Pesky sea lions part of nature

Please be sure to remind me never to take my walk around Balboa

Island when Barbara Baumgartner is out also walking. If I read

Baumgartner’s letter correctly [“Sea lion problem may need drastic

solution,” June 22], she proposes that we just shoot the sea lions to

quiet them down because they make too much noise!

What? If we are to follow this way of thinking, do we just shoot

every living creature because they make too much noise? Do we then

shoot my neighbor’s dogs because they bark? How about the gentleman

at the pier with his cockatoos and parrots? Why don’t we just off

them all? Why don’t we just shoot all the whales because they make

too much noise when they spout out water, which incidentally is

necessary in keeping them alive? If we did that, then there wouldn’t

be a need for those loud, noisy sightseeing boats.

People, it is called nature. I do believe the sea lions were here

long before the evolution of man and the invention of guns. The

answer to this story is not to use a gun when all else fails. Learn

to live with the beautiful creatures around us. If Baumgartner or any

other residents don’t like the sea lions, well, no one says you have

to live near the water.

RALPH ROLLINS

Costa Mesa