NO POSITION

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The following letter was sent to Mark Forrest, chief of staff for Cong. Bill Delahunt:

I understand that Congressman Delahunt, my representative, has failed to indicate his position on the House health care initiative. I find this unconscionable at a time when we are all considering its merits and faults. Fence sitting at this time appears indecisive at best and cowardly at worst. Do you not think his constituents deserve better?

Hadden Blair

West Tisbury

TONE DOWN RHETORIC

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Much is being made of the recent arrest of Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his own home in Cambridge. And indeed, Professor Gates being African American and the arresting officer being white, the case is fraught with racial symbolism. Even President Barack Obama has become embroiled in the controversy, making remarks critical of the actions of Cambridge police.

CORMORANTS AND FAIR GAME

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Perhaps Capt. Buddy Vanderhoop’s choice of words and his efforts to diminish the population of cormorants sound a bit callous to many, but he has pointed out a very real problem the Vineyard and many other seaside communities are facing. (You mention that 24 states allow measures to control their cormorant population. Needless to say, landlocked states with no waterways have no need for regulations, so this number is obviously misleading.)

CONTRADICTIONS

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The following letter was sent to the Environmental Defense Fund:

I have just received a reminder to renew my membership in the Environmental Defense Fund. I have been a member for a number of years and have made donations from time to time. I admire EDF’s work and look forward to your continuing success.

BIRDS AND WIND

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I appreciated Susan Whiting giving us the thoughtful comments of David Nash on wind power and bird safety. I completely agree that we should make our wind turbines as safe for birds as possible. However, not mentioned in the article is the bird death rate due to oil spills and the habitat destruction due to coal mining.

Bea Phear

West Tisbury

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POND ADDENDUM

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

POINT MISSING

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

I was wondering after reading the story headlined “African American Community Blasts Magazine Article,” what exactly was the point? Does one journalist commenting on another journalist for a thinly veiled attack on the integrity and lifestyle of a section of our Island community warrant that much ink? In my opinion, I’m just being sociological, a real testament to black achievement would be to ignore this controversy, enjoy the summer and love thy neighbor.