our police learn how to care for the most vulnerable in our society.Diane Weber Bederman  http://www.prom-house.com/short-prom-dresses-58-1.html , Caledon, Ont.No such thing as humane slaughterRe: 'Humane Slaughter' Doesn't Have To Be An Oxymoron, Marni Soupcoff, Jan.Like many who wish the sad plight of animals destined for slaughter would just go away, Marni Soupcoff wrongly concludes that Canadian and U.law is essentially adequate in protecting them.Nor does she address the larger issue of the feeble enforcement of these laws, rendering them virtually ineffective.Equally disturbing has been the absence of even one response letter in your pages, suggesting your readership's callous indifference to, and silent approval of, the ongoing torture of sentient beings in the name of profit.for a species distinguished by its continuing history of sadistic cruelty toward both man and beast is, at best, laughably condescending.Supreme Court's endorsement of the horrific treatment of animals in slaughterhouses demeans the human race.Treating innocent, sentient and, as with pigs, highly intelligent beings in this cruel way is a moral abomination.I hope readers will have enough conscience to boycott the meat industry, while lobbying legislators to end the barbaric exploitation of those too weak and defenceless to speak for themselves.itself cease to be an oxymoron.Anna Stoszowska, Montreal.Animals don't want to die any more than we do.Inside our killing factories, they exhibit the same signs of stark terror that we would if we thought that someone was about to murder us.They froth at the mouth.They defecate uncontrollably.And in no way does stunning guarantee a pain-free death.The reason humans refuse to acknowledge the rights of animals is because there is money to be made from exploiting them.Jenny Moxham, Victoria, Australia.HPV fundingRe: Ottawa Recommends Men, Boys Should Get HPV Shots, Jan.Congratulations to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) for recommending Gardasil vaccinations for males aged nine through 26.As a health-care student  http://www.prom-house.com/long-prom-dresses-59-1.html , I see the physical and emotional consequences of abnormal pap smears and genital warts on a daily basis.A simple vaccine can now prevent the majority of these cases.for the required three doses, an expense that stops many from receiving the vaccine.My hope is that government will fund an immunization program in boys as they now do for all Grade 8 girls.It would be a shame to see males go without this safe and effective vaccination simply because they cannot afford it.Sarah Sadler, Essex, Ont.Canada's dentists are concerned about the well-being of the First Nations people.Many First Nations people go without dental care at all, as just 36% of those eligible had any kind of dental appointment in 2009-2010, while nine in every 10 young aboriginal children have cavities in their baby teeth, some with so many they require surgery under a general anaesthetic.Dentists and medical teams working in communities where care is not available are confronted with high rates of systemic disease including dental disease.We are committed to working with the First Nations communities and provincial and federal partners to improve their dental health.Robert MacGregor, president, Canadian Dental Association, Ottawa.Rogue Sheriff (II)Re: Many Americans Support Arizona's 'Rogue Sheriff, letter to the editor, Feb.As a Canadian with a winter home in an area that falls entirely under the jurisdiction of Sherriff Joe Arpaio, I find Martin Collacott's comments about the Sheriff somewhat lacking in detail.He leaves out that the Justice Department report also said that there is evidence that suggests that Sheriff Joe may have diverted part of his human resources to filing trumped-up charges against anyone who criticized him, while some of the crimes falling under his jurisdiction were not properly addressed.Bev Robertson, Mesa, Ariz.Thumbs up and down for our PMRe: Tories Firm In Plan To Scale Back Pensions, Feb.Free trade, privatization, deregulation and lower corporate taxes were supposed to make us prosperous and preserve our social programs.Instead, seniors' pensions are under attack as part of a wider program of cutbacks and austerity in a fragile economy.we need to change captains, and get one who doesn't steer us on to a reef.Larry Kazdan  http://www.prom-house.com/backless-prom-dresses-60-1.html , Vancouver.Stephen Harper continues to be a solid manager.He is well-grounded in the realities of the current world economic and political climate.With respect to the problems facing Canada, he is solidly on the mark.In a world of leaders who promise to deliver but blow nothing but hot air, he stands head and shoulders above the pack.Canadian values do existRe: Kingston Killings Inspire A Wide Range Of Responses From Readers, Week in Letters, Feb.Letter-writer Abubakar N.Kasim is incorrect when he questions if Canada has a common value system.which is based on Canada's founding Judeo-Christian heritage.The rule of law is enshrined in the Constitution Act of 1867.While post-modernists might weep and gnash their teeth, Canada and Canadians do have a binding common set of values.Mark Thomas, Barrie, Ont.people should watch what they say.However, that is not what Canada stands for.Over 100,000 Canadian men died in combat during the 20th century, and another 158 men and women recently in Afghanistan, so that we might be free.Being free means that we can say what both what we please and what needs to be said.The forces of political correctness, which try to control all that is thought or said, attempt to silence free speech.Or at least that speech that hurts their feelings or, worse to them, wounds their pride.Pity: They'll just have to suck it up like the rest of us now.Rob Bredin, Orangeville, Ont.Bad word choiceRe: So Quick To Strike A Righteous Pose, Christie Blatchford, Feb.Surely her column would be equally worthy without invoking the horrors and murders of six million individuals and placing them in the same category as the four poor women of this case.How insensitive can one get?Blatc.