Letter to the editor, the Washington Times, December 19, 1995:

It hurts me to see trees cut down for Christmas. I know that the trees are grown specifically for Christmas, used for a few weeks and then discarded. Think of how hard our earth has worked to grow that tree, the many years of nourishment that the earth has invested in that tree. And then think about our ozone layer and how it is being depleted. You may think that a few Christmas trees may not make a difference, but it was not long ago that people thought a few soda cans or newspapers would not make a difference either.

I know that in a lot of families it is a big tradition to have a live tree, and some people feel that artificial trees are not as good. But with today's technology, artificial trees sometimes look better than the real ones. And pine sachets are readily available so that you have that pine smell throughout your home.

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