“Somewhere a senator sits in a leather chair/…The caribou we killed mean nothing to him/He took his money just like all the rest”*
Posted on February 16, 2008 - Filed Under Uncategorized
*Prairie Wind by Neil Young…enough said.
I don’t consider myself to be an overly emotional person, though I know that I am in my own way. What I mean is, I don’t get ‘weepy’ very often, especially when watching the 10 pm news. Well, I did tonight; here’s the backstory.
I am really looking forward to getting into fishing this summer; Erin even asked me if I wanted gear for my birthday. It’s pretty emotional for me, but I am not really sure why. Maybe it’s because my Dad and Uncle would take me when I was a kid and I miss not having a stronger connection with them, then or now. Perhaps it’s due to my fiery desire to get outdoors, previously manifested in my love for hiking and my venture into the world of hunting. Even this, though, is a mask for something else. I am searching for something—-some kind of meaning and groundedness—-and for whatever reason, I suspect I might find it outside (”Nature abhors a vacuum, and if I can only walk with sufficient carelessness I am sure to be filled” Henry David Thoreau). Anyway, there’s all of this existential stuff wrapped up in my outdoor pursuits; to make it worse, I want very much to make Maggie my prodigy in this regard. I want her to be not just exposed to nature but to become intimate with it as soon as her age will reasonably allow. (You may remember when we planted her tree, one of the most tangibly spiritual things we have done as it was an effort to literally connect her to the Earth. ) To this end, it is entirely my intention to couple these desires to fish and get Maggie into nature with Erin’s desire to camp as much as possible this spring, summer and fall. I have already envisioned the event: the three of us sitting beside the lake, catching a fish, skinning/filleting/cooking it over an open campfire and chowing down. That brings me to the weeping.
KTVB covered this story regarding the Nature Conservancy’s declaration that Silver Creek here in Idaho is polluted with mercury. Their study recommends children under 6 and pregnant women (no, Erin is not pregnant) eat very little of the trout caught there; even I shouldn’t eat too much of it. The central question behind my low feelings is, is there no end to what we will do in destroying this planet? Yes, Erin and I contribute to it as much as anyone else. But you know just as well as I do that Silver Creek is likely polluted because some corporation dumped their waste in it, only so they could increase their profits by not having to fork up the money required for legitimate disposal. And you know the really angering/depressing/demoralizing thing about it? All these people voted for Bush in ‘00 and ‘04 because they thought he was some kind of big Christian. Here’s the news, folks: Republicans don’t give a crap about the environment, a.k.a. ‘God’s creation.’ I ask you, what kind of Christian is that? If they have a decision to make that pits the environment against big business, you would do well to bet your very last dollar on business winning out. Yes, Democrats are guilty too but at least they offer the words which promise conservation and protection.
It isn’t just this particular news story which has gotten me thinking about this. If you listen, you can hear on a daily basis about all the horrible things we do. We are quickly getting to a point of no return. The really, REALLY sad thing about it is, we all play a part but we feel like we don’t. We don’t think we can make a difference. I don’t know—-maybe we don’t and can’t.
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3 Responses to ““Somewhere a senator sits in a leather chair/…The caribou we killed mean nothing to him/He took his money just like all the rest”*”
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jason,thats a pretty harsh generalization. I know plenty of republicans, nyself included that are dedicated in helping to improve the enviroment&have just as much respect for nature and the outdoors. When you come to visit in May you and Jack can go fishing.
I would argue that you know these people because ‘lay person environmentalism’ is becoming in vogue and we are realizing the truth of the idea that the Earth cannot continue to be abused so badly. Also, the kind of environmentalism you and I are eager to engage in is of little consequence. This is true because, as Americans, we unwilling to do anything which denies us our pleasures or so-called necessities. We couldn’t care less if a company (such as Wal-Mart) does horrible things toward the environment so long as they provide the things we want. If we really cared, we would let them know their conduct is unacceptable and that until they change their ways, we will not be shopping there. We will eventually, probably in our lifetimes, reap what we have sewn.
Erin’s afraid you might take this personally. Rest assured, I am not speaking of you individually, rather I am generalizing about all Americans.
relax e im good