California Fires: An Open Letter to the Environmentalists

The Sierra Times ^ | 10. 28. 03 | J.J. Johnson

[nicmarlo]

In case the rest of you are living in a cave, there are fires raging out of control in the Los Angeles/San Diego Area. They are so serious that many of us here in Southern Nevada are checking bed space and hotel rooms in case of major evacuations from the Los Angeles basin. As of the time of this writing, over 50,000 homes are threatened, and the situation is changing by the minute.

At least 17 people are dead and it has consumed more than 800,000 acres stretching from the Mexican border to the suburbs northeast of Los Angeles. And The southwestern part of the Unites States is gearing up for war against fire, smoke, ash, and wind.

And so while everyone wonders what the rest of the week will bring, we'd like to take this opportunity to ask some Californians a question. Maybe some of you are victims, reading this message from a shelter somewhere:

Are you one of the people that sent a contribution to the Sierra Club?

Are you among the people that thought protecting the environment was among the most important issues in politics?

You see, much of this carnage that is affecting all of us...could have been prevented. A little brush clearing, downing a few bark-beetle infested trees, and a few more cows being allowed to graze down much of what is burning could have been done, and was in fact advocated for years.

But what do we know? We're just that bunch of rural country bumpkins that were written off by politicians since we were too busy working and paying taxes to fill our coffers with enough 'guilt money' to lobby for green policies - that helped cause all of this.

This was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. After all, before this, we'd been dealing with a rash of arsonists torching anything they didn't like, to punctuate their warped message about how we're 'killing the environment'.

So, you think maybe it's gone a bit too far?

It will be interesting to see how long before politicians will start throwing these green lobbyists right out of their offices if/when they show up again. The policies of the so-called 'environmentalists/preservationists' have finally met the law of diminishing marginal returns.

In other words, 'the chickens have come home to roost' - or maybe I should say...roast.

California, is burning, America - the 'greenest' state in the Union..

In this more perfect, and more enlightened society called California, they began to listen to people who thought they were smarter than no less than 5000 years of human history. They took time tested practices and threw them out of the window for the sake of environmental loudmouths and sympathizers. Go ahead, Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, Earth First - try to deny it - that is if you have a home or office left to put out a press release. C'mon - tell us how all of this is Bush's fault. Tell us how those eeevil corporations are behind all this; and please tell us how your 'green religon' didn't spawn thugs who start fires like these.

Sow the wind - reap the whirlwind, and those Santa Ana's are a killer, huh?

And so here's our message for the green freaks that are reading this and spitting nails right now:

a.. When our local communities decide it's time to clear the brush in old growth forests, we don't want to hear 'jack' from you folks anymore.

b.. When it's time to cut down those insect infested trees, sue us all you want - we're gonna do it anyway.

c.. Humans have more rights that animals and plants.

d.. Anyone in California wanting to 'save the forest' will gain about as much respect as Islamic terrorists.

e.. We still don't negotiate with terrorists.

America, witness the wreckage of a the once again failed concept - Government trying to play god.

Ironic that it had to be California, but Montana, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado are just a few of the states that can say 'been there - done that'. They too, have had to deal with fire prevention efforts being squashed in courts due to the actions of green obstructionists.

Hopefully, rain may come soon and help squelch this growing inferno (firefighters can only do so much). After that, perhaps some common sense about the environment may rise out of the ashes. But until then, you green groups need not send out any fund-raising letters for a while.

....they'd only be more fuel for the fire.

[nicmarlo]

Did a search for this article....didn't find it.

[nicmarlo]

FYI ping.

Off to work now.

[Ronin]

An amen bump here!

[rwr8084]

Excellent letter....I hope Bill O'Reilly, Fox News Channel, or other fair-and-balanced news media report this eco-fascism that has gone out of control (God knows CNN, ABC, and other outlets of the extreme left will not broadcast this).

[randog]

Excellent article. This needs to be shouted from the rooftops--environmentalists don't have the best interests of the environment at heart. They're anti-capitalist, not pro-environment.

