Daily Inter Lake Newspaper, Happy 125 Years & Thought for the Day . . .
A child educated only at school is an uneducated child. George Santayana, American philosopher (born 1863, died this date in 1952).
Thank You, U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder for Your Dedicated Service!
First of all, I want to acknowledge the resignation of our U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, the fourth longest serving U.S.AG in American history, so don't think he is retiring for any reason, other than, and I am speculating, he is ready to just take a break and rest, enjoy his family. The newspaper article, really didn't get into details, but given the relationship with President Obama, I am sure that it is not for issues between the two men. Since I just recently moved from being a political centrist, as a constitutional law attorney, to left of center, as I am sure, someone reading this blog today on the celebration of 50 years of the Wilderness Act, will already have labeled me, a leftist pinko communist by now, but I will volunteer my services, as your next, U.S. attorney general, as long as I can work from Montana!
In all seriousness, I am grateful for Eric Holder, for his calm under pressure personality, especially for his "superb job" and credit for his, driving down both the nation's crime and incarceration rate--the first time they have declined together in more than 40 years! Of all industrialized, civilized, and modern countries, of the some 191 or so, America has the highest rate of incarceration, jail and imprisonment. With up to, last I heard, 34% of the adult population being incarcerated, myself included, falsely JAILED or not, that is some accomplishment, not through being soft on criminals, but through an endless administration effort of focusing on civil and constitutional rights, standing face to face, up against the Patriot Act, that seeks to destroy all personal and civil rights, in favor of the state! I will write more on Holder tomorrow, but for today, I wanted to make a timely statement, of a huge thank you . . . with a more detailed look at your service in my blog of the next day or two, not knowing until this morning, that with sadness you are leaving public service, and what a service that has been! THANK YOU!
In Honor of Wilderness
Just yesterday, my friend, John and I, headed for the hills, Polebridge, Kintla & Bowman Lakes, Glacier National Park, every time we have a spare minute or two. He was raised by two mountain loving, tree hugging wilderness loving parents, who are in their 70's and still going on day hikes, inviting John to join them, and keeping us, up to date, and informed on great places to hike, view nature, or just get out of the rat race, which is so minimal compared to what the greater majority of the world deals with daily, in northwest Montana, and myself, being raised by parents who liked to take Sunday drives, for hours, with 6 to 8 kids in the car, watching the most amazingly beautiful places, mile after mile pass, with us begging my father, to stop and let us have our Kentucky Fried Chicken dinner, near a quiet stream, with lush green grass, only to being dumped in a weed patch for dinner, with all the cool places, exhausted, by a man, who never listened to my mother, or the kids . . . daddy knows best; however, I am grateful for those rides, the family hikes in the hills above my Bountiful, Utah home, church camp outs, and girl's camp once a year, during the summer, along with a yearly trip, each Easter, for a picnic and hike in Zion National Park!
Starting the Kids Early
At 5 months old, my first husband of four, the city planner of all things, and I, threw our first baby, in the back of our new, bright yellow, Ford Pinto, and headed south, to the South Side of Grand Canyon, with baby in tow, woke her up at the wee hours of the morning, with all of us, sleeping in the back of the station wagon, finding Greta, in a yellow and white, snuggly, hooded, zipper, fuzzy thing, half frozen to death, but so cold she didn't make a fuss, awaking to a few inches of snow, but in better condition, than my sister and her new husband, who slept out on the ground! LOL! But the spring sunshine down south, soon, warmed hearts and bodies, and with baby in the backpack, we headed down the south rim, that almost 20 years, later, Greta came to own, taking dad, in a payback drill, rim to rim, from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, where she worked, going the 27 miles, to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, like a little mountain goat, she not only carried her backpack, but her father's backpack also, while he struggled to stay alive! Only to find, Chris, my oldest son, and the chauffer, asleep in the car, miles from where the designated pick up point was, due to a ton of visitors! Needless to say, dad was not a happy camper!
