I wonder if the rancher gave any thought to the negative publicity that might affect not only his business but tourism. With a little thought, he could have turned this incident into a positive advertisement for himself, Cambria and Hearst Castle.
Dennis Arntz
Laguna Niguel
We have enough senseless and random shootings these days. This is not the Wild West with zebras masquerading as grizzly bears.
Yes, there was a "profound threat" in this scenario, but that threat was people armed with weapons, not the hapless
zebras.
Hillary Berens
Westlake Village
I find it disturbing that the rancher claims that he shot the zebras because they had spooked his horses. Wouldn't the sound of the shotgun blasts have spooked and scared the horses more than any zebra could have?
Also, he was quoted as saying: "They are wild animals. How are you going to catch them?"Well, he must have found a way, because he was able to shoot them with a shotgun, which I believe is used for close-up targets.
Raul Perez
Chino
Great students but little else
Re "Teens with no time to think," Jan. 13
The article on China's test score success is like a page out of Lao Tzu: "Fill a bowl to the brim and it spills."
More power to the Chinese educators and writers who reacted with bitterness or embarrassment to this "success," recognizing that these select students have no time for joy, childhood or imagination. Worst of all, they exhibit "very poor health" and physical weakness.
The United States should take notice. It is tilting toward its own obsession with test scores and college, resulting in campuses awash in binge drinking and substance abuse.
Programs in public schools that help teens develop their own voice, values and caring toward each other became less accessible when health education was dropped in favor of more academics. Big mistake.
Julie Parker
Altadena
