Killing not the answer

Editor: In response to Frank Bechard’s recent letter (Urban deer should not be domesticated, The Daily Courier, Thursday), which in turn responded to Suzanne Pugh’s letter regarding the deer population in Upper Mission (Deer management plan needs facts, consultation, humanity, Tuesday), I wish to point out to Mr. Bechard that when he approached my household, he presented the petition as a tool intended to “bring awareness to council of the deer situation” in our neighbourhood.

As Ms. Pugh states, three options were presented to us, and my husband and I also stated our disagreement to a deer cull.

Along with all my neighbours, I am frustrated and challenged by the new reality of sharing my garden with the deer, but I would hazard a guess that many of my neighbours are also opposed to the idea of simply killing the deer.

I am quite certain it would be more than the names on the petition.

It just doesn’t sit right with me that when we’re inconvenienced by animals, it’s OK to kill them.

It is obvious from his letter that Mr. Bechard misrepresented his intentions when seeking names on the petition since he now openly supports “killing the deer and butchering them as we have been doing for hundreds of years.”

Well maybe it’s time to move forward in our thinking and place a value on all life. I think the majority of us already have. Sue Martin, Kelowna