Obviously because of space, some of my original letter was cut; here is the majority of what was edited out for the newspaper edition:

Has our world become so big-headed that all man has to do is write a single law into the books and as a result all of our open wilderness is gone tomorrow? Or can we look past that simple -- yet all-too-realistic -- analogy, and realize that our right to live is no more valid than that of other species? That man, that "human beings," are really no different than the bird, the snake, the lizard, or the skunk? Sure, we may eat and move our bodies differently; but do these creatures not have unique behaviors and ways of communicating that are "just" as valid?

And is it not ironic that while we are overly-developing in the name of progress, what we are really doing is destroying vital elements to not only the food chain, but also to the sustainability of life as we know it? "Everything" in biodiversity is connected; everything from the richest soil found anywhere (this valley) to the plants, grass and flowers growing in that soil to the insects who rely on and help nourish it all every day to the atmosphere which helps everything grow (and yet is being threatened by human activity) to the food which plants produce for us as a result of this amazing -- and all-too-vital -- process. And the more of this we destroy, the more of our future goes with it.

It is assumed that the addition of housing over the farm on Grant Road is progress, and that as a result of this progress we will be better off in the long-term.

Nothing could be further from the truth.