Owls and Jobs
Those of you familiar with my
politics—which includes anyone who has spent
any amount of time reading my many political rants
on this site—will find the following editorial
amusing. I wrote it as an idealistic, hopeful
college student, before the cold reality of modern
society jaded me forever. Though my position as
editor-in-chief of The Cuestonian afforded
me a soapbox and lots of eyeballs, it was not the
first time—nor was it the last, as The Daily
Strick proves—I had a captive audience. Read
on to get a glimpse of the early days of the
Strickland rant. And I'd be interested in hearing
your reaction to my position, as this one generated
lots of Letters to the Editor when it first
ran.
Are Jobs More Important Than Owls?
The Cuestonian, September 29, 1992
Many issues weigh on the minds of voters as
Election Day '92 draws near. The economy, the
health care system and education are all in sad
shape. The specter of AIDS looms larger every day.
And while the candidates bandy about family values,
draft evasions and the proper spelling of a common
legume, the environment decays further and
further.
As public knowledge of the state of our planet
grows, one would think that awareness and concern
would grow proportionally. While in large part this
may be true, I was shocked to see on television
recently a right-wing extremist group that call
themselves [sic] the "Sahara Club."
This militant band of off-road enthusiasts
believes that there is no such thing as global
warming and that the ozone hole is a fantasy
dreamed up by environmentalists to scare the
American public. They further contend that 90 to 95
percent of what one hears about environmental
disasters is "bull."
Normally, I would give these zealots no more
than a chuckle and a passing glance. But what
scares me is that they claim over three million
members nationwide, and they are not the only group
out there with such beliefs.
The "Sahara Club" was formed because its members
were upset over legislation that limited the areas
in which they could operate their off-road
vehicles. It is human selfishness such as this
which may undermine the entire environmental
movement.
Just two weeks ago, President Bush uttered the
most offensive statement I have ever heard: "It's
time to make humans more important than owls." He
referred to the controversy surrounding the banning
of logging in spotted owl habitats. Incidentally,
the so-called "God Squad" committee assigned to
reevaluate this ban has since compromised by
allowing logging in 25 percent of these dwindling
habitats.
Do we really have the right to make ourselves
more important than these endangered animals? Does
the human race really have the moral authority to
cause the extinction of a species just to save a
few thousand jobs? It saddens me to live in a
country where such ignorance exists.
After all, those loggers and their families can
move, can retrain for other jobs. This would be
difficult, of course, especially in the current
economic climate. But what can those owls do? They
have nowhere to go. Their fate is in our hands.
As November 3 rolls around, please do more than
simply vote.
Vote your conscience.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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