Sherry Allen – 4/2/09

This page was last updated on April 9, 2009.

Let’s be proactive on the environment; Sherry Allen; Beaver County Times; April 2, 2009.

Ms. Allen wrote three previous letters I didn’t critique. One (“Conserving water for future,” 1/13/08) asked us to conserve water (primarily by not eating meat) and another (“Say ‘no’ to push polling,” 2/10/08) complained about alleged telephone “push polls” by Republicans, and the third was (“Plant a garden to offset oil usage,” 8/1/08). In one letter I did critique, Ms. Allen gushed about a book she found “that has hundreds of ideas on how to save our planet.” In a partisan letter, Ms. Allen concluded with “Let’s endeavor to walk together peacefully.” In one letter, Ms. Allen related a story of disaffected Republicans voting for Mr. Obama. In another letter, Ms. Allen tried to compare abortion and war in an effort to promote Barack Obama over John McCain.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“I was happy some businesses in Pittsburgh shut off their lights for Earth Hour last Saturday.

“I spent that hour reflecting on the millions of people who are projected to die, and all our wildlife species that are in jeopardy.”

[RWC] I went around my apartment and turned all my lights on. You’ll note Ms. Allen didn’t tell us if she turned off her lights, TV, PC, et cetera.

“I’m encouraged that England and other countries around the world are hoping America will step up to take the lead in solving our impending disaster.”

[RWC] Of course “England and other countries around the world are hoping America will step up.” They aren’t stupid enough to jump off the cliff themselves.

Note Ms. Allen doesn’t describe “our impending disaster.” To which “impending disaster” is Ms. Allen referring? Global cooling? Global warming? The death of our oceans?

“Michael Angelo [sic] said, ‘The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.’”

[RWC] The correct spelling is Michelangelo.

“Let’s be proactive rather than reactive and leave future generations a hospitable planet.”