Cooperative Living March/April 2015 - 6

MAILBAG
LET'S CALMLY CONSIDER OTHER
POINTS OF VIEW
I've followed with some interest the
ongoing reader debate surrounding Victor
Harangozo's short-story description of deer
hunting ( " Mr. Crabs " ) in the October 2014
Cooperative Living.
Letters from huntsmen point to tradition,
nostalgia, and - in the end - a component
of rural identity. The non-hunting outsiders
see no reason to stalk and kill wildlife; to
them it seems a throwback to less-enlightened
times.
Neither side can agree on a common
ground from which to argue/disagree.
Enough demonizing! Neither side wants
to hunt human beings. Neither commits murder
(unlawful killing). Neither proponent is
evil. Both come off as closed-minded, though.
Our bodies are made to eat meat. Our
brains are tuned to serve the needs of
carnivores. We lug around essentially
" ambush-predator brains. " These are facts.
More facts: Some humans have decided
not to kill and eat animals. Yes, it's a radical
departure from prior human experience
... but so is modern medicine or social justice
or VR.
Why is it impossible for intelligent creatures
to muster their best selves and calmly
consider the value in another's point of view?
Franklin Paul Norris
Manassas, Va.
WHATZIT?
Each issue, we will
pub lish a photo of a familiar
but unidentified object.
You are invited to make
your best guess and send it
in writing with your name,
address, and phone number
to WHATZIT?, c/o Cooperat -
ive Living, P.O. Box 2340,
Glen Allen, VA 230582340;
or guess online at
www.co-opliving.com
under " Contests. " Dead -
line for entries is March
20 All correct entries will
be put into a drawing and
a winner announced in
the June 2015 issue. The
winner will re ceive a
check for $25. 
4
USPS AND CO-OPS:
PROUDLY SERVING
RURAL AMERICA
As a postmaster and
31-year postal employee
I found Cooperative
Living's February VIEWPOINT
most interesting
due to the correlation
between the electric cooperatives
and the U.S. Postal Service.
The cooperatives came to rural
America when other utilities could not
or would not, while the USPS comes to
every address six days a week (in some
locations, seven days a week) for the
universal cost of 49 cents.
Service and information for only 49
cents - electric cooperatives and the
USPS, serving rural America efficiently
and proudly!
Rick Elkins
Postmaster, Pamplin, Va.
NOTE
EMAIL
ADDRESS
READER A FAN OF WALKER,
OXENDINE
Just want you all to know ... I really
like Dan Walker's restaurant reviews. I
have followed him to several of the
restaurants he's covered after reading
his reviews. All were really good. Can't
wait to try the one in Clifton!
WRITE US!
We want to hear from you - comments, opinions, suggestions.
Your letter must be signed and legible. We reserve the right
to edit for grammar, style and length, with a 250-word
maximum for acceptance. Write: MAILBAG, P.O. Box
2340, Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340; or email
mailbag@co-opliving.com. Please include your name
and city/town of residence, with MAILBAG as the subject.
That said ... Margo Oxendine is my
true literary love. That gal can write! Her
February column, " Rural Memories, Good
and 'Less Than,' " was a delight.
Keep up the great work. I would pay
for this magazine if it didn't appear in my
box for free. Thanks!
Bill Conner
Via Email
CALLING ALL YOUNG ARTISTS!
Cooperative Living magazine's 13th
annual Youth Art Contest is now underway,
and all youthful artists are invited to
show us your best work!
The theme for this year's Youth Art
Contest is " My Favorite Vacation. "
Artwork entries should reflect the young
artist's conception of that theme. Deadline
for entries is May 1, 2015.
The contest is open to all children in
kindergarten through fifth grade. There are
three winners in each grade category ―
first, second and third place. All winning
entries will be published in the July issue
of Cooperative Living.
First-place winners in each category
 DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?
The January 2015
WHATZIT? (r) was
Q-tips. Reader
Stanley Heatwole
(l) of Stanardsville
was our $25 winner.
Congratu lations, Stanley!
will receive a $25 gift card. The entry
judged best in show from all categories
will receive a $100 gift card and will be
featured on the cover of the July issue.
Artwork submitted for the contest should
be configured vertically (portrait-style) on
8½ x 11 white paper. Original artwork
cannot be returned. On the back of each
entry should be the child's name, age, grade
in school, mailing address and parent's or
guardian's daytime telephone number.
Entries should be mailed flat (unfolded)
to: Youth Art Contest,
c/o Cooperative Living magazine,
P.O. Box 2340,
Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340.
So, young artists, grab your pens, pencils,
paintbrushes, markers and crayons
and enter Cooperative Living's 13th annual
Youth Art Contest! 
Cooperative Living/March-April 2015
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living March/April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living March/April 2015
