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Letters, 7/5: Kids over dogs

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 - 12:38:52 am CDT

How many times do we read of yet another child being mauled by a pit bull? How many kids are we going to sacrifice to spurious arguments, that it isn’t the dog that is the problem, it’s the owner.

The argument is moot. I have had a dog since … forever. When our 20-year-old was 10 months old, my husky-terrier-type mix would stick her muzzle under his back and roll him over and jump all over him and play till he laughed himself silly. That was a dog.

Dogs can be naughty. Fine, they will lick the kid’s Popsicle, which really bothers nondog people. They may even steal a cookie from a 2-year-old who was only offering the dog a bite of it.

But they do not hurt a child, unprovoked, and in such malicious fashion. If a real dog bit anyone, it wouldn’t be life-threatening. Why do we continue to allow these monsters who bastardize the name “dog”?

The owner’s rights end at the start of public safety.

I hope and pray for the best for the mother and baby who were so hurt and traumatized recently in Omaha. My heart is heavy for them and the friend and child who were with them.

Patti Wenzl, Lincoln

Flood remapping important

Thank you, Nicole Fleck-Tooze of Lincoln Public Works and Glenn Johnson of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District and your staff for your commitment to the arduous task of remapping the flood plains in Lancaster County. The importance of your work has been verified by the heavy rains and flooding in many regions and communities in the Midwest this spring.

When I was on the City Council, I was skeptical of the new flood-plain mapping. I was concerned that it may have been overkill since the days I waded through floodwaters with my dad and brother from our home on South Eighth Street past Gooch’s Mill to Sherman Park in 1949 and 1951. After all, we had built all the flood-control lakes around our region and created protective dikes along Salt Creek. But, things change.

What NRD data show, and you can see during heavy rains, is that we have created so many rooftops and hard tops of streets and parking that runoff during major storms is instant and torrential.

I think there has been an appropriate balance of property interests and flood protection for those who want to develop and those who expect to be protected from flood disasters.

I concur with the Lincoln Journal Star editorial on the subject and want to add my personal encouragement for a community process that balances the interests of our community as a whole.

Glenn A. Friendt, Lincoln

Honoring Lucy Nevels

We’re going to miss Lucy Nevels. One great lady, she was a true leader in the community. With her, there were no boundaries.

Nevels was a dedicated Girl Scout leader at the Lincoln Urban League (Malone Community Center). Just think of all the young women she helped over many years.

I, along with many women, will always admire and respect what she stood for. I hope her legacy will inspire others to continue what she lived for; her inspiration will never be forgotten.

Joan McWilliams, Lincoln

Voter registration important

I have been collecting signatures for the referendum petition concerning the State Fair issue.

You would be surprised how many people are not registered to vote. I can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to have a say about issues concerning their own future and community. They think they are only one person, so what difference could they make?

It’s not about losing entertainment in Lincoln. The fair had offered lots of people good-paying jobs to supplement their income, especially now, when every penny counts.

The State Fair also brings in tax revenue. Who do you think will have to pick up the slack? We do! Our taxes will have to go up because of the loss, and Grand Island’s because of their gain.

This issue will affect all of us, so I hope every person registers and makes his or her opinion heard in November. Each single vote counts!

Elke Roby, Lincoln


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LJS wrote on July 5, 2008 3:37 am:
" First!! Happy 4th everybody!!! "

 Just an observation... wrote on July 5, 2008 7:31 am:
" I too feel for the people that were bitten in Omaha, and wish them a fast and full recovery.
All of these attacks happened in the week preceeding 4th of July. Even though fireworks are "banned" in Omaha people still light them off. I think this could have contributed to provoking these dogs to bite. Not making excuses for the dogs and the owners, but I have a dog that hates fireworks and he gets upset and more irritable around this time every year because he is scared. (The rest of the year he is very docile and calm.) Patti, you said you have owned dogs for "forever" yet the scenario you describe in your letter when your son was 10 months old was your dog asserting dominance over your son. Dogs are not people! Any dog can become dangerous when humans treat them like equals. Dogs are pack animals and they need to know their place. They play these "games" like flipping and jumping on your son, or stealing food in an effort to "move themselves up the chain of command" in the pack.

I really don't think that a ban on pit bulls (pit bulls are a TYPE of dog, not a breed)will make that much difference because it would be too hard to enforce. There are too many mixed breed dogs that look like pit bulls - where do you draw the line? Should the owner be reponsible for DNA testing to prove that their mixed dog is not a pit bull? Then what qualifies it as a pit bull? 50%, 25%? I don't think that's fair to the many responsible dog owners whose dogs haven't done anything wrong.

I do think the victims of the dog attacks should be compensated for their injuries and medical expenses, but it should be handled through a civil lawsuit, not legislation. "

 Voters wrote on July 5, 2008 8:34 am:
" I too am surprised at the number of people that are not registered or don't remember if they are registered. Voting is a privilege that gives us the right to have a voice in decision making.

