It has been years since I’ve done a Letter to the Editor. Normally, it’s to warn people before the Fourth of July and New Years about the impact of fireworks on their pets. And since it’s almost that time again, I’ll repeat myself .

Make sure your pets have a secure place (no windows, preferably) well before the holiday. Fireworks start way before and often long after. Have your chip scanned by your vet to make sure it still works and the chip company still have your info.

Make sure your vet has your correct address, phone number, and tag and chip numbers. Order tranquilizers early if necessary — older pets grow less tolerant of loud noises.

But another reason for this letter is to compliment Elfers on another great column (“On constructs”, published May 18). And I find it interesting that on the same page that he talks about the Irish being viewed as pariahs when they emigrated here, another person was talking about all the criminals coming across our southern border (“How I’d fix immigration”, published May 18).

Mr. Borland believes, rightly so, that criminal immigrants should be deported. However, nowhere in his letter does he mention people seeking amnesty. Not everyone crossing the border are criminals. Unless you are Native, we are all children of immigrants.

His last few lines are strange. Did our ancestors adopt the native language? Accept the native culture? And swear allegiance to anyone when they came here? Just the opposite actually happened. Our country is stronger because of diversity, as is most everything else. Denying that is just spreading the hatred that is eroding our culture.

Mardel Chowen

South Prairie