Population Fund deserves money allocated by Congress
Published August 15, 2004
Re: U.S. policy on population fund is based in law.
In his Aug. 6 letter defending the administration's decision to withhold congressionally appropriated funding for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, Assistant Secretary of State Arthur E. Dewey makes assertions that are not supported by the facts. After funding for UNFPA was withheld in 2002, an assessment team sent to China by the U.S. State Department found no evidence that the fund supported or participated in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. On the contrary, it reported that UNFPA had registered its strong opposition to such practices. That team recommended that funds allocated by Congress be released to UNFPA.
Three other independent teams, from the United Nations, the British Parliament and a multifaith panel of religious leaders, reached the same conclusion. UNFPA's objective in China is a climate where women and men make decisions freely about the number, timing and spacing of their children and has received the support of its 36-nation Executive Board to work with the Chinese to achieve that goal.
-- Safiye Cagar, director, information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division, UNFPA, New York
Law enforcement on the wrong road
Re: Critics: Sex industry stings waste time, tax dollars, Aug. 8.
Recently my son was seriously injured in Tampa by a driver who had allegedly been drinking. Perhaps if Tampa police spent more time, money and effort targeting drinking drivers and less trying to stop sex acts between consenting adults my son would not have spent more than a week in the hospital and would not be facing up to a year in physical rehabilitation.
-- Joe Wisinski, Seminole
Can consumers control health costs?
Re: Health care defines domestic agendas, Aug. 8.
In his comprehensive review of our health care system from a political perspective, Adam C. Smith quotes the deputy policy director for the Bush-Cheney campaign, Megan Hauck, as having said that Bush "looks at the nation's health care problems and sees a need for more consumer control and flexibility." Hauck then says that "consumer-driven health care lowers costs. When it's not their money, people don't have the same incentive to control costs."
Consumer control? Come again? Who is it that determines what the provider is to be paid for his services? What's the consumer expected to do - negotiate? Or is it being suggested that he should refuse to be diagnosed and treated?
It would be interesting to know what kind of health care plan Megan Hauck has and who is paying for it.
-- Nathan L. Belkin, Clearwater
Catholics don't need a lecture
Re: Catholicism shouldn't preclude candidacy, Aug. 8.
Martin Dyckman charges that in requiring that politicians seeking to receive Communion be faithful to church doctrine, bishops cause voters to doubt the decisionmaking abilities of all Catholics who run for political positions. Dyckman suggests that Catholics in public life must be exempt from the moral and religious guidelines that bind the rest of the church. Is he implying that those who adhere to the teachings of the Catholic faith are unfit to hold office? By extension, are Catholics ill-equipped to cast votes in elections?
Dyckman labels the bishops' actions as "misguided arrogance." It is clear, however, that the arrogance lies not with the bishops who seek to uphold church doctrine, but with columnists who assume they know what is best for the Catholic Church and its believers.
-- Kiera McCaffrey, policy analyst, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, New York
Cross-breeding crosses the line
Re: Living with wolves: Crossing dogs, wolves: Is it breeding trouble? Aug. 7.
If the recent wolf-hybrid tragedy has brought all the Chicken-Little fanatics out of hibernation, rest assured the sky isn't falling, but we need to be aware of what is living among us.
For centuries, the wolf has stood as one of the most endearing symbols in the animal kingdom - with a natural way of surviving in the wild. Of course, therein lies the problem.
Like the mad scientist obsessed with building a better mousetrap, somewhere along the way, he crosses the line in the natural world, which was never meant to be crossed.
For years, I have professionally photographed wolves in the back country. I never experienced fear in their environment and certainly never felt threatened. To me, personally, they have the most mesmerizing eyes of any creature. Perhaps it's the fascination with this characteristic that drives breeders to the next level.
Hybrids, unfortunately, often end up giving the natural species a bad name. While wolfdogs may do marginally well in some tightly controlled, highly supervised surroundings, just flip-flop the living conditions and a domestic dog would have very little chance of long-term survival in its counterpart's natural environment.
The bottom line: Be not afraid of the wolf, even though most of us will probably never experience their magnificent beauty firsthand in a lifetime.
For hybrids, however, I can only hope they receive responsible care from their owners - but strongly condemn all involved who had the "doofus-like" mentality to believe they could actually fool Mother Nature.
-- Dave Sanders, Palm Harbor
Explore the joys of reading
Re: Hit the books, America, editorial, Aug. 9.
As an avid reader and lover of books, I can't believe people don't feel the same! I guess television and electronic games are the choice now.
However, books are wonderful, can be carried anywhere and enjoyed at your leisure. I read one or two books every week. Perhaps some young people who don't "read" now will appreciate books as they grow older.
-- Dorothy E. Karkheck, Dunedin
Without Addis, an era ends
Cartoonist Don Addis has been a friend of mine, and at times a working colleague, for 47 years - since college, in fact. His brilliant work earlier at the late, great Evening Independent and for the past 18 years at the St. Petersburg Times has been some of the most outstanding anywhere, and his retirement truly marks the end of an era. To say he will be missed is the understatement of a lifetime. He is, in all ways, the best.
-- Jim Moorhead, St. Petersburg
It's one more blow
Re: This is news you may not want to hear, Aug. 8.
Well, my car won't start, my $4,500 air conditioner is broken, my arthritis went into high gear, the dog bit me and it won't stop raining. I thought I was feeling pretty low, and then I read that Don Addis is leaving. How am I going to enjoy my morning coffee? I may just have to leave Florida.
Good luck, Mr. Addis, and thanks for lots of laughs and lots of mental stimulation.
-- Jessie Zebley, Clearwater
[Last modified August 14, 2004, 00:24:12]
