Tuesday, December 8, 1998

Cantu’s last rights

The article on Cantu is enough to make a person sick, with phrases such as “the warden, correctional officers and a chaplain all of whom will talk in calm, soothing tones in explaining what will happen, learning his final wishes, asking if there are any phone calls he’d like to make, and ensuring he is comfortable-down to providing his choice of beverage and snacks.”

Is there anyone out there who realizes what he actually did? Do you think for one minute any of his victims heard a calm, soothing voice, had any final wishes given or had an opportunity to make a phone call?

Wake up and face the facts. This animal has lived off of tax money for eight years, laughed in the face of Abilene attorneys and has had an attitude that needed adjusting in a big way.

“Everything is done with dignity.” The officers say “they understand he is spending his last hours on earth, and they respect that.” Does anyone think Cantu showed any dignity to his victims as they were spending their last minutes on this earth?

I am truly disgusted with the whole matter, as there are several others in Huntsville from our fair town who should be hooked up to the same needle, at the same time. Or better yet, when these animals are found guilty, “do unto them what they have done to others.” If a volunteer is needed to carry it out, count me in.

LEA ANN KUYKENDALL

Abilene

Via e-mail

Going to the dogs

I have personally known the Jones family for a number of years. Jamie was raised to interact with animals with love, compassion and kindness. I have never known her to do otherwise. Until the time of this attack she has wanted to be a veterinarian.

Do you consider talking over a fence to a neighbor or climbing a tree in your own back yard to be taunting a dog? Is doing yardwork or having friends over for a visit taunting a dog? The Jones family was unable to do these things safely because this dog constantly barked, growled and lunged at the fence whenever anyone was in their yard.

As a dog owner, I expect my dog to protect my property and family members from threatening circumstances. Common sense and intelligence tell me that none of the above events constituted a threat to the dog, the owners or their property. It also tells me that this dog lacked proper training and care to become this way.

If this dog is not euthanized, the Jones family will not only have to live with the trauma of this vicious, unprovoked attack, but also with the knowledge that this dog may do the same thing to another person — maybe even your child.

DIANE CAMPBELL

Abilene

No compassion

The campaign for 2000 has already started! The Vice President has attacked the governor of Texas even before he has announced! One thing you can give Al Gore — he knows the right opponent to attack.

I can’t credit Al too much, however, for his political wisdom. He may be making a big mistake attacking “compassionate conservatism.” He may be attacking his own group. After all, who was it that dragged the Democratic Party toward the center and signed the welfare reform bill in 1996? Bill Clinton!

The Democrats have always claimed to have a monopoly on “compassion.” When you look at their methodology, however, compassion usually means going to Washington and passing a lot of give-away programs that require all our tax money to fund.

Which leads me to a neat definition of a Democratic: a person who always demonstrates compassion with other people’s money!

ARLIE J. HOOVER

Abilene

Via e-mail