I am happy, and proud to say, that Greta, currently works for the Forest Service in St. George, Utah, having also worked for the National Park Service in Zion National Park, and for the Utah Division of Natural Resource Management, so last Saturday, while I watched all the girls and guys in their Forest Service uniforms, I had a very soft spot in my heart. Greta also has a master degree in natural resource management, and she has just been accepted to the University of Montana, School of Law, she will be a huge asset to either the management of Public Lands in Montana, or working for some NGO, non-government agencies, without any preconceived notions, of how her political views will fall out, or her legal opportunities, because, whatever they are, they will be well researched, well reasoned, and well defended, on either side; she has a brilliant, curious mind, and an uncanny ability to research and assimilate information, and spit out a great view, balanced, and ordered of any topic she is asked to deal with. So, the statement, in the THOUGHT of the day, at the beginning of this blog, is totally true, she got her education, both in and out of the school room. My other daughter, Nicole, and her husband, George, home school their children. Free to chose in my family . . .
Grand Staircase, Escalante, Utah . . . Designated Wilderness, President Clinton
My first exposure, that I recall, with the Wilderness Act, came under the Clinton administration, when the more than controversial, designation of the Grand Staircase, in Utah, was selected and set aside for wilderness, so all the public could have access, and free rights to enjoy this pristine and dramatic landscape, protected by the federal government against the drill baby drill, mentality of the Utah Republican lead state! If I am correct, going there sometime later, I believe that one of my favorite waterfall areas, Calves Creek Falls, and the historically cruel, but accurate as far as I know it, Dead Horse Point, where 2,000 horses were either driven or chased, off the cliffs, falling to their deaths, and I don't remember the reason, but both are in the designated area, near Escalante, Utah. With Utahans hating the President, for taking land . . . case in point, Governor Herbert, has set aside, $3 million of public school funds, to fight for 10th amendment, states rights, to take back the 60% of Utah, that is under contract with the federal government, in their Utah Constitution, Enabling Act, as part of the price of admittance into the Union, making up the Untied States of America . . . can't rewrite history boys, even if you fuck the public school funds!
MONTANANS ARE WATCHING THE LEGAL BATTLE FROM AFAR
With the Cliven Bundy, ranch fiasco, and the BLM, many local and state, ranchers, watched as Bundy refused to acknowledge federal agencies, and would only pay his fees, for the last 20 years, to the local sheriff, Jim Gillespie, later reneging on that offer to, once the Calvary showed up, in force, and rightly so, given the method of fee enforcement the feds chose, but Bundy, who said he would pay, state lands fees, would have literally paid, almost $16 per head of cattle more under the state fee schedule, than under the $1.50 per head fees, that hadn't changed, almost since his father purchased the ranch, back in the 1940's, not the chain of title argument, that his pioneer ancestors bought the land, and started paying the leasing fees for ranging the cattle on the federal public lands, basically our lands!
Montana ranchers, realized, that they would have to or do, pay, $10 per head, under state run lands for leasing the grazing rights, and remaining under the federal government control of lands, they actually made a better profit off their ranching efforts. A little bit of research, via my daughter, and reading the local newspaper, tells the real story. Hell, let Bundy, the welfare rancher, pay the state, 16X, what he is unwilling to pay the federal government, a constitutionally protected agency, and officials, that would make us all happy, and it is poetic justice!
10TH AMENDMENT RIGHTS OR STATE'S RIGHTS--ONLY FOR THOSE RIGHTS, NOT EXPRESSLY RESERVED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BY THE STATES!
The 10th amendment argument, which I am going to take some credit for in Utah, seeing that it was little used, until, I recovered from the government poisoning, and was asked to do a constitutional analysis of the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare, back in early 2009, 10 months before I reactivated my Utah State Bar license, after an 9 year, forced retirement, coming by way of request by the Washington County Republican Party, or Pachyderm Club, that I was not acquainted with at the time, but that was the argument, that, then Mark Shurtleff, the Utah Attorney General, and former friend, used as a basis for the attorneys general's challenge to the constitutionality of the Act, taking it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. I also applied it to several requested analysis of the immigration laws, with Utah, following, Arizona, in their power grab, legislation, along with Oklahoma, using unconstitutional racial profiling to stop alleged illegal aliens on the streets, any time that citizens, wanted them checked!
