Story in Salon.com (Salon Magazine). By Katharine Mieszkowski
The article doesn’t just speak of Bush sin, but how Obama can redeem on the environment.
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Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Comments
Bush et al. should go to jail for these abuses to the American public to benefit a select rich few. It is difficult for me to imagine how some people don’t think Obama will change things. I think we will see many changes within his first couple months, let alone years.
I am, for a change, finally looking forward to some optimism on Ralph’s great site!
John Way,
Off subject here-
I just looked at your home page, your coyots look so different than those around here. Wow! At first glance they look a lot more wolfish than those here. That is fascinating.
Hi Vicki,
Yes, to summarize an on-going issue that I (and colleagues) are working on: The eastern coyote that lives in Northeast US and SE Canada is a coyote-red/eastern wolf hybrid. They should really be called coywolves not coyotes. Our paper argues that and hopefully it will be accepted into the journal we sent it to so we can “officially” call it that – possibly naming it a new species.
My book, Suburban Howls (www.easterncoyoteresearch.com), has many pics of them and some have told me they look more like red wolves than western coyotes, especially a coyote Cane whom I hand-raised. Not a sales pitch by any means, but the color photos on my website (not Amazon, which is a black and white version) really show that.
John Way,
Fascinating. I often watch coyotes here (CO), they are so resourceful and intellegent. I will check it out. Thanks so much.
The only way I will be satisfied that justice will come to them is when I see Bush, Cheney and many of their cronies doing the “perp-walk”. I think they need to be run through the judicial system, it’ll be a serious workout for the justice department but they also let this happen.
“We’re gonna bring ’em to justice…” To quote the shrub himself… Needs a big dose of his own medicine.
I agree with a lot of the comments I’m seeing on this site and many others that Bush and Cheney should be held legally responsible for their many crimes against America and the world. Perhaps someone out there can tell me what I as an ordinary citizen can do to bring this about.
Jon, maybe I’m too cynical, but I don’t believe Obama will change much. How much is “Big Business” controlling the Democrats? I definitely think Big Oil fears the Dems a bit—look at the price of oil right now (I know there are other factors than the election), but I’m not sure how much he’ll want to rock the boat of these financial giants that the Bushies have created. They could make him look foolish—they have billions. As far as Bush and Cheney going to jail—it would be a greater punishment to take all of their ill-gotten wealth with fines. All they care about is money. Obviously they don’t care about their country! I hope Obama and the Dems. grow a spine and a set of b&##s and do what’s right. Why doesn’t anybody look at Nader’s platform and agree that corporations should not be driving our government? How elementary is that?
First of all, the Obama administration can reverse the ‘politics trumps science’ attitude of the Bush administration. Obama could offer all the qualified, experienced wildlife biologists and wildlife managers that have quit in disgust over policy in the last eight years, and bill the GOP for the cost. Barack Obama can read, so that’s a plus, considering Bush needed pictures. The days of Bush trying to appoint as head of the U.S fish and wildlife service a lobbyist for the Safari Club International, the extremist hunting group that supports canned hunting, killing of endangered species, and exploitation of wildlife worldwide, are almost over. That was a nice try. If Bush had his way there would be no checks or scientific review on any government project. I read in Audubon how in the everglades the fish and wildlife service was instructed by the bush admin to allow the developers to do the impact statements of how a project would impact the environment or endangered species- so that golf courses could be developed in prime florida panther habitat!!!!This has been one scary time for the environment.
I think it’s unrealistic to expect Bush/Cheney will be prosecuted or otherwise legally indicted for all of their transgressions (You try shooting someone in the head and walking away scott free from it).
they have too much power and too many cronies in high places for this to ever go that far. While I agree in spirit with the sentiments it’s far more important that we focus and concern ourselves with the last minute sneaky changes they’ll try and ram through right before leaving office.
All of these last minute “gifts” to the energy companies and others who care more about profits than a balanced environmental and energy approach to our natural resources have the potential to wreak much havoc.
I only hope that the new administration can quickly reverse whatever edicts come down asap and limit the amount of damage that’s likely to occur.
PaulB,
You certainly are the voice of the most likely and least risky course on this matter.
I doubt Obama would want the furor it would stir. He would agree with you.
However, the economy will worsen. More “White House horrors” will be discovered (my term use of a term from the Nixon investigations).
There could be a mass movement develop (or developed) to have a trial. And the result could be a catharsis, and a renewed commitment to democratic procedures, protection of our rights, and meaning to the presidential oath of office.
I think we are entering a realignment period, not just of which party will be dominant for some years, but something more fundamental — regime change.
A regime is more basic than a change in governmental office-holders, or political party policy or even its ideology. Abolishing and replacing the Constitution would be a regime change, and, in fact Bush/Cheney moved a lot in that direction with their doctrine of the unitary executive.
IMO, time for a clean, and cleansing break from that.
Bonnie says:
Here’s one thing
To start with, write letters to the editor and get as many other people to folllow your example. Putting public pressure on is key. I’ve been doing just this for quite a while already.
Cheney was indicted, in Southern Texas…we will see.(Not for anything environmental though.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27796298/