing in response to the recent article on Destination Resort Reforms. I agree with the tone and direction of the article, however, the oversimplified and somewhat negative characterization of Pronghorn was unfortunate.