Whatever the reasons for voting for or against the supermajority requirement for school levies, being “undemocratic” shouldn’t be one of them.

Democracy is much more than “one person, one vote.” Our founding fathers were very wise in their concern for a “tyranny of the majority,” and there are many checks and balances in our “democratic” form of government designed specifically to protect minorities, sometimes significant minorities, from being overburdened by a “simple” majority.

The supermajority for funding issues is just one of these. While there may be legitimate reasons to allow school levies to pass with a simple majority vote, being “undemocratic” isn’t one of them.

It came as a surprise to me that some of my Oakbrook neighbors are interested in hunting the deer that roam the area where we live (TNT, 10-16).

These gentle creatures do indeed chew up parts of our gardens. That seems a small price to pay to have these graceful animals around us. I photographed one of these deer resting in my backyard (at right). As you can see, he is a sitting duck for any hunter. I, too, have those deer in my yard in Oakbrook, nesting under my trees. It’s scary to think of having an archer perched up there to take aim at what? My dog? My son on his bike? My daughter walking in the neighborhood?

It’s also scary to think about wasting City Council time and money on such a silly proposition. Forgo the hunt. The deer make much better neighbors. I am 74 years old and have lived in Oakbrook for four years. We see the deer regularly and get much pleasure watching them. They are beautiful creatures, and we have taken their habitat from them, so they graze our plants.

They ate my tulips for three years in a row before I found out about deer repellent. If that doesn’t solve the problem, so be it. It is worth the tulips just to see the deer roam.

As for those suggesting a bow-and-arrow hunt, I am truly amazed that was even considered. If there are ever protesters regarding this, I will be one of the first to volunteer my services. My wife and I live in University Place and have battled this deer problem for a very long time. Our entire neighborhood has been plagued by these marauding, landscape- destroying pests. More than one neighbor has asked what can we do to eliminate them.

We take pride in our community and our properties. A lot of work and expense go into them. Most landscape pests are easily dealt with, but deer are a little different.

I don’t think anyone wants to eliminate all the deer, nor am I proposing an annual sporting event, simply an opportunity to remove a pest from our properties and put some meat in the freezer at the same time. What is wrong with harvesting a deer from your own yard? Thank goodness we have City Councilman Ron Cronk and state Sen. Mike Carrell to “save” the city of Lakewood from the rampant deer and the predators that will follow them to our fair city.

It’s ridiculous that with all the other issues facing our city that this is what is receiving attention. Please, let’s not have open season on deer in Lakewood, and let’s get back to reality. The blacktail deer was indeed in the Pacific Northwest before European settlers, but in far fewer numbers. The current deer population is out of control because it has no predators.

If some Oakbrook residents don’t mind having the deer destroy their yards, that would be fine if the depredations were limited to their property, but they are not. My wife and I spend much time, work and money on our garden – and it’s not to provide a cafeteria for deer.

It is sound ecology to heavily cull the present excessive blacktail deer population. Rather than sport hunting, professionals using bows and arrows would be more systematic while being safe and unobtrusive. I came back to the Lakewood area after being gone for 30 years. The first wonderful sight I had was of the deer in my yard. I asked around about the deer and found out about the Chambers Creek herd and the Tacoma herd. The Chambers Creek herd has been around for generations.

Another reason I like the deer is because they are inexpensive clippers for our ivy. I would rather clean up the leftovers of the local deer than the neighborhood cats that use my flower beds for their litter box because their owners let them out to roam.

Please remember who was here first – the deer. Shame on those who complain about them. The country-like setting is part of the beauty of Lakewood. Maybe barking dogs keep the deer away from my yard. A neighbor has put rows of wire with orange plastic tied to the wire around her roses, which seems to be quite effective.

I’d like to see city officials concentrate on slowing down speeders in Oakbrook. Cars on my street zoom by at probably 50 mph, and Phillips Road Southwest is like the Indy 500.

I say hunt down the speeders who are a real danger to walkers, children and rose-razing deer.