To the Editor:

In response to my letter published in The Hour on Feb. 4, Ms. Obuschowski entirely missed the point. My concern and questions were about the Obama administration's deliberate disregard for a federal judge's ruling. Mr. Obama is no more allowed to ignore a judge's ruling than Ms Obuschowski or I. In fact, this is the second judge's ruling Obama has dismissed with disdain. On Feb. 3, the Obama administration was found in contempt for ignoring a court order to lift a deep water drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico. This is what I was referring to when I asked rhetorically if this is what anyone wanted for America -- a nation whose president disregards the rule of law.

Ms Obuschowski's reply also exhibited a stunning lack of understanding of how our country works. Our government's three branches, the executive, the legislative and the judicial are all equally powerful in our system of checks and balances. It does not matter not which party the judge affiliates with, nor does it matter by whom he was appointed. What does matter is that he has rendered a ruling -- a declaratory ruling that requires no injunction, regardless of what the Democrat Party leadership claims -- that the administration must obey or challenge in court; just ignoring the ruling is not a lawful option for anyone, including the president of the United States. This is how a nation of laws survives. For Mr. Obama to simply disregard this ruling, as he has done with the ruling in New Orleans, is tyranny, pure and simple. And I ask again, is this the kind of America anyone wants?

Pete J Hynes


Pull the warning bell

To the Editor:

"We The People" are also a crowd not unlike the crowd of the fabled Emperor's New Clothes famous tale. We are not, as they were, as blinded, deafened and dumbed down by our regular doses of double speak and blind faith in authority, so as to lie down and take the hypocracy coming our way like a tsunami re the Egyptian peoples revolt against savage and illegal tyranny.

Before we have to suffer terminal shamed of a despotic, colluding nation ourselves, we have the chance to pull the warning bell in our own ship of state and save the day for democracy and the fundamental rights proclaimed in our constitution as well as in international rules of law.

Sophie Barnes


Show some love for the animals

To the Editor:

This Valentine's Day--and every day--let's show some love to the ones who love us for better or for worse: our dogs and cats. Here are some ideas:

Take long walks on the beach--or just around the neighborhood. The chance to exercise, breathe fresh air, and sniff the hydrants is vital to your dog's well-being. It'll help you burn off that Valentine candy, too!

"Date" your cat: Schedule time to play with, brush and bond with her every day.

Give Kitty a manicure: Trim the tips of her nails instead of putting her through the lifelong trauma of declawing.

Spay or neuter, because humans aren't the only ones feeling frisky. Sterilization protects against many cancers and prevents animals from being born only to end up on the streets or euthanized in shelters.

Commit, already! Promise to make your animals part of the family--never chain or cage them. Dogs and cats long to live indoors where it's warm and dry, and where they can be with the one they adore: you.

For more ways to love your canine or feline Valentine, visit

Lindsay Pollard-Post

The PETA Foundation

Norfolk, VA