Coyotes and Feral Cats

My head shakes from side to side as I read a short letter to the editor stating that Leon County should capture two coyotes from neighboring counties and release them here. Why? Because Leon County, like most counties in this country, has a feral cat problem. The author of this article exemplifies his dislike of cats when he states that "...coyotes kill their prey instead of playing with it like cats do." He goes on to say that coyotes would "cure" this ecological problem. Perhaps, it actually isn't the cat's problem. Perhaps, owners should spay, neuter, and take care of their pets.

This author's take on the cat issue reminds me of another Floridian who wanted an alligator cut open to see if that particular one ate his dog. Perhaps the alligator was being an alligator and he was hungry. Perhaps the owner, knowing that alligators reside in Florida's waterways, should have kept an eye on his dog.

Population explosions and ecological impacts. These issues, as usual, are never placed in the proper court of blame - people. Because of our exploding numbers, we have "stolen" and degraded millions of acres of natural habitat - bulldozing the home to plants and animals, not to mention watersheds and "natural" septic systems like marshes. We spew our sewage into the ocean, spray toxic chemicals on our fields with the resulting run-off contaminating aquifers and streams, build dams that prevent sediment from streams to naturally build our beaches, construct homes on the waterfront, we fill in marshes, drain swamps, and topple rain forests, we spew millions of pounds of toxins into the air, we kill any animal we deem "unworthy".

Humans are the greatest destroyers of this planet. We are selfish, spoiled, creatures who not only seek to destroy each other, but our home - Earth - as well. We, as a species, appear to be incapable of seeing or realizing that our actions leave a string of reactions - to each other and to our environment. But since this world isn't governed by brains or hearts, but by corporate cash and fear, we can call our actions - Progress.