The tree in the river

I was deeply saddened by the Dec. 7 cover’s display of animal cruelty.  The cover caption states that “neighbors helping neighbors” on branding day “is the cultural norm.” Unfortunately, inflicting pain appears to be a “cultural norm” in the cowboy culture also. I wonder how many of those “neighbors” subduing that poor animal would enjoy […]

I don’t doubt that a lot of opposition to immigration is due to nativism, as Forrest Whitman writes, but many favor lower immigration to stem overpopulation (“Western nativism has a rotten odor,” HCN, 12/21/15). U.S. population will exceed 400 million by 2050.  If we had maintained the immigration levels of the 1950s and ’60s, our […]

Being alone is no way to live, and so humans, being communal animals, evolved specific biological reactions to social threats. Those living on the periphery of their tribes faced increased risks of starvation, predation and early death. Today, feelings of isolation may result in nervous behavior and unhealthy physiological responses that cause the body to […]

Regarding Avery McGaha’s wetland article (“A desert oasis, lost and found,” HCN, 12/21/15):  Cattails are considered a weed. They overtake ponds and wetlands, crowding out native species that are more beneficial. Instead of cattails, the cienega should have native willows and cottonwoods. Instead of messing around with logs and dams of his own making, A.T. […]