Letters to the editor - Monday (1-26-2012)

Thanks for supporting Toys for Tots campaign

We wish to thank everyone that helped with our campaign this year. Thanks to all the volunteers who took the time to make sure that all the toys were collected, sorted and distributed. Thanks to the community and businesses that stepped up to the plate and gave from the heart. You as a community saw that there were families that needed help and gave unselfishly. You showed that we as a community still care for each other. We were able to serve more than 2,000 children and gave out more than 10,000 toys in this county. The Davie County community generously helped the Davie coordinator (Ski) to provide for more than 1,600 kids and gave away 4,600 toys.

We are the General Alan Hal Turnage Detachment #1096 Marine Corps League here in Salisbury. We will continue to serve our community until the Lord takes us home. Until then, we are here to serve our veterans and our children.

Special thanks goes to John Leatherman for giving us a home, the Salisbury Police Department, Fire Department and Krispy Kreme, which has been with us from the beginning; Marine Sgt.. Perdue, Boat & Ski Club, Thread Shed, Copart, our local veterans organization, Farmhouse Restaurant, Johnson’s Concrete, Johnny’s BBQ, Centurion Medical Products and special thanks to three young people who gave it their all: Christian Shuping of Carson High, Andrew Stolz from East Rowan Hight and Angel Mowery from West Rowan High. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts. You showed that our younger community cares about those less fortunate children.

For all businesses that weren’t mentioned, please know we thank you also. Without you and your generosity, we couldn’t have put smiles on all these children’s faces at Christmas. God bless you all.

— Arbe Arbelaez

Salisbury

Arbelaez is the Rowan County coordinator for Toys for Tots.

How far does PETA reach?

Yesterday (Friday) morning, I picked up my newspaper from my driveway and unrolled it to see a picture of a giraffe’s hoof on the front page.

As I read the story, it occured to me that it did not make very much sense. PETA was outraged over the size of this hoof and forced Lazy 5 to trim it. Why, you ask? I wasn’t sure, since giraffes living in the wild need their hooves to be that long to avoid injury, and if they need their hooves to be trimmed can do it themselves.

So why on Earth does PETA feel the need to give zoo owners a hard time about an occurrence that happens all the time in the giraffe’s natural environment? Is it because the giraffe is in captivity? Are they going to require the people of Africa to go trim the hooves of the giraffes in the wild? That seems a little pointless, if you ask me. Was the giraffe in pain at all? If not, then leave Lazy 5 alone.

Nobody asked for your opinion, PETA, so stay out of it. If you want to campaign for the ethical treatment of animals, try campaigning against poaching, not bothering zoo owners.

— Sandra Slawski

Salisbury