We like to point out how cruel some other countries’ meat practices are. So are ours | Opinion
On meat, we’re not as civilized as we think
Congratulations to South Korea for finally joining Western civilization in banning dog meat trade.
When will we be taking the next civilized step of banning all animal meat trade? What ever makes dogs more deserving of life and liberty than cows and pigs?
But there is more. According to the United Nations, meat and dairy use 83% of global farmland and account for 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Last, but not least, the current Netflix hit series “You Are What You Eat” should convince any doubters that getting more civilized is actually good for our health.
Our local supermarket has responded by treating us to a rich selection of nutritious, convenient, eco-friendly, cruelty-free plant-based meats, milks, cheeses, and ice creams. Now, that’s civilized.
Karl Tucker, Kennewick
Changes overdue for state estate tax
The current Washington State Estate Tax Exclusion is $2,193,000, a figure that has not changed since 2018. This is an odd amount, so there must be some reason for it, you (and I) ask.
The reason is that this amount was indexed for inflation starting in 2013, but the indexing stopped in 2018 due to a quirky change in how the Feds calculate inflation for a three-county region in Washington: Bremerton was replaced by Bellevue. But the law specifically says “Bremerton” so the Department of Revenue claimed they could no longer apply the inflation indexing intended by the Legislature
It is long past due to correct this law to reflect the clear intent of the Legislature. A $2.2 million residence in Seattle is called a “starter home.”
The Washington State Estate Tax maxes out at 20%, one of the highest in the nation (and only one of 17 states with an estate tax), so it is not a trivial amount. I urge you to contact our local representatives, Matt Boehnke, Stephanie Barnard and April Conners, to support a change to this inequity.
Tom Seim, Richland
Some breeds are bred to be unsafe
The disheartening Tri-City Herald article “Timeline: Neighbors reported aggressive dogs dozens of times before, after Prosser attack” illustrated how difficult it is to enforce neighborhood safety in Washington, which allows zero-margin-of-error dogs such as pit bulls to terrorize a neighborhood.
Before action can be taken, a dog has to demonstrate that it is dangerous by killing or severe maiming. Since certain breeds have been selectively bred and are genetically predisposed to kill, no amount of training is adequate to protect the public.
It is rather like allowing toddlers to play with fire. The lack of enforcement in the Prosser case demonstrates that Washington should imitate what 49 countries already do: ban or strictly regulate pit bulls and other fighting breed dogs.
After all, it is more efficient for Animal Control to just seize illegal dogs than to track down every clandestine dog fighting ring or to go through the expensive and timely legal hopscotch necessary to seize packs of dogs owned by anti-social people.
Ellen Taft
Families and Dogs against Fighting Breeds, Seattle
Trump belongs in the courthouse
Three years ago, a violent mob, incited by then-President Trump and his allies in Congress, attacked the U.S. Capitol to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history.
Now, three years and four sets of indictments later, Trump is running for president again in a desperate attempt to avoid accountability.
If he is re-elected, his plans for a second term include weaponizing the Department of Justice to persecute and retaliate against his political opponents, giving license to political violence by pardoning his own crimes and the crimes of his supporters, including those committed on Jan. 6, and even using the military against Americans exercising their First Amendment rights.
Trump and those who enabled him must answer for their attempts to overturn the 2020 election and for the violence that followed.
Eloisa Reyes, Richland