I got a large bird shot in my back yard, in the night, by a sniper, using a infra-red night camera, and silencer, along with three death threats, for applying the U.S. Constitution, dealing with the rights, duties and powers, of Congress, as opposed to state rights, to deal with naturalization and immigration issues, no matter how tempting! Uniform rules of naturalization are within Congressional powers, both under Article I, and the 14th amendment! States, need to butt the fuck out, and stay out, not your job, not your tools! There is a separation of state powers from federal powers, and it is not random, arbitrary and capricious, in tis application, it is constitutional! States have certain things they do, and do it better than the feds, and then there are the other areas, that the feds, do better, and have been for over 238 years, so, UTAH!
If Utah, Arizona or Oklahoma jumps of the shockingly, unconstitutional cliff, Montana, don't you jump too! I tried to serve the state of Utah, while I was there, but, much like the Flathead Republicans, they only tolerate their position, not the constitutional position; therefore, they are beyond hope to me . . . these laws are not the laws, according to me, or to your Congressmen/women, or Senators, but according to that little, speed bump, called the FUCKING UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION! WORKING WITH YOUR STATE CONSTITUTIONS, BECAUSE THEY SHOULD WORK TOGETHER! sORRY, THAT IS ONE OF MY ISSUES! The law is the law, is the law . . . know your rights!
A Summer Without Wilderness & Mountains--In Chicago!
I was fortunate enough, to get a summer internship with Americans United for Life, or better known as AUL, a prestigious, public, legal and information law firm, in Chicago, this crew, normally recruits from the best of the best, they just missed on year, and went dumpster diving, and ended up with a law student from Brigham Young University, the wanna be, Harvard of the West . . . ignore Stanford! Shhhhh, like in Heaven, only the Mormons think they will be there! LOL! But, anyway, I got to be in the windy city, Chicago, in the summer between my second and third year of law school, in the summer of 1992, when the U.S. Supreme Court, revisited, the controversial, and hated, by Republicans, Roe v. Wade, the big abortion case, decided in the 70's, and entertained cert, in Casey v. Planned Parenthood, arguments, I believe, relying on states rights to control, limit or get rid of abortion rights, or reproductive rights for women . . . and they are still at it, but that is not my point.
While I was in Chicago, one of the attorneys I worked with, Paul, took a two week trip to Utah, I believe after the ruling on that case came out, and he went to Bryce Canyon State Park and Zion National Park, and other places in Utah, like Goblin Valley, as I recall. And when he got back, he invited some of us from the office, over to his home, in Naperville, or somewhere outside the city limits, and cooked steaks, and narrated and showed slides from his trip to Utah, to all the places in red rock or color country that I love! I remember, drifting off, looking at the fireflies, or the flying creatures, that have the lit butts, that are illuminated, back in that part of the country, and being so homesick, while I listened to this attorneys, drab narrative, not much different than his court decorum, and just wanting to get back in the mountains! Scream! I was worthless, the whole last two weeks of my internship, just wanting to get back to where I could see the mountains, not just the tops of trees, forever! Luckily, the law firm, permanently rented a studio apartment, near, Grant Park, on Lake Michigan, or I would not have survived in the cement jungle of Chicago, as long as I did . . . although the City is amazing, architecture, and culture superb!
The Bob Marshal Wilderness
The first time I was in Missoula, Montana, in their local entertainment newspaper, the Independence, I think, I have been all over Montana, following the state sticker, Get Lost in Montana. . . which I took to heart, the first year or so, I had my truck, then my car, that magically disappeared through cop, theft of pipe bombs, after I wrote a constitutional analysis of license plate scanning violating the 4th amendment . . . but I got to see a lot of the state first, just this morning on the bus, much safe means of travel now days, but a friend who was the first person I met in Kalispell, the day before the 2012 elections, said, you have seen more of the state of Montana, in the two short years you have been here, than I have in 10 years, . . . I found that state motto, very beneficial to me, constantly on the run, as do many rebels, renagades, and rabble rousers in Montana with a history of frontier justice, vigilantes and outlaws . . . gotta love it, fun folkor, cool stories, and great fun!
