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Show THE ZEPHYR APRIL 89 PAGE 16 WHERE ARE YOU JOE STOCKS? (now that we really need you) Vlth mil thm turmoil of tho last six Months -- toxic waste incinerators, volatile local elections, nav road proposals, environ- - nantal crises - through it all, thara Thara was a certain saaaad to ba sosm thing aissing. these great controversies passion generally accoapaaying that was sorely lacking. One day, as I perused the pro and con incinerator letters in the Tinas Independent. I was struck again by that nagging sense of eaptlness. Whet X was it? simply asked, why would anyone in their right minds went to carry an eighty pound pack on their back, "for fun"? X Of course, X still had to admit, X was Impressed. thought ha was wrong, but X was still Impressed. By 1982, I'd come to look forward to Joe's letters, tty found I searching for? What had created such a void in my need to be What was before that now stimulated and aroused? "Joe Stocks asks, 'Where would the human race be today?' (we presume) the likes of Salt Lake City. Where Indeed, Joe? Just look at all it has to offer - foul air, urban sprawl, drug abuse, runaway crime, bumper to bumper traffic and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir." without know why I like the we'd put that dig in thara about the left it "It is astonishing that environmentalists can make fun of the economic suppression of southern Utah, as evidenced by their stand opposing growth and progress . . . and by their ridicule of Salt Lake City and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is incredible that they have succeeded in imposing totalitarian police state rule upon our wonderful national parks." to be honest, Joe Stocks and I have rarely agreed about anything, although I sensed something different about his contrariness to my point of view. I was always the ardent environmentalist; Joe was the miner, the And developer, the multiple user of the public lands. concern tree of in that his Insistent huggeri spite yet, and Feds represented an inherent threat to the freedom and g to rural Utahans, I always had the strange he loved the desert and the blue skies as that feeling much as I, but maybe in a different way. Wow -- raced into town that Wednesday evening to read Joe's The next day, we put our heads together for round 2. The real question that danced through our minds as we composed our first draft was, "What would Joe Stocks think if he knew that we police-stat- e park rangers were writing Mike well-bein- was the thrust of his Joe letter. "Isn't it time," asked, "we informed environwith roots in distant mentalists, places, that we are much more concerned with our environment than they could possibly be?" He was primarily occupied with the perceived threat of "outsiders" dictating the future of Grand didn't letter. buddy Salamacha and I, both seasonal Rangers at Arches, considered ourselves (at the time) to be the antithesis of Joe. One day, when he wrote a wonderful letter about Governor Matheson's support of wilderness in Southern Utah, Hike and I decided to respond. First Joe said: County . In 1977, when a major controversy arose over the debate to pave, or not to pave Canyonlands National Park, Joe was at the public meeting to express his opinion. Joe was a Vietnam veteran and his reasons for wanting the roads paved were simple. While in the Service, Joe Stocks had spent two years lugging an eighty pound pack on his back; he had to carry the damn thing for miles and miles, day after day, week after week. Now back from the war, he this letter on government time?" On submitted our response to Sam Taylor. in the control the people - no growth' philosophy has been adopted by our State government. It is shameful that great sums of time and money are being wasted by the State and environmentalists in order that they can control the people and stop development all this? blue?" We of this country. DIPPER learn that a police state now exists national parks. Why weren't we told about Isnt this still the land of the red, white and 39 : Ok Joe. What possibly could you say in response to that? 56 East 3rd South Moab 259-790- 3 Stars is the place to stop for all your quick stop needs. Only the best in gasoline and oil products. Hot Dogs - Flamed Broiled Burgers Ice Cream - Candy - Snacks clean rest rooms Shop Stars First Only at Stars in Moab 301 So. Main 259-605- 4 got even most Spring is Here! $2.29 it shocking aspect of this latest 'Stocks if indeed our National Parks are administered by a 'totalitarian - police state,' then its sinister commander can be none other than that old sagebrush rebel himself - James G. Watt." "The it Your hometown ONE stop store. Home of the WOW! Burger Vi b. of pure beef with cheese we Revelation' is that Salamacha brought the paper up to the Devils Garden trailer, and that night we composed our reply. We thought was brilliant, if we did say so ourselves. But admit FOOD STORES morning, read in part: were awfully sarcastic in those days; but worse "Where would the West be if that insane criterion would have been applied during the last two centuries? Where would the human race be?" It were shocked to "We "It appears that Monday AMIGOS DOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT Bm . Mormon Tabernacle Choir (X have all their albums), but we in anyway. Maybe we wanted to make sure we offended everyone. Besides, we figured, Joe would set us straight - we were right. The following Wednesday, Joe Stocks was back, right on schedule. then suddenly, it csae to no. How could I have forgotten? All these letters, all this glorious rhetoric was well and good. But sooehow, it wasn't quite the sane without the wit, wisdom and political aoxle of Joe Stocks. At once, X realized: X missed Joe Stocks. resistance," nt flow: We For years Joes letters to the Editor and public statements entertained, intrigued and aggravated me. The first Stocks letter to pass my way was in the February 12, 1976 issue of the T.I. - "Loss of freedom and rights, due to Stiles tedly, a bottle of Jim Beam had loosened our minds and pens. We put It to paper and let the words bail-poi- Choir. And environmentalist By Jim Serving Lunch and Dinner S3 Combinations featuring our most popular specialty of the house Fajitas we serve Mexican and domestic beer |