Less Gloom
I got quite a dose of doom and gloom in the Jan. 12 edition of the Bohemian/Pacific Sun, which, ironically, had mental health as its cover issue. In his “Open Mic” piece, the Editor wrote, “… Some may say I’m a doomsayer, but I’m not —I have tremendous hope for life in general, just not for humans specifically …” Tom Tomorrow left the humor out of his usual weekly dose of dark humor (e.g., “Ha Ha Ha We’re all going to die!”). And a letter to the editor assessed the American political landscape and concluded, “… the end is near.”
I agree that we face existential threats and that our circumstances are likely to get worse before they get better. I also agree that if you never feel despair, you are not paying attention. But we need an awareness of our circumstances that is balanced with optimism, appreciation and a sense of possibility. There is a quote from Brian Andreas that comes to mind: “In my dream, the angel shrugged and said, if we fail this time, it will be a failure of imagination … and then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand.”
Kevin O’Connor
Graton
Save the Wolves
Gray wolves in Montana and Idaho are being targeted by states that have authorized the killing of as many as 90% of the population.
The Biden Administration needs to act. The former Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under President Obama published an Op Ed in the Washington Post calling on the Administration to issue emergency protections for gray wolves and detailed the authority that Secretary Haaland has to do so and provided ample reasons for this action.
Biden and Haaland are entrusted with the caretaking of our natural spaces and the species that live on them. Their inaction to date is inexcusable.
Mia Laurence
Marin County
