Governor's pressure on Sabino's lions 'nonsense'

I continue to observe the mess that has come of the mountain lion problem in Sabino Canyon with amazement. Today, minutes after authorities called off a search for the lions due to political pressure, the Arizona Daily Star reported that a woman observed a lion crossing Sabino Canyon Road headed toward the residential area that borders it. The pressure from the governor's office is nonsense and politically biased in a situation that necessitates common sense. I fear that it will take the death of a few house pets, a child or perhaps even one of the adult residents or a hiker in the canyon before the chief executive of the state realizes her poor judgment. Growing up in Arizona, I recall several stories of these cats encroaching on residential properties and thinking nothing of feasting on pets for meals, and in fact approaching humans with probable intent to harm. The idea to tranquilize the cats should have satisfied all parties as to the safe and humane removal of the cats, though I noted with further disgust Gov. Napolitano's failure to support the effort with National Guard helicopters, perfect vehicles with which to complete such a mission. It is time to end the nonsense and remove the cats from the canyon area. It is necessary for the safety of those that wish to continue to hike the area and those that want to continue to live in the area to eliminate that threat. Without rapid action based on common sense, Arizona will suffer embarrassment and grief when the consequences of inaction are felt and heard throughout the country.

William Harris
UA alumnus

Millions will be spent to move lions from habitat

The current attempt by the Arizona Department of Game and Fish to remove several mountain lions from Sabino Canyon is offensive and unnatural. The first proposal, to hunt down the lions and kill them, was nothing short of state sanctioned and sponsored murder. The ADGF is currently employing a professional trapper/hunter and a helicopter at the state's cost, our tax dollars. Thousands, if not millions, of dollars will be spent trying to remove threatened animals from their natural habitat, their rightful home, our park to enjoy. The state may own the land, like everything else we stole from the Native Americans, but the lions have more of a right to live in the canyon than we have to visit it as tourists.

As a frequent visitor to the majestic park, I sympathize with people's frustration in not being able to access the hiking trails or simply ride the tram. My own aunt and uncle recently made a trip down to Tucson and were disappointed to be turned back by park officials. The ADGF's rationale for removing the lions, the claim that they pose an immediate danger to visitors, has been criticized by Gov. Janet Napolitano and other state officials, yet nothing has been done to stop it.

If people want to venture off the road, into the hills or ride the trams, they should accept the fact they are invaders in the homes of the animal inhabitants. If they get scared, mauled or eaten by the lions, so be it; so goes the survival of the fittest. I applaud the recent efforts by environmentalist Rod Coronado, Esquire magazine writer John Richardson and the numerous unnamed heroes hiding in the hills of Sabino Canyon. Coronado and Richardson were arrested and face a $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail. The charge: trespassing. Yet the canyon is state property, public land, owned by everyone, so the irony is overwhelming and almost comical, except for the serious fact that these beautiful creatures now face a lifetime of captivity. Imagine a sentence of life imprisonment for simply living in your own home. The activists were arrested for what Tucsonans do every time they experience the beauty of the canyon - they trespass on the land of the rightful owners - the wildlife.

Rory Pitman
creative writing junior

'Under God' didn't appear in 'Pledge' until 1954

In Friday's Wildcat, there was a poll regarding the words "under God" being included in the Pledge of Allegiance. One of the answers, the one that also seemed to get the best response, was "Yes, God is in America's foundation."

I wonder how many of these people actually know that Congress didn't add this phrase to the pledge until 1954 as an anti-Communist propaganda move. Upon signing the bill, then-President Eisenhower proclaimed how happy he was that "millions of our schoolchildren will daily proclaim in every city and town ... the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty." For a government that is not supposed to be connected to religion, it sure seems pretty obvious that this phrase warrants removal. The only thing that is more hypocritical than wanting to keep the phrase in the pledge for its historical significance was adding it in the first place. Jim Logan
computer science and engineering senior

European countries redefined in war column

In the Friday column "Voting against the tyranny of terror," Jennifer Kursman fails to recognize several important facts about the war in Iraq. First she states, "We need to reconstruct ties with our key allies, especially those in Europe." Apparently, to Kursman, countries like Britain, The Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Bulgaria, Albania, Czech Republic, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Macedonia and Hungary do not qualify as "Europe." All of these countries have sent troops to Iraq, and in some cases will be sending more in the near future. I am assuming that to her the only countries that matter are France and Germany. The fact of the matter is that there are more countries in Europe that support the liberation of Iraq than oppose it. She is also quoted as saying, "We can't win this fight alone." By no means is the United States approaching the war on terror alone. Although the United States is one of the key players, there are currently more than 45 nations on the coalition of the willing. These nations realize that the threat of terrorism is very real and should not be ignored and that action needs to be taken to prevent future attacks.

Carla Bishop
sociology sophomore