I'm writing in response to the closing of the Piedmont Wildlife Center hospital. This hospital was conceived out of a desire to provide veterinary care for wildlife after the Felicite Latane Center closed in 2002. I was a supporter of PWC for seven years and know something about its operations. On June 23, Ms. Abrams, executive director, said in a news report on WTVD "that people won't have a place to take the animals." I was taken aback. While PWC has closed its doors on wildlife care, the dedicated local rehabilitators and other wildlife organizations will continue to provide that care.

In addition, I'm concerned about Ms. Abrams' pleas for donations. The hospital has closed twice in six months; also, PWC has acknowledged budgeting assuming $400,000 in income, only to find itself short $180,000. Something is not working. Having dug itself into this hole, the PWC now seeks donations based on public concern at the disappearance of its hospital -- donations which won't go to the immediate care of the animals, even as Ms. Abrams could not say when, or even if, the PWC hospital will reopen.

The non-hospital activities of the PWC are certainly valuable, but the donating public must understand that, currently, gifts to PWC will go toward those activities, not to groups and individuals actually doing the difficult and expensive task of providing wildlife care.

Martha Petty

Chapel Hill

Editor's note: A new rehabilitation program has opened in the area. The Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic is incorporated in the State of North Carolina as a nonprofit corporation. To learn more, contact the clinic at info@trianglewildlife.org or P.O. Post Office Box 908, Carrboro, NC 27510

July 4 editorial missed the mark

Freedom is not a subjective term (CHN editorial July 5). To celebrate the hard-won birth of freedom here, while mocking a president directly responsible for the same difficult birth of freedom for 30 million Iraqis, is shameful. Moreover, to joyfully proclaim the American mantle of "freedom" has passed to a new president, while ignoring Obama taking direct government control of major American industries (auto, banking, insurance), his calls for American wealth re-distribution, and his desire for direct authority over private medical decisions, demonstrates only one thing -- freedom of the press is alive, but sadly misdirected.

All men are created equal, but that equality is endowed by our Creator. Today liberal judges seek to deny that endowment. As a people we declare freedom to be Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. But today human life is treated like cells in a petri-dish. Our Liberty is denigrated with each crank of the current political dynasty. Happiness is defined as an Obama utopia, achievable only if we give the government more control of our lives.

The editorial is right in substance, but wrong in citation. Ensuring freedom requires work, but it first requires intelligent discernment of the truth.

Brian Lawe

Chapel Hill