As to State Fair referendum petition, this is an example of the citizens having an opportunity to voice their opinion on the location of the fair as well as sending a message to our elected officials. "

 To Elke wrote on July 5, 2008 10:17 am:
" I am a registered voter in the city of Lincoln, but I've found it easier to say I'm not when confronted by a sometimes overzealous petition pusher. "

 CS wrote on July 5, 2008 10:30 am:
" Probably because, specially, they ARE dogs, Ms. Wenzl. Dogs will react as a response to training or to experiences they have had in their past. My brother in law rescued a pit bull mix from the Lincoln shelter and, while we were wary at first with our children, they have a one and a half year old now and their mix doesn't act any different than the magical dog of your childhood does. They also work with their dogs daily, are attentive to their child, and separate the two when their son starts doing something he shouldn't to the dog. My cat scratches my kids when they pull on her ears or tail, or step on her by accident-maybe I should start a movement to euthanize all cats because one sometimes acts out. Collies, yip-yips, St. Bernards, Dobies, Huskies, Retreivers-they can all be trained to attack and defend, or learn those responses. Pit Bulls are not some magical non-breed that exists in a vacuum. "

 CS wrote on July 5, 2008 10:36 am:
" Its already been made clear that a referendum about the State Fair on the ballot isn't going to happen, so why do some of you continue to beat this dead horse? If you wanted the fair to be a real money maker you wouldn't have resisted attempts to improve entertainment options, or moving the date to something that perhaps wasn't in the middle of school for the entire state. The supplemental income argument has nothing to do with this-those same people can go work at a gas station or fast food restaraunt. Oh! They don't want to work a part time job all the time? Then what possible improvement could one week of income produce? Vendors will vend, and find other ways to showcase their products, or die off-it's called supply and demand. There was little demand for the State Fair in Lincoln anymore in its current iteration-no one cares about the "Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" in the demographic that is going to spend the most money at something like this. Amazingly enough there is a lot of money in the under 30 crowd and we really don't appreciate that the showcase for our state only contains a cattle barn and some quilts. "

 Well wrote on July 5, 2008 11:19 am:
" I would like to sign the petition but have not seen any for the State Fair. Picking up the slack? Well sure they'll raise taxes to add to there
golden pot of $545 million!! My slack has been picked up so many times
there's none left to pick up. I couldn't afford to go to the state fair
either, anyway!! And voting - your not really voting in Lincoln, its just
monkey see, monkey do as you are told, cause its already been decided
long before you are told to vote!!! "

 CS wrote on July 5, 2008 11:28 am:
" And, for your reading pleasure, a a published study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, showing bites by breed:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/3/e374/T3 "

 Roger wrote on July 5, 2008 12:40 pm:
" I suspect many people claim they are not registered just to avoid hassels with the petitioners if they don't want to sign it. I know it's the surest way to get rid of them.

I think many of us feel the Fair is/was a mismanaged, has-been event lots of us just don't care about anymore. We want it to go away. Please get the hint. Isn't it past time for these petitions to be turned in anyways? I though July 4 was the due date. Or is it the 15th? Regardless, your letter indicates you're not even close to enough signatures, as I have predicted in the past.

Please let it go! "

 andy wrote on July 5, 2008 3:29 pm:
" Boo Hoo on the State Fair!! You should have thought of that years ago when we tried to get better attractions and get rid of the stuff that didn't sell. But oh NO! dont change! dont get rid of the farm stuff that noone cares about! WE gotta have our tradition. Wake up Lincoln. You have to change. The state fair sucked. been to it three times in 16 years. no difference. same thing with everything else inthis godforsaken state. Get my degree, gettin out! "

 Jan wrote on July 5, 2008 4:28 pm:
" Sorry CS. I'm more interested in data for dogs that kill, not just bite. Big difference. I read somewhere that Pit's and Rott's are the dogs that kill. Other dogs bite but Pit's try to rip your throat out. "

 Ponyboy wrote on July 5, 2008 6:58 pm:
" What about all of the money we are shoveling into the state fair on the front end??? IT DOESN'T MAKE MONEY!!!!! Wake up!!! Let's move into the 21st century and start thinking about an economy that thrives rather than one that just gets by. "

 Registered Voter wrote on July 5, 2008 11:12 pm:
" I am registered to vote, but I tell the petition circulators that I am not . . . I know there are a lot of people who do the same thing. "

 Patti wrote on July 6, 2008 10:31 am:
" To CS: Please read Jan's note.
To Just an observation: In the days Pre-whisperer, my aim was to allow the dog to dnjoy the baby so as not to create "jealousy." After all, the dog was my first "baby." That dog was a lot of fun for all of my kids and never oversteppd her bounds. "

 Glen Fraud wrote on July 6, 2008 3:51 pm:
" After the cloud of ethical disgrace that followed Glen Friendt out the door from his FAILED run for Mayor, its bad enough that he's been hired by UNL to teach, let alone occasionally pop his head out of a hole to comment on the merits of Wal Mart of the foresight of a Rep city council. Have you no shame, sir? "

 CS wrote on July 6, 2008 6:57 pm:
" Jan's note doesn't prove anything. The 20 year study she cites was harvested from data provided by hospitals and medical personnel identifying the breed. Doctors are not breeders, and witness accounts are rarely accurate. Two recent maulings in other parts of the US involved children either tresspassing through a posted, NO Tresspassing, fenced yard, or sticking their hands through the fences-sounds like irresponsibility on their part, not the owners. I train my dog to protect my property-if it's posted NO Trespassing, and you get bitten doing so, where is the fault on the part of the dog, or me? There have been only 238 fatalites in that 20 year study-hardly an epidemic. "

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