Series stirs boyhood memory

The series on training the mustang, Vegas, reminded me of my Nebraska farm days 70 years ago. We had as many as 20 horses, including a mustang mare Dad bought at auction for $25.

She was with foal, and presented an unusual sorrel colt. He was of normal size, looked and pranced like an Arabian and had a large, white splash across half his head. He ran like the wind, head high and tail raised. Dad named him "Speed."

He was wild as a yearling. I would not ride that demon, nor would Dad. What to do with this bonus animal? A young neighbor agreed to break Speed to ride for $25. After a few weeks he was gentled, ridden and brought back, but Dad and I were still wary. Speed was put up for sale for $25.

A buyer was found, who came with a son my age to ride Speed home. The boy was promptly bucked off. I marveled at his courage as he got back on, then horse and rider sailed down the road like the wind. But there were incidents and Speed was brought back. Dad refunded the $25.

Now what to do? After considering options, Speed -- that unusual-looking horse whose sire likely was still out among the mustangs of the West -- was taken to auction and sold for $25. Things had come full circle, and I look back with regret.

-- Duane W. Riggert, Middleton

As we celebrate Earth Day, climate change is a big part of our discussion of sustainability, and scientists have shown the impact of our consumptive lifestyles on natural resources.

The typical culprits are the use of fossil fuels, such as power generation and transportation fuels. We hear less about animal agriculture. But a United Nations report released in 2006 confirmed that livestock produce a fifth of all emissions contributing to global warming. And a University of Chicago study found the average American could do more to decrease global warming emissions by adopting a vegetarian diet than by switching to a Prius.

Animal agriculture is a highly inefficient way to create food. The land cleared for grazing and growing grain, the methane and nitrous oxide production, the transportation costs and the amount of grain needed to feed animals make meat a serious environmental hazard.

Yet all of the events I checked held by local environmental groups not only served meat as an option for event meals, but ignored meat consumption as one of our biggest environmental problems.

Some talk about factory farming, but small-scale livestock production is not the answer to the problem. Ideally, adopting a vegan diet is. Less ideally and more realistically, eating less meat and fewer dairy products will start us on the right path.

-- Lori Nitzel, Alliance for Animals, Madison

Save your horse fair shovels for campaign

What is the difference between the Midwest Horse Fair and the 2008 presidential election? Answer: There is a lot less manure at the Midwest Horse Fair.

A small joke, but have some empathy for a citizen who is sick of the marathon presidential race. I attended the Midwest Horse Fair on Saturday and it was great. But you have to watch your step out there, and that's what reminded me of the 21-month-long campaign. They started in January 2007 with their endless debates, and we still have six long months to go.

When I got home from the horse fair late Saturday afternoon, there was actually a recorded phone message for me from the Clinton campaign, reminding me to vote in the primary in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Our system definitely needs some fine tuning.

I hate to complain and run, but it's an awfully long drive to Pittsburgh

-- Todd Woelffer, Middleton

Catholic angry that bad priests protected

Bill Wineke's Saturday column on pedophile priests was right on. I am a Roman Catholic, and like many other Roman Catholics, am appalled at the way this has been handled. It has brought shame and embarrassment to our church. Now, all priests are under suspicion.

I went to an all boys Catholic high school, and almost all of our teachers were priests. They were all good, dedicated and holy men. Not one, to my knowledge, was ever accused or rumored to be involved in anything immoral. Even now, many years later, none of my classmates has ever accused or hinted at anything.

It infuriates most Catholics that the money we have donated to the church is and has been used to pay "hush money" or for lawsuits. The church has no obligation to hide or protect priests who have stained the church's reputation or committed felonious acts.

What two consenting adults do is a matter between them and God; what an adult does with a child is a matter between them and the district attorney.

-- Lyman Woodman, McFarland

Church's moral authority restored

Bill Wineke's Saturday column was way off base. He says Pope Benedict "minimized the past" regarding the sexual scandals that rocked the church. As an active Catholic, I was horrified by what a very small minority of priests did, and what the bishops involved did to cover it all up.

Benedict apologized about the ordeal during his visit. He has made serious changes in how bishops are to report any such things in the future.

The Catholic Church has recovered its moral authority. As a member of the clergy, Wineke knows that the role of any Christian church is to seek the truth of Christ. When harm has been done in that search, one must first admit guilt. Benedict has done that; in fact, he personally met with some victims.

The next step is to ask for forgiveness, then to try to repay the victims. The church has done that. Finally there must be true work between members of the church on all levels to keep seeking the truth of God. The church is doing that.

It's interesting that people outside of the Catholic Church keep bringing up this mess. I challenge the media and people like Wineke to research abuse in other places of authority, such as public schools, police departments and in the media itself.

Pope Benedict XVI has been the most open pope in recent history. His work in bringing people of faith together in the hope of Christ has been fantastic.

-- James D. Curtin, Madison