The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dear Editor,
Attention residents of Gladstone, an animal hater is in your midst. On Sunday, May 18, my family and I went to my mother's home for a visit. When we arrived, we found her one year-old, black, male cat (Baby) sitting outside the door waiting to be let in.
I thought it odd for him to be outside and when I approached him, I saw his fur was very messed up and he was drooling excessively.
I held Baby back so my four year-old daughter and 21-month old son could get by Baby in case it was something that could cause them harm.
I made the cat stay outside even though he is an indoor cat. When I entered my mother's home, I asked her why Baby was outside and what was wrong with her.
They informed me that Baby had gotten out on Saturday and they have been calling out for him many times but he was yet to return.
I informed them that something was wrong with his mouth and I went out to investigate his injuries.
That is when I saw the grossest thing I hope I will ever have to witness again in my life. Baby's bottom jaw was severely broken and many of his teeth were knocked out of place, still laying in his mouth, and his jaw was offset by at least one inch.
My mother and I rushed Baby to the Kirkwood/Stronghurst Veterinary Clinic to be checked on. There, Baby was taken care of by an extremely nice Doctor.
He looked over Baby's facial injuries and concluded that an injury such as this could not be caused by a fight with another animal, nor could it be caused by a car.
He said the injuries are conclusive to being struck "beaten" numerous times with a heavy object such as a lead pipe.
Baby is back home now on a strict soft diet, however, we are unsure if what the Doctor has done will be sufficient for Baby's injuries.
He set the jaw and Baby has lost a few teeth, including one of the long ones they use for breaking up large pieces of food which could cause him many long term problems. He is unsure if this will stay and if not, Baby could be looking at Orthopedic Surgery, which is very costly.
If it comes to this, they will have no other option but to put Baby to sleep because they do not have the funds available for further procedures.
I feel that it is a shame that anyone could be so cruel and I hope the guilty person is reading this now.
Baby is well loved by our family, and my 4 year-old daughter is especially distraught over this.
She looks forward to playing with Baby when visiting, and she helped give him his name. Some people may think that Baby probably looked like an ordinary stray cat, (which should not excuse their behavior).
However, he was wearing a collar and is neutered and declawed, so there is no doubt that he belonged to someone.
I would like to say we appreciate the kind Doctor who came to Baby's and our rescue on a Sunday afternoon, and if anyone has any information concerning this, please contact the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.
Barbara Crawford
Burlington, Iowa
Dear Editor,
I am wondering about Decoration Day. I'll soon be 80 years old, am disabled and no way to get to the cemetery.
There are so many of us Burrell's. Our parent's grandparents are buried in the Olena Cemetery, on the south side shortly after you enter the gates.
There is a very big tall gray stone with a rolled top which are our great grandparents.
Aunt Georgetta which we all knew as Aunt Settie, is buried there also, as she never married.
Aunt Settie loved to play the organ and also taught in the Burrell school.
Since I'm not able, would some of you please put something on our great-grandparents stone for Decoration Day.
If any of you will take time to notice, on their stone is written very plainly "Gone But Not Forgotten."
There have been flowers placed on Aunt Settie's grave but never any on great-grandparent Burrell's.
Truly, Thank You
Ilene Perdue Sandage Olson
Priorities In Sequence
Dear Editor,
After holding out for a ransom and not receiving one plug penny for not writing letters, it is necessary to resume writing.
Many people say we should be paying off the national debt and balancing the budget, establishing a health care plan, providing better financing for education and retirements, and most of all providing jobs for U.S. citizens, instead of doing what our president recommends - robust tax relief.
It seems similar to a family establishing a budget. They must set priorities and decide whether such things as a new roof or a new refrigerator should be the first priority.
A president has to look at the big picture, which means first looking at world threats. Reagan did this and saw communism and did everything he could to end it.
Unfortunately a communist dictator like Castro still exists and humanitarian treatment of the Cuban people needs to be addressed, just as with the Iraqian people.
Many people do not agree that Hussein was the main threat to the world.
However, when it has been shown that he had the main source of weapons of mass destruction and used them on his own people and would give them to any terrorist who might want them, he had to be considered the world's most dangerous present day threat.
Thankfully, that threat has considerably lessened. Now the Bush administration can concentrate on our economy, which should be the next priority. Our former president Clinton was at the right place at the right time and inherited the beginning of a booming economy because it had already been stimulated.
He could provide popular government programs for anyone and everyone. Unfortunately politicians sometimes put money in your front pocket and then take it out of your back pocket in the form of higher taxes.
Greenspan has done his part with many interest rate cuts and our president is seeking to further stimulate the economy with big tax cuts. After this objective materializes, it will flow over into state and local governments.
Of course in our present stagnant economy, state and local governments do not have any money to support much needed programs for education, health care, etc.
As is said, you cannot get blood out of a turnip! Likewise, you cannot put the cart ahead of the horse.
With our economy in the infant stages of recovery, we will soon be at our third desired priority. (Strong economy) Then our national debt can be reduced, budgets can be balanced again, a good health care plan can be instigated, schools will receive more of the funding they deserve, jobs will be abundant and we will all be more thankful to be Americans once again. However, it needs to happen in proper sequence. It does not hurt to dream and think positively!
Weyman George
Macomb