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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2016)
Applegater Spring 2016 21 MY OPINION FROM BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR Picking a fight with Uncle Sam BY CHRIS BRATT The recent lawless seizure and occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, by approximately two dozen cowboy commandos has led to a national airing of some serious questions regarding public land management, use, and ownership. While I and many other citizens also have some serious issues over how our public lands are managed, we don’t conspire to take them over by force. These self-styled militiamen came to Oregon to do just that. Brandishing guns and with complete disregard for our existing state and federal laws, they insisted that the refuge and all other public lands in the west belonged to them (ranchers, loggers, and miners). This emboldened armed militia group contended that our federal government unconstitutionally seized the refuge land from the state of Oregon years ago. The group argued that rural public land management problems could be resolved only by returning these federal lands to state and local private control. Specifically, it called for Oregon’s treasured Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to be “shut down forever” and that the 188,000-acre preserve and breeding grounds for migrating birds be given to ranchers and miners to exploit. The media has characterized these would-be ranchers as “occupiers.” But I think of them as invaders, saboteurs, outlaws or domestic terrorists. Like outlaw gunslingers in an old western movie drama, this armed group is taking the law into its own hands by taking over and terrorizing a rural community sanctuary. Using its twisted interpretation of our Constitution and sometimes acting in the name of “the Lord,” the group calls this seditious action a “moral and righteous stand for the future of this country.” The beliefs of these outlaws seem to be a throwback to a long- gone frontier culture that glorified land usurpers and gunfighters who used unjustified violence to get their way. (Where are sheriff Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and their posses when we need them to run these outlaw cowboys off the range?) These outlaws don’t seem to be aware of the fact that the bird refuge is more beneficial to the ecosystem than raising cattle or that an economy based on public land preservation, restoration, and recreation offers a lot more chances Climate propaganda BY ALAN VOETSCH I’m tired of climate change propaganda. I’m tired of the news media and some politicians and local activists making claims no one can prove. Ever. I’m tired of every storm, every drought, every fire, every wet year and every dry year being the fault of man. Of course they don’t always say that—usually it’s just called “climate change.” But what they want you to believe is that it’s all “man-made” climate change. Baloney! If so, prove it! They cannot, and because they cannot they should not be making the claim. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has lied, colluded, cheated, and manipulated data to try to prove its point. It uses algorithms in its computer “models” that guarantee a warming result. What kind of science is that? It isn’t science—it’s big government propaganda. This is the alarmist religion, their belief system. This is an agenda in action, an agenda that will shut down the global economy. Let’s look at the history of IPCC’s movement. In the 1960s and early 70s, it was “beware of the cooling.” Then it was “we’re all going to cook.” Because the Earth’s climate in general is either slightly warming or slightly cooling, it finally figured out it would cover all the bases if it just used the term “climate change.” Confusing and not specific, it covers all possible scenarios. Any event that happens can be blamed on man. The IPCC wants us confused. It wants to sell the concept of climate change (which is always happening to a greater or lesser extent), but hopes that we will believe that every weather event on Earth is the fault of Man and we will elect progressive politicians to save the planet. If you’re unsure what a “progressive” is, it’s what far-lefties were called early last century before they had to change to the term “liberal” because their politics became so unpopular. These are the folks who believe that government is best suited to make all the decisions for the common folk. Now let’s look at the accuracy of those predictions: wrong on freezing and wrong on cooking to death. Looking back at IPCC predictions from years past shows it has been wrong about pretty much everything. Its models have been and are wrong. It is currently adjusting past temperature records to hide the fact that temperatures have been stable for so long. This is a fact ■ CLIMATE SCIENCE Continued from page 20 from 2011 through 2015 is advised. This short period reveals a rising trend steeper even than before 1998 with a return to temperatures exactly on the previous warming trajectory. In other words, there has absolutely been no slowdown in atmospheric warming. The message should be clear to anyone concerned about the planet their children and grandchildren will inherit: The earth is warming