THOUGHTFULLY DRIVING THE PORCELAIN BUS

A Column by John S Schroeder

July 26, 2003

Vacation… I am freshly returned to and my thoughts turn to hip replacement surgery, recall elections, and ecosystems…

As I write, my mother is in the hospital recuperating from hip replacement surgery. Last year I called her and teased her that she had grown old enough to have a child in bifocals. Now I am old enough to have a bionic parent. We have had a minor setback today with her blood chemistry that necessitates a longer hospital stay, but she is fine in general. Your continued prayers are coveted...

It’s official; the State of California is going to have a recall election in an effort to unseat Gray Davis -- A first in California history. Some pundits, including some I really respect, most prominently George Will, think it is some sort of unnatural intervention in the grand electoral scheme. This I reject at its face, the California constitution provides for it, thus making it natural. The question is, is this the best time to call upon this extraordinary solution?

If ever there was a situation where an electorate deserved an opportunity to correct a mistake it is this one. Davis was elected under essentially false circumstances when the extent of the state’s budget crisis (the creation of which he resided over in his first term) was "unknown." I find it very hard to believe that he did not have a hand in making sure it was "unknown" until his reelection was secure.

The real problems with the recall are in two places. The first is the nature of the replacement election. Absent the usual primary system, and with a simple majority winning the prize, somebody egregiously idiotic could take this thing. I however, choose to maintain my faith in the people of California. I trust there are enough educated and concerned voters out there to make sure a viable candidate wins.

The second problem is the fractious nature of Republicans in California. It is unlikely they can get the s^$ together enough to make sure there is only one candidate, which would virtually assure they win. That is a crying shame that will forever hamper conservatism in this state.

This is serious business. The greatest success story in American history stands to become the biggest bust in that same history if we cannot right the ship. All I can do is pray and vote…

We visited Carlsbad Caverns on vacation. FANTASTIC! There was; however, much hue and cry about how the developments of the cavern somehow polluted it. In recent years there has been the discovery of an even larger, and based on the photographs, more beautiful cave on park property. This cave is to be preserved, literally under lock and key. Thus if I want to see this new cave I must first train for several years to become an expert spelunker and then develop an area of research that the rangers (who by the way can enter the cave at will) in the park will deem suitable to be conducted in that cave before I can even hope to see it. Does this strike anyone besides me as egregiously selfish?

As we drove home we drove across the desert on the Arizona/California/Mexico border. This land is being absolutely transformed through irrigation. They are growing hearty crops virtually between sand dunes. It’s amazing. Is this not destroying an ecosystem? So where is the ‘ecopolice’ locking down the land to preserve it?

This juxtaposition of observation drove home one overwhelming message to me. Much like animal right activists chose to save mammals because they are cute, but could care less about insects, those that fight to save ecosystems, work to save only those that they deem beautiful, and furthermore try to save them in a way that only they can enjoy that beauty. So much for egalitarianism.

There will always be winners and losers, haves and have nots. Our country was designed so that which category an individual fit into was a matter of that individual’s actions, not accidents of birth or government intrusion. I am growing sick and tired of people using government to enforce their selfish viewpoints. If ecosystems are worth saving, save them all, but don’t you dare use the force of government to preserve your personal playground. I see no difference between that and using the force of government to exclude someone from schools based on the color of their skin.

One important distinction – the government can choose not to develop the trails and handrails and wheelchair access and lighting in the new cave that exists in Carlsbad, and therefore physical barriers may still exclude me. But to literally lock up the cave, and prevent all those not deemed worthy from entering is a very different thing, it is purely discriminatory, and it is wrong.

I am sick and tired of people dressing up their selfishness in altruistic terms. Environmentalism is just that run rampant. I don’t like crowds much either, they detract from my enjoyment of many things. But I refuse to stake out some public place as mine alone. What if I said that 25% of the mall was a business historical site and only I, as the designated government business historian, could access it. Further let’s say that 25% contained my favorite stores. I’d be pretty selfish wouldn’t I – saving the stock of those store entirely for myself.

This is environmentalism run amuck, and its tramples principles of our society that are very dear. Maybe I need to write a letter.

 With Love,