All should read this - Malheur

[Big Fin]

One of the finest pieces I have ever read, an explanation of place and Americanism where I feel exactly as the author, my good friend Hal Herring​. No matter where you side on the entire debacle represented by the mess at Malheur, and even you have no interest in the dynamics of that standoff, you owe it to yourself to read this.

Hal, and Andrew McKean of Outdoor Life, were on the podcast this year. Episode #5. When you read this piece by Hal, you will realize why he is one of the finest we have and why I want him to be on more podcasts.

https://www.hcn.org/articles/malheur-occupation-oregon-ammon-bundy-public-lands-essay

Thanks, Hal. The insight and attempt to find clarity in murky waters is excellent.

 

[jrabq]

Interesting read, but still a lot of murk.

 

[Gerald Martin]

You beat me to it! Great read, long, but very insightful.

 

[RobG]

time well spent reading that.

 

[grizzly_]

Thanks for posting. Beautifully written.

It should be required reading. Of everybody.

 

[shoots-straight]

I learned a few new words in his essay. Hal has a outstanding perspective on things and obviously can read people better than most. I have meet him, and cringe and the thought of him putting on paper what he thinks of me. :W: He is one of us now, even though he's from the south in another life. If you know me, I don't say that very often. Thanks Hal, for a job well done.

 

[noharleyyet]

A quintessential public land eyeopener. Beautifully written.

gob·smacked
ˈɡäbˌsmakt/
adjectiveBRITISHinformal
utterly astonished; astounded.

...yes.

 

[hank4elk]

Great essay by Hal.
His insight & read of people is pretty unmurkey to me....like minds? Or?

I hope this will be printed in the next HCN.
The currant issue is on the whole "New Sage Brush Revolt". I have been reading articles on the subject in HCN since the 80's.

A interesting take on Wempler and spot on.
I remember his trial and his opines since getting out. He was a regular at one of the Parks I worked and a neighbor of a friend who was a surfer guy and who got his guns out after Wempler moved into the neighborhood. Whitey told me," This guy is missing more than just the taco on the combo plate"!

 

[dcopas78]

Awesome stuff, and something I shared on FB that hopefully a few of my friends will read as well.

 

[Matt/VT]

Excellent read. Thanks for sharing Randy.

For those few of us in the east who are even aware of the potential, and problematic, public land divestment by the federal government, what do we do? Sadly I feel powerless in this fight. Having written my representatives and donated a little, it now seems out of my hands.

Whose hands is it in?

 

[Nameless Range]

Hell of a piece of writing.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Herring provides the critical historical analysis of open range and federal grazing leasing that is the backdrop to the real arguments to be presented to the "rancher militants". Unfortunately it appears that most don't have the intellect to understand it and the others who may understand merely won't due to personal interests and potential gains. It seems none Hal spoke with had benefitted from formal education in basic civics and the US Constitution and thus misinterpreted the words and intent. Critically, what seems lost to everyone is the "government by the people" and the somewhat arduous, but clearly available, process to elevate governmental issues to resolution.

 

[ingomar]

An outstanding piece of writing that talks about the present but also provides a insight as to what the future may hold if the American public does not get heavily involved!

 

[airlocksniffer]

Great essay. I 'almost' feel bad for those poor dumb bastards being used by the land transfer goons. To bad critical thought and reasoning has gone by the wayside for the majority of this country.

 

[James Riley]

My browser says "This webpage is not available." Could be my end, but I thought I'd mention it.

 

[BuzzH]

Great essay. I 'almost' feel bad for those poor dumb bastards being used by the land transfer goons. To bad critical thought and reasoning has gone by the wayside for the majority of this country.

I sort of agree with that...but, in the day of the internet and the access that we have to information, it makes me less inclined to feel sorry for them.

It was a well written piece though.

 

[James Riley]

To bad critical thought and reasoning has gone by the wayside for the majority of this country.

The fear of, and hatred for government extends into public education. Critical and analytical reasoning are in the domain of Liberal Arts (along with philosophy, logic, history, psychology, sociology, etc.). These areas are particularly vulnerable to those who want schools to crank out good little workers and consumers, with an education limited to math, science and reading (you don't need to know how to write).

A thinking public is a dangerous public, as far as they are concerned. Just as the folks *behind* the land transfer issue have anti-intellectual minions taking the heat on the front lines, so too they have knuckle-draggers who think those damn liberal teachers are trying to turn their kids agin 'em.

Our founding fathers who set up public education knew better. Every one has a muscle and everyone has a brain. But knowing how to use them takes training. Knowing how to think is a world away from knowing what to think.

 

[Straight Arrow]

...the internet and the access that we have to information...

There's "reading" .... and then there's "reading comprehension".

Also, as Riley points out, there's logic and analytical reasoning .... or in the case of the Bundy bunglars, the lack thereof.

 

[sneakypete]

Very well written! Randy thanks for sharing it!

 

[grizzly_]

Great essay. I 'almost' feel bad for those poor dumb bastards being used by the land transfer goons.

For a while now I've felt like these people were kind of like Charles Manson's followers... brainwashed and misused to the benefit of their leader. I'm not making a moral reletivism argument between the two groups, just that the leaders are getting their followers to break the law and go to jail, while they sit back and enjoy plausible deniability.