Letters to the editor Oct. 16

Majority should rule:

No bear hunt

I don't understand how this bear hunt could be permanent (or should ever have been begun!) when nearly 20,000 people wrote to say they are against it and only 1,500 are for it!

These arrogant commissioners should be replaced with compassionate ones when one of them can say, when asked if it was problem bears that they were targeting, said "no." And asked then why the bear hunt, he said, "because we can!" If you ask me, I believe that they were paid off by the hunting lobby. This is all that could explain their complete arrogance!

This is a perfect example of officials doing what they want to do and not what the people want. Boot them out. The wildlife belongs to all of us, and the majority of us said we do not want the bears hunted. They voted it into law anyway, and bad laws should be changed.

Doreen & Dennis Hoffman

Carson City

Online poll reaffirms: No bear hunt in Nevada

Your bear hunt poll has been 85-89 percent against the hunt for the whole week. I wonder what kind of record it's breaking at 3,000 total votes and counting. The closest Appeal poll is on Burning Man with 1,334 votes.

The bear hunt is the biggest issue in the state today. Resistance to the bear hunt is not going away despite the Wildlife Commission's unanimous vote for it and the governor's turning his back on the people.

The vote has spurred more creativity than ever as can be seen on a local organization's website. Anti-bear hunt songs, videos, documentaries, paintings and photography are proliferating. Signatures are still being gathered with the last count near 19,000. More and bigger plans are being laid to change the minds of those who would hunt unsustainably a small population of 200 bears.

The so-called science being presented as an excuse to offer a handful of hunters the entertainment of killing a bear (some call it murder since the bear has so many human qualities including the scream they let out when shot) is largely conjecture, with the anecdotal evidence bringing on more serious questions than ever.

Why will the consulting biologist not be asked the simple question, "Do you believe Nevada's bear population can sustain a hunt?" The commissioners don't ask the question because they are afraid to hear the answer so many are certain of: "Of course not. No." The conclusion is, no bear hunt in Nevada.

Billy Howard

Reno

Reader enjoys papers, doesn't like changes

When you went to a different newspaper format and design, I didn't mind. When you dropped the Monday paper, I didn't mind. If you raise the price of the paper to stay in business, I won't mind.

When you dropped the NHRA, TV listings and results from your sports page, I did mind. You list NASCAR, but not NHRA. Most race fans are fans of both.

When you changed your lottery listing page, I did mind. The computer will never take the place of sitting down and reading a newspaper at breakfast. I am a 13-year subscriber.

Tony Martin

Carson City