Re: Picket Line

**l*@juno.com**

Hi Jeff,

My oh my, where shall I start! Lyme's disease and Rabies are not caused
by deer and racoon. Lyme's is caused by a bacteria and Rabies by a virus.
Using your logic Jeff, killing human pests, who have no predators, would
be a good way to eliminate HIV-Aids, or possibly the common cold. And
since there is no way to tell by sight which humans have these diseases
and which don't, why not just thin out their population and hope for the
best?

Having had Lyme's disease twice, I can testify that it is terribly
debilitating, but it is carried by the deer TICK, which is also harbored
by mice and other small mammals. Here in the country, we have racoons and
occasional outbreaks of rabies. But wait, foxes can also become rabid, so
they must be a pest, too. What about bats? There's an Indiana Bat
hibernaculum about a mile from my house. Maybe they should all be
eradicated? NO,WAIT, that's a federally endangered species!

"Pests," like most things, are in the eye of the beholder. And simplistic
solutions usually don't solve complex problems.
Let Jeff's experience be a lesson to us all. Doing adequate research,
writing about what we know, and checking our facts are just as important
today, as ever.

Until humans begin to understand that the deer, bear, racoon etc.,
"problems" are caused by PEOPLE, we will remain unable to solve them.

Why not try sustainable development? It can't be any worse than what
we've already created.

Regards,

Lois J. de Vries
Visit http://loisdevries.blogspot.com

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 12:02:04 -0500 Jeff Ball <jeffball@usol.com> writes:
> I'm now among the few garden writers in this country who has had a  
> picket line thrown up against them.   It was my own fault, but it  
> does represent a challenge to any columnist.  I happen to believe  
> that the explosion of the raccoon population in the city, suburbs,  
> 
> and exurbs is a serious problem. So I did a column on the topic.  
> Bad  
> mistake.  At least my wording was very unfortunate because it raised 
>  
> the wrath of PETA the Animal Rights folks.  I got about forty 
> e-mails  
> 35 to 5 against.  The newspaper got as many or more angry phone 
> calls  
> and yesterday PETA set up a picket line in front of the newspaper  
> which caused the editor to go beserk.  I was not in danger of losing 
>  
> my job, but my newspaper was not happy with me, that's for sure.   
> Today, they (Detroit News) published three negative letters and then 
>  
> some quotes from a representative of the state Department of Natural 
>  
> Resources who quietly confirmed I had my facts correct.  My 
> political  
> sensitivity was what was lacking.
> 
> Killing any pest animal no matter the circumstances is not 
> acceptable  
> to the members of PETA.  I knew that, but it didn't occur to me that 
>  
> my little yardening column would even get their attention.  Nancy is 
>  
> taking high road of course.  She told me it was a bad idea to write  
> 
> about the subject in the first place.  I now owe her a fancy dinner  
> 
> out because yesterday I was at the hospital all day getting routine  
> 
> tests so she had to handle the maelstrom over the phone with the 
> editor.
> 
> The whole incident is troubling.  PETA wants nothing to be done 
> about  
> the over population of deer and raccoons, ignoring the public health 
>  
> problems those two groups pose.  The legislature won't touch the  
> problem because they fear the response of PETA.  The DNR won't  
> address the issue because they fear PETA and the deer hunters.  My  
> newspaper is surely not going to let me or anybody else address the  
> 
> problem at least in the next year or two.  So the population of deer 
>  
> and raccoons continues to grow in areas where they have no predators 
>  
> and are protected from hunters.  Lymne disease and rabies are two  
> very serious public health problems directly caused by deer and  
> raccoons.  I certainly have no desire to raise another ruckus, so I  
> 
> guess I just sit back and watch - very frustrating.
> 
> Jeff Ball
> jeffball@usol.com
> 810-724-8581
> Check out my daily blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com
> Check out my extensive web site at www.yardener.com
> 
> 
> 
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