Protester’s priorities off the mark

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Updated: February 19, 2012 8:14AM

After careful scrutiny of recent tax returns, I can comfortably say that I am not included among the 1 percent who are held in such contempt by Andy Thayer, the activist profiled by the Sun-Times on Tuesday. At the same time, I am equally certain that Mr. Thayer and the Occupy Chicago movement don’t represent me. Their convoluted notions of social re-engineering, a redistribution of the wealth and disdain for the democratic process only remind me that the system they work to disrupt and overthrow is the same system that allows them to express themselves so freely. I suspect that if someone added up all those who actually are able to understand the breadth of Mr. Thayer’s and Occupy Chicago’s gripes, it might look more like the “unhappy 10 percent.”

Chicago is rife with opportunities for improvement that are somehow off Mr. Thayer’s radar. We waste money like few communities, but Mr. Thayer and Occupy Chicago prefer to rant about Egypt. How about fixing Chicago first?

Corey Simonson, Old Irving Park

Let court judge Marines

The fate of the four Marines videotaped urinating on dead Afghans should be left in the hands of the military justice system, unifluenced by politicians like Rick Perry or the uninformed views of the man in the street. They committed a serious breach of battlefield discipline that will be helpful to a propaganda-savvy enemy and may well result in more dead Marines. If there are mitigating factors, their defense counsel will have an opportunity to present them. The rest of us should butt out.

Thomas W. Evans, Mundelein

This is what happens

We train our boys to be killers and it upsets us that they urinate on corpses?

Richard R. Sykora, Cicero

Owners must control dogs

This regards Esther J Cepeda’s Jan. 9 column [“My dogs went wild in fight, but don’t ban them”].

No, Esther Cepeda, not any dog will fight. Actually your dogs did not seek a fight. They defended themselves.

A few years ago, leaving the park with my dog Heidi in tow, two Rottweilers, with owner but unleashed, approached barking furiously. Heidi shriveled, and trembled while my right hand clutched the leash, my left hand held her head against me, as the one Rottweiler bit her all over and bit up and down my left arm. Heidi was attacked, she was not in a dog fight.

The police were called as the dogs could not be restrained by the owner. We lost three days by this criminal behavior, criminal behavior by both the Rottweilers and the owner.

Of course the owner was at fault. However, why does it seem as though pit bulls and Rottweilers are most often owned by irresponsible owners?

Kathie Newhouse, Hyde Park