But, some guy was advertising for a partner to go into the primitive Bob . . . but they had to be in good shape, counted me out, not afraid of bears, again, not me, and were not worried about being alone, most of the time, because he just wanted some companionship, but not much, like most Montanans! And I am getting more and more, Montanized, if there are two trucks on the mountain, that is one too many, or if there is a single other person at my lake, then they or I will have to go, find another lake for the day, PERIOD! I have always had my personal space issues, but, that is growing a whole lot larger, since being in Montana . . . I don't want to see another person, when I am in the wilderness! But, I declined the invitation, first because I was not sure what the Bob was, and I didn't want to get myself into something I could not get out of, and second, after sitting on my ass for 20 years as an attorney, minus the 8 I sat on it, while I was waiting to die, plus being terrified, but fascinated by bears, freaking out, as I did yesterday at Bowman's Lake, every time a twig snapped, wishing I had paid more attention to the brochure one bears I just got at the ranger's station to get into the Park, nicely tucked in the pocket near the passenger's seat, unread, or I should have paid more attention to the kids districts, at the 50 year Wilderness Celebration . . . that instructed kids what to do if they say a bear, shit, why did I think I was too mature to run into a bear!
Eventually, I caught on to the Bob Marshal Wilderness Area, by attending some Wilderness Society Meetings at lectures at the Flathead Valley Community College or the Summit Gym, or other places around town, wanting to volunteer to do wilderness clean-up, and go deep into the wilderness with experienced guides and a group of noisy people! John said, he has never run into a bear in all his 41 years of hiking. I however, first thought that bear spray was a funny Montana gag gift, until Wilma, a Walmart greeter, told me, that no, actually, they have had bears and mountain lions walking into the parking lot at the store . . . shit! And after seeing two grizzly bears, the first few minutes, me and my buddy, who both had jobs at Swiftcurrent Lodge, I ended up having to leave, no matter how remote, my Utah law clients found me, when I went back to the East Glacier Lodge for training, once back in civilization, cell and Internet service . . . I never should have taken my messages! Anyway, I now know what the Bob is, what grizzlies look like, and that the wilderness, nor grizzlies are anything to mess around with, unless you know, what the hell you are doing, and I still don't!
Thanks to the Bob Pioneers, Who Marshaled the Act Through Congress!
I got to hear some of the stories of those who actually went back to Congress to testify in favor of the Wilderness Act, they were inspiring, insightful, and full of American spirit for a better America . . . kudos to those who are currently trying to protect stream and river access, and stop private property owners, from putting barbwire fences across stream beds, literally killing river lovers, on tubes, enjoying access to fishing and rafting, according to water law, the federal government owns all river and stream beds, with private property owners, simply owning both side of the dry land, and any water that spills over onto t their property . . . they do not own the acres of water that flow through their land, nor the fish that swim in that water, in that portion of a river, nor the mud under the water, that is also, considered, PUBLIC LANDS . . . BELONGING TO ALL OF US!
WITHOUT A TRACE CAMPAIGN
Please, please, please, parents, don't let your babies grow up to be litter-bugs! There is nothing more disconcerting than to go into a wilderness area, or a beautiful water feature, lake, stream, or whatever, even a freeway, and find a mess of garbage, to taint, destroy, make ugly, or denigrate the spectacular beauty of any part of this amazingly beautiful country! I don't know who in the fuck, people think, follow them around in nature, down the freeways, or on our streets, over our rivers, streams and wetlands, and leave their filthy ugly, despicable garbage! Your mother doesn't live here . . . she is not following you around, cleaning up after you, nor should she, do it yourself!
John and I, pulled up to a river near or in Two Medicine area in Glacier Park, the mountains were incredible, the water sparkling, and the trees efferveceint, and we drove to a campfire site near the river, and the party before us, who had just left, had trashed the place so bad, that John, who usually does his best, to clean up nature, from an occassional beer or pop can, couldn't even stand to stop the car there and we got back in and drove down the road. It is not the Forest Service, the Tribes, or the next camper, fisher, or just sightseer's job to clean up after YOU! YOU are to pick up after yourself! Prisoners from the jail, or volunteers, should not have to follow your mess, and clean up for your ass!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.