Letters to the editor 4-2

Wild horses deserve right

to live free and natural

In response to Richard Doke: I guess you would call me another "emotional misinformed wild horse advocate." However, this is especially dear to my heart because while growing up in Nevada I have seen the ways of our "native" horse. (Webster Dictionary: Native - living in a state of nature, not domesticated.)

Yes, Cortez brought horses in 1519. However, our own state museum houses a magnificent, full-size rearing horse: Equis skeleton, 25,500 years old, unearthed near Pyramid Lake.

The real problem for horses came in the late 1800s when stockmen turned 40 million cattle onto the same range with 2 million horses. Today the numbers are millions of cattle vs. thousands of horses. All animals vie for the same land and I've seen them live in harmony. Now it is fires, demands from miners, oil producers, ranchers, developers, hunters and highways that are their enemies, not the horses.

Horses have served mankind with their sweat and blood. We owe them respect, gratitude and "liberty;" the right to live in a free and natural state.

Forty-five years ago, you said you couldn't find a wild horse, now you have to watch against hitting them and spending money on fencing. There is no one spending money on fencing in this economy. Today, a person is hard pressed to see horses even on their diminishing herd areas. The best place to see them is at a BLM holding pen where stallions are thrown together, foals are ripped from their mothers (that is, if the foals survive the roundup and transport), and chaos and depression follows.

The BLM states roundups are the humane way to beat drought, starvation, disease, inbreeding and over-population. They claim any one or more reasons at their perpetual convenience.

Finally, thanks for not giving Nevada's children the credit for knowing what's worthy to put on our quarter. Since they had options and free choice, obviously, the wild horse means something to them. Also, the wild horse license plate is the fastest-selling license plate.

ETTA BUTLER

Dayton

School board moving in wrong direction for Carson

I could not agree more with Marilee Swirczek regarding the Carson City School Board Trustees and the way they are handling the district. Accepting a "package" deal is not appropriate, and changing Fremont's schedule appears to be arbitrary and mean-spirited.

This community has supported an alternative schedule for at least one school since before we moved here 24 years ago. In fact, today there would probably be support for an alternative schedule in more than one of the schools.

At a time when we should be innovative and looking to the future, our trustees seem to be taking a giant step backward for our kids. The superintendent should recognize that his "inconvenience" is nothing compared to the hundreds of families and teachers he will be upsetting by changing that schedule. I challenge the board to do the right thing and leave Fremont's schedule alone.

Take it even further, join the 21st century, and look at the possibility of moving toward alternative scheduling for more school environments in Carson City.

VICKI EHNI

Carson City