A reader tells me that some things I write are good and other things are
not. A lot of people feel that way, including my wife. And my
point is?
My point is that no one, no philosophy, or no way of living is THE one way
everyone should be forced to accept. That is the beauty and strength of
the
United States of America.
One person's way is what North Koreans live under. You know the guy that
made 11 holes-in-one the first time he played golf while his people starved
thanks to his dictatorial policies. One person's way is what Zimbabweans
live under when the boss-in-charge kills opponents and takes property
through murder and intimidation to give to his friends.
One philosophy is what Lenin and Hitler and Mao imposed on "their"
countries. In the name of "race purity" and
"workers" millions were
murdered at home and abroad. Property was controlled by government and
bureaucrats ruled the day.
One way of living is what the environmental extremists and animal rights
radicals are implementing today. In the name of ecosystem
"health" animals
and plants are sanctified and vilified by bureaucrats and professors. In
the name of human health, vegetarianism is used to vilify ranching and
animal husbandry and gun rights are slated for elimination. In the name
of
animal "welfare" hunting and trapping and fishing are slated for
elimination. In the name of "the environment" and "animal
rights" central
government grows, State government power shrivels, logging disappears,
public lands are closed, animal ownership from farm animals to pets and
working animals is slated for elimination, rural countryside is vacated, and
America becomes just another member of the UN under the direction of that
world body.
In the US, one-person-rule was replaced with defined State authorities,
limited Federal authorities vested in three branches of Federal government
and free elections for all but judges that fairly discharge their duties.
One philosophy was replaced with Synagogues, Churches, and Mosques in
neighborhoods with atheists; all of whom are outraged by things like Kelo v.
New London and the divisive issues of today from Iraq to abortion to stem
cells. We discuss these things and vote and volunteer and live our lives
accordingly. We don't kill Catholics or keep Jews out of the schools or
only hire Moslems; we tolerate each other's philosophies and live together
and therein lies much of the reason for our strength and abundance.
One way of living is slowly being accepted in America. The
environmentalists and the animal rights organizations are foisting their
one-way philosophies forcibly on the rest of us. Their one way of living
is
being coercively implemented by politicians hungry for votes and publicity
and support. Their one way of living is being served by bureaucrats
hungry
for bonuses, promotions, retirement checks, and the intoxication of power
over America and it's citizens. Their one way of living is being
implemented by professors hungry for grants, tenure, and fames. Their
one
way of living is being enabled by sympathetic, ignorant judges and teachers
raised on TV and educated in diploma mills. Their one way of living is
being allowed to change our government, our society, our freedoms, our
traditions, and our very way of life.
Why? I canoe a lot and I do not like jet skis or powerboats; should I
work
to get them eliminated? No, I canoe in seasons and on days of the week
when
these others aren't present. I like to hike and hunt on public lands where
there is little disturbance: should I work to close roads or outlaw ATV's or
campaign for high entry fees to bar others? Of course not! I could
go on
here but you get the point.
The environmentalists and animal rights radicals are just the opposite.
Their laws of the past 35 years and the Federal government (ala Frederick
the Great) that they have created are just the opposite of the tolerance
that made this country great. It is this forced One Way of Living that
is
doing us in. One at a time we succumb to limits on hunting here and
fishing
there. One at a time ranchers are put out of business, timber companies
go
under and resources go to waste as prices go up and supplies go down.
One
at a time we watch roads closed on public lands we used to use and one at a
time we watch our rural communities and the families that support them
disappear.
I though of this yesterday as I drove into my town, Centreville, Virginia.
Centreville was recently depicted as having a "Korean Town". I
must admit
there are quite a few Korean Americans and Korean American businesses in
this neck of the woods. It is quite common to see married Koreans over
the
age of 40 driving around with the husband driving and the wife in the back
seat. Why this is I have no idea and frankly could care less. What
does
concern me is what if these Korean Americans catch on to what the
environmentalists and animal rights radicals are getting away with?
Whatever the reason for older Korean wives to ride in the back seat, what if
Koreans believed Everyone Else should drive around that way? Whether it
is
because women are "better" and therefore ride like executives in a
limo or
men are "better" drivers or men are better off driving alone or
whatever,
what if our pandering pols mandated we all had to do the same in order to
get the "Korean Vote"? Nuts you say? No nuttier than
letting some folks
keep the rest of us off public land, or telling all of us what plants and
animals stay and which go, or who owns our property, or that we cannot own a
gun or on and on.
It is time to tell the environmentalists and animal rights radicals to be
quiet and sit down with the rest of us in the back seat and let our
Constitution and our traditions continue to drive us down the road. They
have no more right to drive the rest of us than any of the other dictators
and philosophies that ruined societies and destroyed human freedoms down
through the ages.
Jim Beers
4 August 2005