I sent this letter to the editor to the Daily Astorian, over a week ago, a few days before the seal was run over on a nearby beach, but they don’t seem inclined to print it  I guess I shouldn’t have taken the nice guy approach. To tell the truth, I don’t care if their tourist trade goes under, the town dries up and blows away for good…

Dear Editor,

It seems there are a lot of reasons people can dream up to hate the wildlife their area is blessed with—especially if they already have their minds made up to be intolerant. Lately we’ve been reading a lot in the news about the sea lions in Astoria and the elk in Gearhart. If residents there would decide to accept their animal neighbors, they would find that the draw of watchable wildlife is worth any perceived problems that might come from having a few animals around.

Here’s part of a comment I read from a fellow wildlife photographer about the sea lions: “We talked to several people in nearby shops who expressed such hatred for the animals and spewed such misinformation, I swore I’d never return to Astoria. I realize not everyone who lives there shares these sentiments, but you’d think the citizens would understand (or care) what a wretched image this creates for their town.”

But there have been signs of tolerance recently in this paper, on both the sea lion and elk fronts. The article “Sea lion sanctuary a proven possibility” informs us that a haul out built specifically for sea lions would benefit both the animals and the town’s tourist trade. Meanwhile, in the poll “Elk: Love them or let them leave?” the most popular solution by far was simply, “better signage.” Clearly, in cases, the old adage, “live and let live” is in the best interest for all and is the right thing to do.