PUSA Creates New Blueprint for Land Rights Battles

The Sierra Times ^ | Apr. 15, 2002 | J.J. Johnson

[madfly]

Report by J.J. Johnson
Published 04. 15. 02 at 10:21 Sierra Time

MEDFORD, OR - With a goal of taking the message against radical environmentalism to the public, the grassroots organization, People for the USA (PUSA), used the power of country music to spread its message. Over 1200 fans attended the Jackson County Expo Center to hear country legend Joe Diffe, and help Restore the Spirit of America.

The Saturday event began with Helen Chenowith-Hage stating, "we are at war" against the radical environmental movement. Her discourse focused on water rights and emphasized, "water is like gold." Hage motivated the crowd with a lesson in the vigilance of her husband, Wayne Hage, whose historic battle against the Bureau of Land Management over an illegal taking was recently won in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Hage, along with many others, spoke on a theme to stay in the battle and win political victories such as the most recent in Klamath Falls. She went on to state that, when it comes to winning the battle, "victory comes not to the faint at heart, but to the stalwart".

The Hage family and many others were given awards for their hard and dedicated work in the Klamath battle.

Barbara Martin Receives Award for leading Vigil at the Klamath Headgates

Dick Carlton, a Klamath Farmer was among many that had a booth at the Restore the Sprit of America event. He told Sierra Times that farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin are getting back to doing what they want and need to do. "It's so good to see the wildlife back in the [irrigation] ditches," Carlton said. According to Carlton, the irrigation canals, made dry due to an illegal federal water shut off in a year ago, are already bustling, with deer in the fields and other waterfowl nearby. Slowly, life is getting back to normal in Klamath.

While giving praise to GOP representatives Greg Walden and Sen. Gordon, there is still a long way to go to repair the economic damage that was done. Carlton was among some of the Klamath water users that had to file bankruptcy because of the lost water.

Concerns still remain over how long the water will remain flowing. Yet another lawsuit was filed recently by the Oregon Natural Resource Council.

Patrick Moore set the tone, and a possible blueprint for fighting back against environmental extremism. Moore, a Canadian-born former Greenpeace activist, believes that sustainability is the logical conclusion of environmentalism, then went on to prove that radical environmentalists are "anti-corporate, anti-science, anti-technology" and in fact, "anti-human".

Moore's impact against left-wing environmental extremism can be measured by the hatred he has received from them. While the left screams that 50,000 species are killed everyday by logging, Moore claims (there is) 'not one serious example of any species becoming extinct." His book "Green Sprit - Trees are the answer" has sold over 20,000 copies and supports his statements.

What brought most to the event was country music star Joe Diffe who entertained the crowd of local residents for over 90 minutes with his greatest hits.

The big news here is that this really wasn't so much a news event, as it was an educational experience. The concern among residents of this beautiful landscape of rolling hills is how to keep the fight to protect the livelihood of industry flowing. That is threatened by a small number of vocal, highly funded extremists, hell bent on a perverted radical leftist agenda.

For the most part, all had a good time as guests of a good grassroots organization. I learned some of the basic tools to build interest in land rights issues and who can speak out against the policies of the radical environmental movement itself.

The next day, the activists from People for the USA were already brainstorming to make plans for next year's event. There was also a side discussion on who can bring the various issues under one umbrella. "This movement needs a Martin Luther King -type person to lead it after an infrastructure is put into place,' said Larry Tolle of PUSA. He's right, but as we were all talking, perhaps the answers were right in front of everyone.

With chapters in at least 9 states, PUSA has shown its ability to organize. As for a person needed to speak forcefully for the cause of private property rights, capitalism as well as free-market environmentalism, I would suggest seeking the full time services of Patrick Moore - a 15 year veteran of Greenpeace. He clearly knows their agenda and every logical argument to counter it.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

J.J Johnson

©

[sauropod]

Thx DB. Please send me your e-mail to real_sauropod@hotmail.com. It concerns an upcoming May 7th Rally.

'Pod

[nonliberal]

Seen on a bumper sticker:

Call it Environism; There's nothing "mental" about it.