Don’t fear bobcats
Re “Do bobcats live in Ohio? Video shows bobcat attack on Wisconsin hunter,” (published online April 20): The recent coverage of a bobcat encounter in Wisconsin risks turning an extraordinary event into misplaced fear.
Wildlife experts are clear: Bobcats are extraordinarily shy animals that go out of their way to avoid people, and attacks on humans are exceedingly rare. Even in unusual cases, experts note such encounters are highly atypical. It’s also important to note the context from this situation: The individual was wearing head-to-toe camouflage and hunting using turkey calls.
I fear that reporting on such a rare incident may fuel misguided fear of bobcats, and with it, calls for cruel and unnecessary trophy hunting or trapping seasons that science does not justify.
Ohio’s bobcats are a conservation success story and remain protected for good reason. Their populations are still recovering, and they play a critical ecological role by controlling rodents and maintaining balance in our ecosystems.
Many Ohioans like me want bobcats protected, not persecuted. Let’s not allow one rare video to overshadow decades of recovery, sound science and strong public support for coexistence.
Marie DeLessio-Sullivan, Columbus
We march blindly back into our past
Longing for a more peaceful future for our nation, I look forward, not backward.
Jaded, I know that the same struggles continue as history repeats itself. Forged in the jungles of Vietnam, on a street in Dallas, a balcony in Memphis and in LA – gunned down, dreams dashed, we rise again, all too often through the haze of violence and ignorance and hatred.
Instead of learning from our mistakes, over and over again we march blindly back into our past. So here we are – full circle once again.
We must become engaged. We have to push back against the culture of guns that is striking down the hopes and dreams of too many of our fellow Americans while so many more live in fear of those who are armed and dangerous.
We must quash the rise of those, armed, who wish to overthrow our democratically elected government. We must heal those who are overcome and driven by the sickness of their minds.
We can no longer turn a blind eye or remain passive. It’s going to take all of us to halt the plague that is engulfing our country.
Jacquelyn K. Thompson, Columbus
Overachieving? How offensive
Re “Suspect, victim identified in LA mall shooting,” April 25: Why was one of the teens killed in this tragedy described in insulting language? The third paragraph of this article reads:
“Police identified the 17-year-old girl killed in the shooting as Martha Odom. She was described as an overachieving captain of her soccer team, editor of her school newspaper and a teacher at her dance school, according to reporting by The Advocate.”
Overachieving? Not all students with outstanding records are overachievers – only the subset who get there despite abilities perceived as limited! Google’s AI definition is consistent with my very quick look at only a couple usage references:
“An overachieving student is an individual who performs better than expected, often exceeding teacher or peer expectations through excessive effort, intense dedication and high ambition. Driven by perfectionism or fear of failure, they commonly engage in multiple extracurriculars, Advanced Placement classes and high-stakes volunteering while maintaining top grades.”
Sincerely hoping that such a snarky and hurtful description of the young victim – and the USA Today/Dispatch dissemination of it – reflects only careless writing/editing. Hate to think major news sources would actually intend to denigrate her or minimize her worth.
Cynthia Ellis Hvizdos, Columbus
I remember what happened
Re “Lies aren’t a campaign strategy,” April 25: I recently read an opinion piece by Dennis Drew. This letter to the editor states that Amy Acton wasn’t solely responsible for shutting down our election — referencing a new ad by the Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. I remember back in early 2020 when Amy Acton started appearing on our TV screens, where she was constantly announcing stay-at-home orders, shutting down our businesses and closing down polling locations, which ultimately resulted in the cancellation of our election.
Yet now her team claims she wasn’t actually responsible for shutting down our state and our elections. The health order alone reads: “Health Director Dr. Amy Acton will order the polls closed.” It doesn’t get much clearer where the responsibility lies.
Amy Acton also defied a judge’s order that said the legislature, not the unelected COVID Czar, was responsible for setting the election date. Yet, Amy Acton proceeded and shut down our polling locations, completely bypassing the authority of a Democrat judge.
What’s even worse? When the legislature and Ohioans all over the state started to push back on her abuse of power, she gave up and quit. How can anyone support a person who runs at the first sign of trouble?
That’s why the choice for me is so easy regarding who I will support in November. Vivek Ramaswamy is a visionary leader who will work tirelessly to make the lives of all Ohioans better. He won’t quit under pressure.
That’s the type of leadership we need.
Todd Appelbaum, Columbus
A world where telling the truth is bad
Re “Lies aren’t a campaign strategy,” April 25: Dennis Drew’s recent letter to the editor said, “Apparently, lying is more acceptable than liberalism,” followed by, “They don’t have to lie; DeWine told the truth.”
The very next letter from Lisa Breedlove Chaffee argues that telling the truth is bad.
Dr. Amy Acton’s actions were based on medical facts and data, as were the actions of Dr. Anthony Fauci, her national-level counterpart.
By being “the first state in the nation to shut down its public school system,” Ohio led the charge that prevented potentially hundreds of Buckeye children from needlessly dying of COVID-19.
Chaffee believes, “…it is up to the individual to monitor how their children learn and what their path to success is.”
In these modern times, when both information and diseases can flash around the world in a few hours, no treatments and untested treatments are killers whereas medicines that are well-tested and reviewed multiple times become lifesavers.
Those who denied treatment to their children or sent them to unchecked public schools played Russian roulette with those youngsters.
Stanley D. Krider, Delaware
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Freak bobcat attack wasn’t normal. They’re not public enemy No.1 | Letters
Reporting by Letters to the Editor, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
