Letters

Editorial exploited Cheney incident

Most long-time residents of Hubbard County have grown accustomed to the barrage of politically biased editorials, which frequently appear in the Enterprise. Generally, these editorial opinions are long on scathing political propaganda but fall short on balanced facts, supporting rational or reasoned logic. I usually dismiss these attempts to influence public opinion because in a democratic society this is the price we all pay to protect our right of "free speech" and a "free press," and so it should be.

One of these biased political editorials appeared in the Feb. 18 edition of the Enterprise in which Vice President Cheney is accused of "Lying and Denying" about his recent hunting accident. The editorial further claims, "Misinformation floating around is mostly lies, produced and promoted by the White House."

Even more absurd than these questionable allegations is the attempt to discredit the Bush administration by connecting our domestic and foreign policy decisions to this tragic, personal incident. It is unfortunate that rather than taking the "high road," reporting the facts and moving on, the Enterprise chose to exploit this, using it as an opportunity to take a "cheap shot" at the Bush administration.

These are some of the distorted, illogical words: "If our heads of state (not the use of plural implying involvement by the president) can't be honest about even the simplest of things, how can we trust them (plural again) to lead our nation?" ... "Are they the kind of people (plural again) we want balancing our budget and sending a generation of men and women to war?"

Granted, the Enterprise is entitled to an editorial opinion, but with all due respect, the editorial's comments are so far beyond reasonable judgment they can only be described as pure, partisan, opportunistic, political puffery. What a sham! What a shame!

Give your readers a break. We may not all be Harvard Law School graduates, but we are not all stupid either. We can read. We can think. We can sort truth from fiction. Give us facts. Give us logic. Give us intellectual honesty. Spare us the incessant, irresponsible political propaganda. Your readers deserve better!

A.L. Kleinke

Nevis

Dog ordinance is a must

I am stunned and amazed that as a Hubbard County resident and taxpayer that I no longer feel safe running on the county roads that I help to maintain. Perhaps I am missing part of the equation as I am a "city girl."

We moved here 16 months ago from Fargo to enjoy this unbelievably beautiful area. Am I wrong to assume that I should be able to run around the lake that I live on without fear of being attacked by dogs?

Yes. I am a runner. I am also a biker, skier and swimmer. I know there are countless others in Hubbard County who are outdoor enthusiasts as well. This area is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. Shouldn't we feel somewhat safe without fear of being attacked by, of all things, "dogs?" I now carry pepper spray with me at all times when I am outdoors.

It bothers me tremendously that dogs are allowed to wander and roam and there is no accountability whatsoever.

All you have to do is read up on Rottweilers or find a Web site and you will find that statistically there are more deaths and attacks from Rottweilers than any other breed.

It is unconscionable that a dog ordinance has not been decided upon in Hubbard County.

It was a very close call for me last week and I don't ever want anyone to experience the terror that I have experienced the last three weeks - when I was attacked not once, but twice, by the same "pack" of Rottweilers.

As more people like our family (I have three children, ages 10, 8 and 5) move from the city to Hubbard County, the county is going to have to step up to the plate and deal with the population growth responsibly. One way to do this is to keep our citizens safe and implement and enforce a dog ordinance.

Brittany Boe-Neidviecky

Nevis