Opinion: In Wednesday’s Letters to the editor
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In Wednesday’s letters, Nancy Watkins of Lake Forest joins the chorus of animal lovers disappointed by the First Family’s decision to adopt Bo, a purebred Portuguese water dog, instead of a shelter mutt. She writes:
The Obamas have taken ‘limousine liberal’ to a new level. They promised their daughters a puppy if they moved to the White House and, while they discussed rescuing a mutt, they in fact received a purebred Portuguese water dog from the Kennedy family, pledging instead to make a financial donation to the D.C. Humane Society. The dog is absolutely adorable and has received worldwide media coverage, which will probably drive up demand for the breed exponentially. What the Obamas have done is create a boon for breeders, while millions of equally adorable and sweet dogs suffer in shelters. They are role models for parents who recklessly promise pets to their children, creating even more shelter dogs. Shame on them.
In the meantime, others are already e-mailing in their frustration with the Bo backlash. Bonnie Sloane, of Los Angeles, remarks this morning:
Regarding the kerfuffle over the Obama’s family’s choice of dog: What a ridiculous waste of media attention. Adopting a dog is a family decision, not a fulfillment of a campaign pledge. It’s fine if the First Family chooses a rescue dog, but these animals can have serious behavioral or health problems that not everyone is equipped to handle. I assume the Obamas know their own pet needs better than we do. I also recall that when our last three Republican Presidents -- Reagan, Bush I and Bush II -- chose purebred dogs, not a single protest was heard from the animal rights community. Interesting.
Today’s page also features three letters about Rosa Brooks’ departure from the Opinion pages. Most, but not all, of the correspondence we received was of the ‘good riddance’ variety, including this note from James B. Davis of Beverly Hills:
I was overcome with tears of joy after reading the first sentence of Rosa Brooks’ article last week: ‘This will be my last column for the L.A. Times.’ After suffering through her sanctimonious rants for years -- in particular her inability to write a single column without bashing former President George W. Bush -- I felt a great weight rise from my shoulders. But then I read her second sentence: ‘After four years, I’ll soon be starting a stint at the Pentagon as an advisor to the undersecretary of Defense for policy.’ The Times will be better; the Pentagon will be worse. I guess we can’t have it all.
Correspondence about HUD’s dollar house programand Gil Cedillo’s over-the-top spending habits, too.