GRAZING GOBBLES UP PUBLIC LANDS
So let me get this straight: My public lands and tax dollars are being wasted to support 50,000 outdated ranchers and a few billionaires so they can continue to destroy what little biodiversity we have left in the West (“Free Range,” December 2025)? Livestock and people literally outnumber mammals on this planet, and we’ve killed more than 50% of our wildlife. Cattle play big in this destruction, and in the West we’re down to less than 10% of public lands that are truly wild. All this for 2% of our beef? Why not leave the ranching to those who actually own the land they run cattle on, and let the wildlife have the public land? And then, when wild populations recover, hunt them sustainably? The meat is much healthier, with no work or antibiotics needed. And the rest of the wildlife could get a chance to recover too.
Julie Smith
Golden, Colorado
Your recent work on grazing rights and land use in the West is spot on. As a longtime agriculturalist and outdoors enthusiast, I have seen the devastating effects of overgrazing, predator control, and more recently the consolidation of grazing in the hands of fewer but wealthier “ranchers.”
Thomas Hurst
Sodus, Michigan
FINDING MEANING IN METAL
Great work on “Precious Metalheads” (November 2025). I read the article with interest that turned to inspiration. The article’s opening section was incredibly moving. I also appreciate your inclusion of a playlist.
Since reading your article, I’ve shared it with friends, some but not all of whom are metal fans, with lots of positive feedback.
At a time when everything feels precarious, I wanted to say thank you for your heartfelt, inspiring work.
Andy Roth
Winthrop, Washington
What a fantastic coalition of educators and musicians working together to give pride of identity to the vulnerable while making good memories that will last a lifetime. And I get it! Music also allowed me a different frame of reference from the ordinary. (Or, as my mom often said, “Christina walks to a different drummer.”) The hum of bees in honeysuckle and dances of dragonflies over a frog pond occupy some of my best memories. That, and the Beatles.
Chris Bartolini
Portland, Oregon
I just read your article about the Fire in the Mountains Festival. Thank you for writing about this. I am Native (Paiute and Shoshone) and have been a metalhead for quite some time. People in my hometown didn’t get the urge of belonging I felt; the music seemed so angry and demonic to them. As I started going to shows and getting involved with the community, I found people who got it. It has given me a place to be and belong — just being myself, which is hard to find anymore. I even got to the point of being the “token metal guy” in a street punk band for a few years, where I was the singer. I’ve only recently gotten into Indigenous Metal. I instantly connected. This is a story that needs to be told, and you did a great job. I found myself crying multiple times while reading it. Luckily, no one else is working in my office today.
Brian Newman
California
MY TEETH, MY CHOICE
While I appreciate the article “A toothless conspiracy theory” (November 2025), I want to chime in that nobody should be medicated without their consent, and that is essentially what they are doing when they fluoridate the water. I have talked to plenty of dentists that agree that while fluoride is effective as a topical application, ingestion is not recommended. Regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, the real issue here is nonconsensual medicating, which they should not be doing. Everyone should get to decide what they put in their bodies.
Rosada Martin
Arcata, California
WE’RE ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER
I first cried reading your October editor’s note, “Responsible Escapism,” then cried again as I read it to my husband, and then again to my intergenerational family gathered for Thanksgiving. Your editorial is also us, living our lives on this planet, and my family’s different life experiences, ages ranging from 16 to 79. It is so important to acknowledge each other’s challenges, joy and peace. I am grateful to be the oldest and continuing to learn and grow as we journey together.
Thank you for helping us understand where we are and “how then we shall live” each and every day of our lives.
RS LaSalle
Bigfork, Minnesota
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