Questions on deer hunting

Wake up, Cape Girardeau. Please don't assume that urban deer hunting won't be implemented.

The majority of the urban deer committee appears to be pro-hunting from the beginning. It's unsettling that council member John Voss didn't want anyone opposed to killing deer in the city but has no problem with at least four hunters on the committee. One member travels to other cities to urban hunt. Another previously lobbied for the urban program. One is a county resident on a city committee. It seems obvious that five out of seven members are biased. Is the committee a rubber stamp for a decision that has already been made?

I have several questions:

* Is the deer problem really as bad as some would like us to believe?

* Have the deer in the city been accurately counted?

* How many deer/car accidents have been documented in the city limits this year?

* What percentage of accidents are deer/car-related?

* Did accident locations have deer warning signs? If not, were signs added?

* Is using weapons to kill deer the safest choice in our city? What kind of message is that sending our children?

* If someone is hurt, who is responsible?

* Will the city pay for insurance to cover urban hunting?

* Will deer be baited into parks and other areas and then killed?

Let's use a common-sense approach. If there is a problem, let's find a solution that preserves the beauty of nature and the safety of the city.

Don't turn our neighborhoods and parks into killing fields.

JUDY PULLEY, Cape Girardeau