and we are the primary cause. However inconvenient it may be, the time has come to accept the science and respond accordingly by changing our behavior. Alan Journet Co-facilitator, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now alanjournet@gmail.com 541-301-4107 for maintaining our rural Oregon communities. If the outlaws could understand and accept these changed range conditions as reasonable, they wouldn’t have to challenge them in such a violent fashion. At the very least they should have considered nonviolent civil disobedience, a more peaceful American tradition, to defy what they thought were unjust laws. By using civil disobedience and a nonviolent sit-in or stand-in, they could have strengthened their position on the issues they were concerned about. Instead, they relied on bullying, hostile dialogue, and firearm displays everywhere they went. At the time of this writing, most of these insurgents were in jail, and one of their leaders was killed at a police roadblock. They had taken over the refuge for more than a month and had rejected all calls to leave the occupied buildings and area. Despite pleas— from the county sheriff, many local residents, Oregon’s governor, politicians, conservationists, other law enforcement agencies, tribal leaders, and many other people—to leave the refuge peacefully early on, their uncompromising actions led to jail and death. They are now “accused of using threats, Chris Bratt intimidation, or force to stop federal officers from doing their duty.” These misguided lawbreakers also have tried to instigate a revolt against the federal government and have terrorized a rural community. Now they will be judged by some of the federal laws they have tried to overthrow. There are better options than ignoring our laws and using guns to frighten our fellow citizens. There is little popular support for turning our public lands over to the states, private corporations, or individuals. And the conservative politicians who advocate for handing over federal public lands to the states should stop encouraging lawbreakers to defy federal authority and incite armed insurrection. Nineteenth- century frontier cultural myths won’t work in the twenty-first century. So leave your guns at the door. Or better yet, leave all your weapons at home. If you think I should be left at the door, let me know. Chris Bratt 541-846-6988 that all recent records and all parties involved have agreed on, but now they are adjusting older measurements lower to make it appear that temps have been rising all along. This is just sad and desperate. Most stories have two sides, right? When one side says “Here’s the truth so believe us because the debate is over,” and “climate ‘deniers’ should be prosecuted and thrown in jail,” then you have proven to me and others that you have no leg to stand on. If there’s a debate about the facts of someone’s theory, it is resolved when a preponderance of the evidence says so and not before. In this particular debate, the IPCC’s refusal to listen to opposing viewpoints and the way it responds to people who have differing opinions says all there is to say. It believes if it keeps repeating the mantra, sooner or later everyone will believe it. Suggested reading: The Greatest Hoax by US Senator Jim Inhofe— there are several reasons to read this book, not only for the political battles regarding climate change, but also how our government works. Unstoppable Global Warming Every 1500 Years by S. Fred Singer—excellent history of Earth’s climate patterns. The Satanic Gases by Patrick J. Michaels—our atmosphere, weather, and how the whole system works. The Real Global Warming Disaster by Christopher Booker. Scared to Death by Christopher Booker and Richard North has a chapter titled “Saving the Planet: Global Warming—The New Secular Religion.” Also, blogs by Judith Curry and Climate Depot. My goal is to urge you to read original sources. Do your own research. Once you’ve been educated, it is much harder to be brainwashed. I am willing to loan most of the books mentioned, but they are also usually available on places like eBay for just a few dollars if you buy used. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested. Alan Voetsch • 541-899-1090 OPINION PIECES AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Opinion pieces and letters to the editor represent the opinion of the author, not that of the Applegater or the Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc. As a community-based newsmagazine, we receive diverse opinions on different topics. We honor these opinions, but object to personal attacks and reserve the right to edit accordingly. Letters should be no longer than 450 words. Opinion pieces must be relevant to the Applegate Valley and should be no longer than 700 words. Both may be edited for grammar and length. All letters must be signed, with a full street address or P.O. Box and phone number. Opinion pieces must include publishable contact information (phone number and/or email address). Individual letters and opinion pieces may or may not be published in consecutive issues. • Email opinion pieces and letters to the editor to gater@applegater.org, or mail to Applegater c/o Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc. P.O. Box 14, Jacksonville, OR 97530.
