Cindy McCain's pride

To the editor -- This fall when we elect a new president, it would be smart to remember the candidates' wives. Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama are not running for office, but it would be foolish to ignore the influence each woman possesses. Much is known about Michelle Obama, from her comments about "being proud of America for the first time in her adult life" to her appearing on the talk show "The View." However, the same is not true of Cindy McCain.

For instance, did you know that she volunteers for a mission in Vietnam that works with children who have facial deformities? Did you know that she has two sons who followed in their father's footsteps and served in the military, one in Iraq? Did you know of her deeply felt, unabashed patriotism -- a pride that did not recently originate "for the first time in her adult life," as Michelle Obama's did? Cindy McCain reminds us that she is like "everybody else" who has family members serving their country: "deeply honored" and "deeply proud" of their service. These are the words of pride -- a pride which most Americans can relate to. Hopefully this pride will be expressed in the role as first lady.

MICHELLE BERTHON

Yakima

Canine profiling

To the editor -- I am shocked: I never thought it possible that racial profiling would be an acceptable practice in the state of Washington, but yet here it is. Wapato's City Council has bundled up all of the pit bull, mastiff and bulldog breeds into one nice tidy little bundle of "criminals." Whether this racial prejudice is applied to human beings or the animal kingdom, it is wrong, wrong, wrong!

I never thought that this horribly ignorant attitude would ever surface again in our country! It reveals small, uneducated minds with regards to an entire God-given existence on this Earth. It is glaringly apparent that Wapato's City Council has only listened to the media and popular opinion and has done absolutely no thorough research on its own regarding these great dogs. People with common sense know that it isn't the breeds that are the problem, it is the people who own them. These dogs are innocents whose only crime was being born and given to people who should never have any kind of pets to begin with.

So then, my final point and question -- at what juncture in our judicial history did punishing the innocent become an acceptable modus operandi?

ANNELIESE CHILDRESS

Ellensburg