Letters to the Editor: July 28, 2022

Animal Planet

Your readers should be aware that rodeo is condemned by every animal welfare organization in North America due to its inherent cruelty (“Rodeo proponents say the animals are well-cared-for athletes. Opponents disagree,” July 21-27). For most of these abused creatures the rodeo arena is merely a detour en route to the slaughterhouse. To refer to them as willing “athletes” is beyond obscene. They are not “trained” to perform their bizarre behaviors in the arena – they are tormented into it.

Rodeo has almost nothing to do with agriculture or life on a working ranch, it’s mostly macho hype, an exercise in domination. Real cowboys/girls never routinely rode bulls, or wrestled steers, or rode bareback, or barrel raced, or practiced calf roping (babies!) as a timed event. Some “sport”! Eric Mills | Oakland

Mills is coordinator of the group Action for Animals.

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Animals should not be injured or killed for entertainment and that is what rodeo is. It bears no resemblance to ranching. I grew up on a cattle ranch in North Dakota and spent eight years as a ranch veterinarian there. My ranch clients did not ride bulls, speed rope calves or make their expensive horses buck. Rodeo is not American “tradition.”

Children that are exposed to and participate in animal abuse often grow up to abuse humans. I have seen children cry at rodeos when the calves are roped and slammed to the ground. It is time for this archaic rodeo “entertainment” to end. Peggy W. Larson | Williston, Vermont

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Rodeos are inherently cruel and irreparably harm animals, period. Rodeo PR will say anything to rationalize and assuage the vile optics of their so-called sport. It’s not a sport when the other team doesn’t know it’s in a game. It’s a business for profit, pure and simple, and the animals are nothing more than disposable commodities. Dan Curran | Corral de Tierra

Out of Sight

This is just ridiculous (“County denies return of 100-year-old Father Serra statue to its niche outside Carmel Woods,” July 21-27). It is the history of California, and that neighborhood. Just pitiful woke crap! Lori Jakubowski | via social media

Off Track

Thank you for writing this article (“Earth was moved and trees were razed to build a race course at Palo Corona,” July 21-27). I don’t know that anything will come of it, although I think the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District and other agencies should take a closer look at why Rafael Payan was allowed to bulldoze (pun intended) this project through without [environmental review].

What kind of message does this send to the Eagle Scouts who worked so hard planting those trees, only to have them bulldozed? It’s a very sad and infuriating state of affairs.

My husband and I were volunteers at Garland Ranch Regional Park for several years. We left because of this type of “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” empire building. Elneda Connors | Carmel

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Thank you, David Schmalz, for publicizing the manhandling of the Rancho Cañada unit of Palo Corona Regional Park and the upset that has resulted in the community.

The years of focus groups and informational meetings and repeated surveys have led to too much enthusiasm for recreational development and loss of the mission to conserve and recover. The wildlife corridor that was to be protected was severely compromised when the big equipment moved in; the beloved bobcat who roamed the fields near the Discovery Center is now long gone. Two pending dog runs will be nails in the coffin of the wildlife corridor. Bicycles allowed south of the river will be the next mistake. Jean Rasch | Monterey

Weeded Out

Not surprising (“Cannabis growers tell the county they need a tax freeze for the industry to survive,” July 21-27). The industry told government excessive taxes would allow underground growers to undercut the legal market. That’s exactly what happened, while government was making plans to spend all that tax revenue. Scott Cunningham | Carmel Valley

Hold the Applause

Thank you for your piece about manners keeping audiences glued to our chairs, inappropriately so (“Concert hall decorum can feel like it sucks the life out of the art – but it hasn’t always been this way,” posted July 22). I too have wondered about this outdated mode of simmered, squelched response.

You made me wish I’d been at that concert, though I too would have remained politely seated. Patrice Vecchione | Del Rey Oaks

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Perhaps someone associated with the venue could post your article, in the lobby, to encourage others to share their joy. Or perhaps the conductor or music director could make some such statement prior to a performance and get people to loosen up and share their enjoyment of the music. Don B. Gardner | Salinas

Stage Time

I was delighted to read that a very new generation has taken an interest in promoting theater by their intention to offer thoughtful theater review and criticism. That Colette Gsell is interested enough in the art of criticism to “intern” with Philip Pearce is heartening (“Two theater lovers – a connoisseur and a beginner – combine forces in an unusual project,” July 21-27).

The vibrant and active theater community in Monterey County has suffered from the lack of consistent theatrical review/criticism in the local papers. Ryan Masters (whose work once graced the Weekly) and Mac McDonald (who nurtured and encouraged reviews while editor of the GO! section of the Herald) seem very long gone and Mr. Pearce cannot do it all alone.

The community should welcome Colette and any who may follow her lead in making the public aware of the quality theater in their midst. Gary Bolen | Oak Hills