Regarding, “This Christmas, give a gas mask” (Letters, Dec. 14).

It appears after reading Ms. Dix’s letter that the Whidbey News Times was either desperate to fill space or somehow agrees with her enviro-whacko nonsense.

If Ms. Dix is so concerned about the poison being spewed into the environment I would assume that she has given up driving a car, heating her home, cooking, having lights of any kind in her home (candles do emit toxic smoke you know), and is now living in a cave somewhere eating raw vegetable matter in the dark. Which is exactly where I put her. IN THE DARK.

In fact, the act of writing her letter to the newspaper destroyed trees, if it was written on paper. Or, spewed toxic matter of some sort in to the environment by generating the electricity to run her power hungry computer so she could send her letter electronically.

Until so-called environmentalists who espouse such extreme points of view give up ALL modern conveniences and comforts the majority of us will never take them seriously. And when they do go live in their caves and eat raw plants, we’ll find out just how committed they are to their cause. Or not.

Those of us who believe that we can use our natural resources responsibly certainly aren’t in favor of poisoning people. Neither is our president. How could anyone believe such a thing?

How could Ms Dix espouse lumps of coal in our stockings?! Doesn’t she know that coal is a major polluter?!

Dennis Bell

Milton, Florida