Last modified: Tuesday, November 4, 2008 10:08 AM PST Letters to the Editor: Abortion is a choice to kill unborn babies Editor, A recent article in the Tribune about a man who illegally killed an elk in Kelso, Wash., indicated he was fined something like $14,000 and sentenced to three years in jail. What penalty is levied on a Planned Parenthood abortionist who kills numerous innocent babies a year? None! They make a killing on this killing — no pun intended. Isn’t aborting a precious baby, who is part of America’s future, a little worse than killing a game animal? Our constitution gives all human beings an inalienable right to life. Yes, aborting a baby is a choice; it is a choice to kill. God help us stop this holocaust in America for America’s sake! Charles Uhlenkott Grangeville Measure 60 will be bad for education Editor, Measure 60: Teacher “classroom performance” not seniority, determines pay raises. First of all, we already have a federally mandated testing program — No Child Left Behind. Measure 60 will force teachers and students to spend more time preparing for standardized tests and less time developing other skills such as thinking and problem solving. Teachers and students don’t need more testing and more bureaucracy. Measure 60 is not good for students, and it is not a good way to administer our schools. As Gov. Kulongoski said, “Measure 60 will cost millions of dollars to implement. This is money better spent reinvesting in reducing class size, adding back lost programs, hiring more teachers, fixing school buildings and buying books for libraries.” Measure 60 would take away local control from school boards. We Oregonians rejected a similar measure before. Join me in voting “no” on Measure 60. It is poorly written and will cost millions of dollars to implement. It has nothing to do with improving student performance. Stanley Wonderly Retired educator Lakeview Hunters should follow basic tips Editor, Hunting season is once again upon us, and as a certified volunteer Hunter Education Instructor, I would like to take this opportunity to point out some important safety considerations for hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts to keep in mind. Hunters can prevent the vast majority of hunting-related firearms incidents by adhering to the four basic rules of firearm safety: 1) Always point your muzzle in a safe direction; 2) Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until ready to shoot; 3) Treat every firearm as though it were loaded; 4) Be sure of your target and what is in front of it and beyond it. Hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts alike can greatly reduce their chances of being mistaken for game by wearing blaze orange or other brightly-colored clothing. Ideally, a blaze orange vest or jacket and cap should be worn together when hunters are present in an area. Wearing earth tones, such as brown and green, should be avoided. Hunting is legal on most public lands, except national and state parks, and on private land with land-owner permission. Details on hunting season dates and areas are available at ODFW’s Web site, www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting. Oregon enjoys a rich hunting heritage, and, thanks to an outstanding hunter education program, serious incidents are rare in our state. I would like to encourage all of you to be well prepared as you head outdoors this fall and wish you a safe and enjoyable experience. Swede Mason Nyssa Sali stands for family Editor, I support Congressman Bill Sali because he supports the best form of early childhood education — loving parents. Sali wants to protect families through seeking lower taxes, limited federal involvement and common sense. Walt Minnick, on the other hand, supports Barack Obama’s early childhood education plan that represents the largest intrusion of the federal government into intimate family issues America has ever seen. Research shows Head Start, day care and pre-kindergarten are all poor substitutes for the loving, individualized instruction and interaction that responsible parents give. The Obama plan, which Minnick supports, relies on the failed standard of government day care — a downward spiral that leads to higher government spending, higher taxes, forcing more parents into the workforce and taking additional time from their children. Couple this discredited state-child model with Obama’s desire to have the federal government teach sex education to kindergarten, and we can start to see the radical shift the Obama-Minnick plan really is. Bill Sali supports motherhood and families by wanting to lower government spending so they can perform the important work of early childhood education. Bill Sali supports the institution of the family. He has my vote. Rep. Steve Thayn Emmett