What a fascinating discussion about our local crows! I too was taken by the loud squawking and huge flocks of crows, but I have to admit, I kinda like them. So I did a little q&a with Natural History Museum ornithologist Kimball Garrett (quixo.com/los _angeles_crows.htm).
There are a few reasons why there are more crows than ever: Trees – we have planted so many non-native trees (this area used to be scrub brush). Hunting – we no longer shoot at crows and they are not afraid of people. It is illegal to kill them, so please don’t try. Trash – we provide plenty of food for crows.
I’m not sure what your letter writers expect Animal Control to do, but I have a few suggestions: 1) Cut down all your trees (and tall community-threatening shrubs) and replace them with native plants. 2) Start an only-in-Santa-Monica bird birth control program. It will cost millions, and certainly some other annoying bit of nature will take their place, but at least you won’t have see or hear crows. 3) Get some kind of waiver to allow crow hunting in Santa Monica. Now that would be fun! 4) Buy some earplugs. Surely if crows are bothering you, all the other sounds of city life must be driving you crazy.
Marc Grobman
Santa Monica
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In response to Steve Stajich’s article regarding spanking, you do not have to be a parent to know that spanking IS hitting, hitting IS violence, and VIOLENCE IS NOT A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM. (Especially one caused by a child.) Teaching children that violence is a solution creates circumstances like the one we are dealing with now as a nation.
Laws about spanking that may be difficult to enforce may not be the best answer either. Accessible parenting classes becoming a norm may be good, but that is another discussion.
People are meant to evolve; one would hope that the “use of corporal punishment for the purpose of discipline” would clearly become as outdated an idea as a public hanging…. oh well, nevermind.
Darwin, how long do I have to wait?
Heidi Marshall
Santa Monica
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This country and the PTB’s in it have snapped. Who gave the government more authority than God? I sure didn’t!
Spanking is a subject for the church. Once more, the government has superceded God’s law and we have let them do it. We did the same thing for abortion issue; for the 10 commandments issue; and for letting anybody into the country, whether they support what our government is all about or not. I thought this country was built on Christian principals – wasn’t it? If so, why are we, who claim to be a Christian nation, sitting back and allowing the government we know is falling down to keep going in that direction? The government was built to protect our rights, not to destroy them for the sake of money, which is exactly what’s happening here.
Alright, let’s look at this logically. Back in the day when spanking was done on a regular basis, we had fewer people in prison than we do today. As the years progressed, and spanking was looked down on more and more, the rate of crime was rising. Now, all these days and years later, they are about to throw people in prison for trying to discipline their children the way God instructed us to.
This country might have represented freedom at one time; it doesn’t anymore. Now it’s about who you can control and manipulate into paying Caesar and keeping him happy. When Christ talked about “rendering unto Caesar that which was Caesar’s and unto God, that which is God’s” he was talking about the fact that they might be separate but they are also equal because what is Caesar’s IS God’s.
I hope that the parents of the older generations, those who know the value of a spanking as opposed to a habit of beating and child abuse, will lift up their voices because if we allow the government to extend this spirit of fear over us, we might as well lie down and die.
Heidi Hameed
Los Angeles
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I have just finished reading the latest SM Mirror and I am appalled at the attempt to trivialize crime in our city with humor in the Alert: Police Blotter section of the latest paper. I understand that criminals are stupid and easy targets to poke fun at, however making light of vagrants being beaten with a chain and padlocks is deplorable. I have been a resident of Santa Monica for 16 years and I have difficulty with people who are vagrants in our parks and alleys but they are people! And yes, a chain and padlock is a deadly weapon, how could the author dispute that? The complete lack of sympathy in “reporting” is absolutely disrespectful to all of us. I rarely carry cash and if I was assaulted and robbed (of my $3) I certainly would want the suspect charged with grand theft! Would it be different because I am a white middle class homeowner in our city??? It seems clear to me that the author of this section is a very bitter person who hasn’t gotten over the fact that he/she never isn’t writing on a TV sitcom.
Please, please just report crime in our city. I like to know what is happening in my neighborhood without your lame attempt to add humor to violent situations.
Thank you,
Dolly Phillips
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Editor’s Note:
The Mirror values our homeless residents, and never thinks of making fun of that segment of our society. In last week’s APB, we printed the writer’s comments because we wanted to illustrate how terrible it is that the homeless, with nothing, are also victims of crime. He was making fun of the criminal – not the homeless person. Our writer does, at times, inject humor into the APB – apparently it is not everybody’s cup of tea.
