To the editor:
About “Birds Open Our Eyes and Ears” by Ed Yong (opinion guest essay, March 31):
Yong has written a great article that will resonate with many bird watchers, especially during these difficult times. There are many mornings when I stop reading the news to watch birds at my home in southeastern Arizona.
I would like to add to Yong’s article that finding and identifying new birds is a great way to experience the world. Spending time getting to know the birds you’ve already seen can be just as fulfilling, if not more so.
If you can’t afford to travel to find exotic species, you don’t have to feel inconvenienced. They can find fulfillment in creating a songbird habitat in their backyard.
craig coley
Patagonia, Arizona.
To the editor:
Thank you for your wonderful bird watching article. I am also fascinated by it and remember the names of various birds.
It is clear that bird watching has health benefits, but people need to go beyond just getting to know birds and think about their safety and food. Protected areas and breeding areas are being depleted around the world. The shoreline is paved and water conditions are substandard.
Birds aren’t just for our enjoyment by enriching our photo albums and species lists. Keep them out of their habitat and don’t let your dog or cat step on them. Get protective glass for your building. Think of birds as precious objects, not human playthings.
Susan McHale
greenwich connecticut
To the editor:
I enjoyed Ed Yong’s piece about being a bird watcher. He did not mention the special pleasures of bird watching. It’s about introducing others to the joy of experiencing birds first-hand. Share a handful of seeds with your child and the chickadee will perch on your outstretched little finger. He took the blue-haired receptionist to see the red crown of the blue woodpecker. He installed a hummingbird feeder in a senior citizen’s home.
Natural wonders are naturally amazing.
susan lindenberger
White Rock, British Columbia
To the editor:
Ed Yong’s work is beautiful, and I hope it inspires people to respect not just wild birds, but all bird species.
More than 8 billion chickens, turkeys, and ducks are abused and killed annually in America’s industrialized food system, making them as worthy of consideration as the rarest birds found in the wild.
In the words of Jane Goodall, “Farm animals feel joy and sadness, excitement and anger, depression, fear, and pain. They are far more conscious and intelligent than we ever imagined.” .”
stewart david
Venice, Florida
Be polite in court, but this is not the time for civil matters.
To the editor:
About “An Unlikely Personal Alliance on the Supreme Court” by Stephen Breyer (opinion guest essay, April 4):
I am pleased that Justice Breyer had a friendly relationship with the justices with whom he served on the Supreme Court. I also have a friend who disagrees with me. But there are times when friendship and consensus-building aren’t important at all.
We are living through an era of domestic discord, perhaps the most since the Civil War. Hard-won rights are being dismantled before our eyes.
During the last presidential election, a mob stormed our Capitol and threatened the peaceful transfer of power. One president was impeached twice but avoided conviction on grounds of partisan radicalization. Anti-Semitism is rampant in a way not seen since the 1930s and 40s.
The Supreme Court has lost the trust of the American people. This is not only a crisis for the courts, but an even more significant crisis for the rule of law in general.
Civility goes both ways. Moreover, sometimes it is more important to stick to principles even at the expense of civility. We live in such times.
bruce newman
water mill, new york
To the editor:
Please send Justice Stephen Breyer’s wisdom to all members of Congress. For some people it’s not necessary. For some, it’s a tender memory. For some, it’s a completely new concept.
PS The same goes for presidential candidates.
Stoke Lehman
orange, california
History of politicians’ health deceptions
To the editor:
About “’24 Candidate Guard Health Details” (April 5 front page):
The health history of U.S. presidents and presidential candidates that I study provides a master class in secrecy and deception.
It wasn’t until much later that Americans learned about Grover Cleveland’s oral cancer, Franklin Roosevelt’s paralysis, and Lyndon Johnson’s secret surgeries to remove skin tumors, but Jimmy Carter’s ‘s hemorrhoids remained a secret until they were revealed to the public by President Anwar el-Sadat. of egypt.
Doctors treating former Sen. Paul Tsongas, a lymphoma survivor and leading 1992 presidential candidate, blatantly lied when they claimed the candidate had been cancer-free since 1986. Ta. He died of illness just before the end of his term.
The idea that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are somehow less outspoken on health care issues than most of their predecessors is misleading. Rather than bemoan the fact that these people do not publish the results of their cognitive tests, one might wonder what the use of such neurological tests is.
I’ve talked to many voters on this topic over the past year, and while the public may be interested in these tests, it seems unlikely that the results will change their vote.
Jacob M. Appel
new york
The author is a professor of psychiatry and medical education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
To the editor:
We need to know which candidates are suitable for government. Do they understand economics, medicine, technology, government, and history?
Let’s make the unified test an independent test. That way you’ll know who is brave enough to take the test and who understands the important questions. This may help avoid electing attractive but incompetent politicians.
thomas james dolan
Ionia, Iowa
Ban on foam plastic
To the editor:
About “Untying Plastic’s Grip on Produce” (Food, April 3):
While the alternatives cited in Kim Severson’s article are a positive step towards reducing plastic waste, we should also consider reusable and refillable alternatives.
Plastic pollution harms our health, oceans, climate and communities. The solution is to invest in reusable alternatives and phase out unnecessary single-use plastics, starting with foam plastics.
States have recognized that foam food equipment has harmful effects on the environment and health. According to the World Health Organization, styrene, a component of plastic foam, is probably carcinogenic and is one of the most common plastics polluting beaches and coasts.
Last year, Delaware became the 11th state to pass a law to reduce foam plastics, and more states should follow this lead. In December, Congress introduced the Farewell to Foam Act, a bill that would phase out plastic foam across the United States. Americans should call on their elected officials to pass this bill.
Christy Leavitt
Washington
The author is Oceana’s campaign director.
