To the editor:
This week Iíve found myself in a puddle of tears... feeling helpless regarding the atrocities happening to our precious wildlife.
Iím not a radical animal activist and have always considered both sides of the situation before making any judgments.
Common senseÝand logic have been my guides.
Iíve been involved with wildlife rehabilitation for 24 years.
Iíve rehabilitated many mourning doves, which were orphaned when blown out of a nest in a storm. These gentle doves areÝour symbolsÝof peace, thought to be living memorialsÝto those who lost their lives in wars.ÝThese symbols ofÝpeace do not causeÝproblems forÝfarmers. InÝfact, dovesÝeat weed seeds, gritÝand white millet, the cheap filler seed spilled out of our birdfeeders. Last year,ÝWisconsin legalized dove hunting. 24,000 hunters purchased stamps to hunt, leading to a killing of 202,000 mourning doves. Itís not known how many were maimed to die a slow, cruel death.Ý Minnesotans have already noticed the decline of doves at our feeders.
Now, thereís a bill before the Minnesota House and Senate to legalize dove hunting here, too.ÝApparently the DNR in Minnesota also sees it as a way to bring in funds so, of course, the pressure is on to pass the bill. It is a common practice to ëslip a bill through,í tacked on to another non-germane bill. In this case, it may be a bill authorizing the use of dogs while hunting bears. Will ourÝlegislators cave under the pressures from ëthe powers that be?í Or will they vote the voice of the peopleÝñ including my voice ñÝand help stop the massacre of these gentle doves? Arrogance of authorityÝand abuse of power cannot be tolerated by our society. If the dove bill passes to allow hunting ofÝthese peaceful birds, Iíll stand firm in my belief that the water at the Capitol and the DNR should be tested for high levels of lead.
To share a quote from a dear friend, ìThe art of diplomacy is the ability to articulately tell someone to go to hell ñ then have them thank you for the trip.î
To all of those legislators who intend to give a death sentence to our precious creatures of the wild Ö it is my hope that Iíve expressed my displeasure with diplomacy.
It is my prayer that youíll reconsider your decision and vote against the dove bill.
Jeany Stetler
North Branch

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