WOMAN OUTRAGED BY `RAPE OF TREES' AT WEDEKIND PARK

Dear Editor:

When I drove south from Jackson yesterday and came upon the rape of trees at Wedekind Park, I could not conceive what had happened. My mind screamed "NO!" to such blatant disregard for the lessons environmental scientist are teaching us about how to save our planet.

Missouri Highway Department Engineer Mike Perry admits according to your coverage today that perhaps "we got a little carried away." You bet he did! But he probably does stuff like that all the time because he thinks you can "replace" trees that are well over 50 years old!

Surely Mr. Perry should have spent more creative engineering time on that entrance to the veterans home, that I for one don't need to have visible ... I'd rather see the trees! Oh ... but I forgot ... something else was going on there ... Dan Drury of MidAmerica Hotels, Inc. was concerned about my traffic safety. Well, I am not grateful ... and I suggest that parents of the surrounding area take the family out for a drive and have a few lessons for life.

The lessons are more about human nature, but they end up on democracy and ecology. Those dying trees are good examples of how man's greed, unleashed, has gotten this world in the mess we find it today ... and how sneaky greed can be.

The fact that citizens seem unaware of any impending danger to the park is a good lesson about responsibility, and of the catastrophes that often result when we allow private power to decide for the public in the name of "progress." Finally this seems to be a perfect example of that old adage, "Money talks..." and in our changing world, intelligence, justice, caring, respect .... well just lots of other things ... should talk louder than money. So I encourage people to drive out that way ... maybe there should be speeches and a ceremony ... but be careful ... "progress" is in motion, and as Mike Royko pointed out just yesterday in the Missourian, there are lots of cowbirds among us.

George Ann Huck

Commerce