This series of fires in SoCal brings up an issue that's been on the plate in my area for years. Lake Tahoe is ripe for the type of fire that's now raging in SoCal. The "environmentalists" that live at Tahoe would do well to look south and see what's eventually in store for them....multiplied by 10.

[upchuck]

Uoo, this is soooo good.

Here's a big 'ole greenBUMP! to some common sense.

[Taxman]

Good find, good post.

"If a man does away with his traditional way of living and throws away his good customs, he had better first make certain that he has something of value to replace them."

Robert Ruark used this Basuto proverb as the basis for his novel "Something of Value." When I was barely into my teens, I read the book, and have carried a copy of the proverb in my mind and heart ever since.

FRom time to time, I am compelled to compare the wisdom of that proverb to the silliness of contemporary life. The "Popular Culture" has a tendency to ignore the consequences of discarding good customs without thinking through the intended and unintended consequences.

This latest round of forest fires is but one devastating example of "Popular Culture" silliness.

[Carry_Okie]

You see, much of this carnage that is affecting all of us...could have been prevented. A little brush clearing, downing a few bark-beetle infested trees, and a few more cows being allowed to graze down much of what is burning could have been done, and was in fact advocated for years.

I take issue with this. We don't need to thin just a few trees, it's a lot. With 2,000 trees per acre, 75%, at least, should come out, probably 90% depending upon size.

[meenie]

I wonder if the desert kangaroo rat appreciates the protection the greenies have given him?

[wita]

Oh the insanity! Don't you just love the inmates running the asylum. People make enough mistakes in life without giving free reign to fruitcakes guaranteed to be dealing with a stacked deck

[ScreenName1]

It is frustrating how we the peons have no say or sway with unelected bureaucrats but we have to live with the consequences of their decisions.

KABC Radio here in SoCal had Professor Thomas M. Bonnicksen from Texas A&M on last night. He mentioned that the envoironmentalist extremists layed the foundation for these massive fires by not allowing the proper management of the forests.

In his book Prof. Bonnicksen chronicles how aboriginal peoples across the world have used fire to manage the forests and preserve floral and faunal diversity. As a former senior member of the Sierra Club he notes that the Sierra Club's "NO Cut" policy is strangling our forests.

If you really care about the forests of America you should give this book a read.

The book is called:

America's Ancient Forests : From the Ice Age to the Age of Discovery
by Thomas M. Bonnicksen (Author)

[Carry_Okie]

Don't you just love the inmates running the asylum.

The forest has become a democratized commons. We're all inmates in that asylum.

[Carry_Okie]

Perhaps KAPBC has been reading FreeRepublic.

Dr. Bonnicksen's testimony was cited here first.

[StriperSniper]

I wonder if the desert kangaroo rat appreciates the protection the greenies have given him?

If they did, they would all lemming style jump into the fires and put themselves out of our misery.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

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[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the post and ping, Nic ! This answers some of the questions
I had regarding these fires and stupid environmental policies ...

[Grampa Dave]

JJ was hot here:

"We'd like to take this opportunity to ask some Californians a question. Maybe some of you are victims, reading this message from a shelter somewhere:


"Are you one of the people that sent a contribution to the Sierra Club?


"Are you among the people that thought protecting the environment was among the most important issues in politics?


"You see, much of this carnage that is affecting all of us...could have been prevented. A little brush clearing, downing a few bark-beetle infested trees, and a few more cows being allowed to graze down much of what is burning could have been done, and was in fact advocated for years.


"But what do we know? We're just that bunch of rural country bumpkins that were written off by politicians since we were too busy working and paying taxes to fill our coffers with enough 'guilt money' to lobby for green policies - that helped cause all of this.


"This was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. After all, before this, we'd been dealing with a rash of arsonists torching anything they didn't like, to punctuate their warped message about how we're 'killing the environment'.


"So, you think maybe it's gone a bit too far?

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping.