Opinion

A man has no choice if he wants to live. A man has no choice if he wants to die. It is God's choice whether we live or die. A farmer who works very hard to produce a good crop but fails, again it is not the farmer's choice. It is God's choice.

A comment to the letter, "Embarrassing Atwater." I, for one, am very thankful to Jeff Rivero for embarrassing Atwater if it will help the public and other council members realize that the "money-grows- on-trees" time is over.

This is in reply to the letter from the writer disappointed that the SPCA would not help pay her daughter's vet bill (April 29). The SPCA is purely a local organization. It does not have, as some people think, a national parent group that magically dispenses funds as needed. The SPCA runs its shelter, caring for about 80 animals, on an extremely tight budget. All the nasty, thankless chores are done by a small group of dedicated volunteers that show up daily.

I have been an emergency medical technician with Riggs Ambulance for the past four years. In that time I have had the opportunity and pleasure of working with some of the best that emergency medical service has to offer.

I am getting tired of NRA and people predicting the end of the world if Congress passes a gun control measure.

I believe there are bonds formed in this life which should never be compromised or broken. When they are it is unavoidable that the results will be traumatic and horrible. Some examples of these bonds are between members of police and fire departments, and military members and their government, particularly their commanders and more particularly the commander in chief.

Merced County Farm Bureau Teachers' Appreciation Wine and Cheese event was a great opportunity for educators, friends and organizations to have fun while exploring ways to teach our children about agriculture in our community.

I hope the Sun-Star will print my letter of appreciation to my 83-year-old mother for introducing me to a lifelong love of classical music. When I was a child, she would set aside a half hour, four to five days a week, for me to sit down beside my 1960 box turntable (Standing on four legs, remember them, anyone?) and listen alternatively to some of my 15 or 45 rpm records of the "classics." Verdi had a picture on the label of a blacksmith wielding a hammer at the anvil; Charles Gounod's "March of the Marionettes" pictured puppets being dangled.