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Show THE ZEPHYRMARCH 1990 PAGE 27 from the western association of land users wilderness romance vs. freedom asa bbb.-by Raquel Shumway s -- Do you remember the teenage dreamt of Romance and Love? Prince Charming would ride In and aweep the princese off her feet and they would ride away Into the sunset to "Live Happily Ever After. What does Romance have to do with wilderness? Lots! Wilderness advocates are telling us Romantic stories about saving our land. They are appealing to our emotions as they point to pictures of our Canyon Country and say, "Isn't It beautiful? Don't you think we ought to protect It so that we can share It with our future generations? Wouldn't It be sad If It were destroyed? Yes, It would be sad If It were destroyed. We all agree and we all want to protect IL They know that there Isn't a soul who wants to destroy our beautiful canyon country so they easily Romance us down the road to Wilderness, as though this was the only way the land can be protected. Lets talk about reality! Have you ever watched a baby fight against the unwanted restriction of a Mother's hold? Picture It! They try to climb down; they try to remove Mom's arms; they strain with their entire body to get away. They scream! It's an all out fight on the part of the InfanL From the time we were born our freedom has been Important to us. We will fight violently for that freedom. We must Reality demonstrates that when congress takes control of our wild lands by designating Wilderness, we lose a major part of that freedom we prize. Let's look at how central government control has worked historically. Bill Howell, Executive Director, Southeastern Utah Association of Governments, gives the following analogy. Consider South America, Guatamala for example. Seventy percent of the land Is owned by 3 of the people. What happens? You have abject poverty for the masses and privilege for an elite minority. Why Is that country that way? Because It was colonized by Imperial Spain. The Spanish believed In Imperial land ownership. The land didn't belong to the people, It belonged to the King who blessed only an elite few with the privilege to use the land. Even these few were required to pay tithe to the King for use of the land. The masses had no access to the land. They lived their lives then, as they do now, In poverty and dependency. In direct contrast the United States was founded on the principle of private land ownership the American Dream. This concept has always been challenged In strong central government control. During the 1828 who believe those by presidential campaign between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, the country was executing the Louisiana Purchase. Adams, a Republican, argued that the people were not responsible and could not be trusted with so much land and the government should own IL Jackson, s Democrat, argued the opposite view. He argued that the federal government was not Intended to own so much land and the land and the government were of, by, and for the people. Jackson won, the for the moment people won and the country won The western expansion continued. As years and generations passed by and federal Interests were further from the eastern population centers, the government forgot the wisdom of private ownership. Ever larger tracts were retained In federal ownership as the western states were created. A sparse western population felt no threat from a distant preoccupied federal government. Broad discretion for use of the land was left to the local people and local land managers. Government being what It Is, however, this permissiveness was not to lasL Over time, as governments will, the fed tightened Its hold on the public land by Increasingly asserting Its priorities over local priorities. We are now reaching the ultimate manifestation of centralized ownership, centralized control of the land base, and that Is CONGRESSIONAL WILDERNESS DESIGNATION. Local priorities and local management mean nothing In congressional wilderness. All discretion and all priorities emanate from Washington. We the people believe In protecting the land. The point Is, protection Is ngS the real Issue underlying congressional wilderness although wilderness advocates will Romance you Into believing that It is. The real Issue behind congressional wilderness Is CONTROL Congress, ed driven by environmental organizations, Is reaching out to grasp direct control of our public lands. And, of course, whoever controls the land and water controls the people. As we have seen In South America, central government control of the land base Is the enemy of freedom, prosperity and Individual There are many reasons to oppose congressional wilderness but this reason Is the one that makes me fighting mad! Its the one that makes me stand up and be counted! Our FREEDOM Is the greatest gift we were born with and It Is the hardest to hold on to. There are those people who would take It from us with their high sounding, Romantic rhetoric about protection. Romance Is not worth the loss of our freedom. Let's open our eyes to the Romance and wake up to Reality. Lets stand up and fight congressional Imperialism. self-styl- self-determina- These Events Are Proudly Sponsored By PIZZA HOT: 1990 Canyonlands Pizza Hut Invitational Volleyball Tourney O 1 265 So. Main 2596345 5th Annual Half Marathon -- O Stage Race |
