A walk in the park turns into a lesson about cat care

A walk in the park turnsinto a lesson about cat care
EDITOR:
As a retiree who enjoys the charms of Mill Creek Park on an almost daily basis, I find anything that makes the park other than a place of peace and tranquillity to be quite a shock.
But this did happen to me recently.
While strolling along the trail that borders the east side of Lake Cohasset, I came upon a large marshy area in which the newly fallen snow was covered with muddy animal tracks interspersed with large splotches of blood.
In the center of this area were the remains of a very large black cat that had been devoured by its attackers, evidently a pack of dogs, except for its head, hide, backbone and limbs.
Besides the violation of the park as a quiet haven in the midst of the city, this is a sad story for a number of other reasons.
The first is that there are obviously dogs roaming free in the area bordering Lake Cohasset that are both mean and very hungry. It is not hard to imagine that other pets in that area could be attacked by such animals.
The second is that the cat had been declawed. To me, declawing a cat is a form of animal abuse, since having use of its claws is so much of what makes a cat a cat.
The third is that a declawed cat had either been dropped off at the park or allowed to run free by its owner.
Without its claws, the cat died a violent, savage death as it could neither defend itself, nor flee to safety by climbing one of the park's trees.
ROBERT R. STANGER
Boardman
Familiar song amid bombsleft a lasting impression
EDITOR:
For the past 59 years, at this time, I remember Christmas Eve 1943. One month earlier we left more than 1,000 dead Marines and more than 2,000 wounded on the beaches of Tarawa Atoll. For this surviving Marine, the Christmas Eve that followed was a mixed bag of feelings. What lifted my spirit and feelings was the following happening.
A counter-attack was expected. We were prepared. On Christmas Eve 1943, a formation of Japanese bombers rained bombs down upon the main island of Betio Atoll. We Marines and the natives on the adjacent island of Buariki took shelter in the coconut-log bunkers. We waited, we listened. We heard the explosions and suddenly, Christmas carols. It's true! The natives were singing Christmas carols in their native language, but the melody was the same as ours! I recognized many of them, and the one that brought tears to my eyes was "Silent Night" mixed with the exploding bombs!
I left Buariki Island on Jan. 20, 1944, but never forgot that Christmas Eve or the Marines who died there.
Semper Fidelis.
LOUIS MAMULA
Lowellville
Don't forget the other sideof the story about free trade
EDITOR:
I am writing in response to the article "China helps U.S. economy," written by Jay Ambrose. I agree that buying items made in China will leave more money in my pocket, but the trickle-down effect from this creates too many problems.
Living in a Midwestern town, I often read about workers in my area or a surrounding state losing their jobs. These are layoffs, shutdowns, downsizing, bankruptcies, primarily because of the inability to compete with low wages overseas.
The $435 billion U.S. trade deficit directly relates to the millions of jobs lost over the past years. A loss of a strong tax base and worker wages has a disastrous effect on the community. Government services are reduced. State and local tax increases are proposed more now than ever before. Noncollege high school grads can't find jobs to support them. Families are forced to move to another location. Crime increases.
I'm ready to invest thousands of dollars for my children's college tuition. Can Ambrose tell me what jobs are secure today? Along with manufacturing work, many other jobs are going overseas. Companies are now having accounting, engineering, marketing, computer related and many other fields outsourced outside the country. I was surprised to find out that technicians living in India handle my computer support.
Ambrose says, "Don't raise tariffs." Why not? Fair trade does not exist, as foreign trade barriers remain strong. A good example is that the majority of foreign steel companies are subsidized in one way or another.
Ambrose says, "Don't disrupt existing trade." Why not? If the same trade policies continue to exit, more companies will move jobs overseas.
It is quite obvious that any type of jobs created by a new industry in the United States will eventually go overseas.
So, why should Scripps Howard or anyone else keep Ambrose employed when they could pay a journalist in Mexico a half or one-third of your salary?
Think about it: The price of my newspaper might drop, and yes, it would make me richer. Let's start writing more articles on the lives of laid-off workers and how trade is lowering our standard of living.
GARY SCURTI
Youngstown
Deciding on my next car
EDITOR:
The writer of a letter last Sunday about the steel tariffs thinks that the cars will be cheaper because the American car manufacturers buy cheap foreign steel. They already are and have been buying foreign steel and other overseas products for their cars. So where have my savings been?
The next time I buy a car, I will think of the steel tariffs and how the American car manufacturers wanted them stopped. My next car will be foreign.
LAURA GONZALEZ
Hubbard
Tim Ryan is representinghis constituents very well
EDITOR:
The Vindicator once again plays Jekyll and Hyde within the very same edition. The lead story praises Congressman Ryan for bringing the bacon back to the Valley. Then on the editorial page, Bertram de Sousa chastises him for not holding out for more and points out his & quot;tissue paper thin & quot; resume.
I must admit that I was concerned about Mr. Ryan's past and his r & eacute;sum & eacute; when I voted for him last year, but his performance has been better than even the most optimistic voter could expect. I think I speak for most Democrats in the Valley when I disagree with de Souza and state that I'm glad that Ryan didn't sell his soul to the Republicans for a few crumbs. Just because the Republicans control Congress and the White House now doesn't mean that it will be so forever. Plus it's a congressman's job to vote the will of the people that he represents. If that means that Congressman Ryan supports and votes pro union or votes in lock step with the views of the Mahoning Valley, then he is voting how I and most Democrats in the Valley want him to vote. It's when they start to think that they know better than those they represent that congressmen get into trouble.
BILL JOHNSON
Boardman