 You learn many interesting things
traveling on public lands following the wild horse issue in the American
West.
-
- You learn that after standing in sub-zero temperatures,
attempting to document winter roundups, that returning to the relative
warmth of your parked vehicle can make your glasses crack. You learn that
chemical toe warmers are good as wrist, neck and "slip into your coveralls
attach to your underwear" warmers as well. You learn that rattlesnakes
don't always rattle.
-
- You learn the maneuvers the federal government will attempt
to hide their actions when "managing" America's wild herds: Maneuvers
that range from lying about facility contracts to a roadblock on a remote
dirt road operated by armed men who stop three woman from seeing the wild
horses being captured.
-
- On June 19, 1971 both houses of Congress passed the Wild
Free Roaming Horse and Burro, act without a single dissenting vote. That
act read:
-
-
- § 1331. Congressional findings and declaration of
policy
-
- Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses
and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the
West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation
and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and
burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy
of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected
from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they
are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral
part of the natural system of the public lands.
-
-
- Somehow though, somewhere in the implementation of the
Act, something went terribly wrong. In its findings, Congress declared,
"These horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene."
However the agency tasked by Congress to protect and preserve these disappearing
horses became transformed into a machine that removes more horses from
public lands than any other force or man or nature in modern history.
-
- As a journalist and photojournalist, this issue has become
my life's passion. Yet the pursuit of the story has now taken me to the
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to protect my First Amendment right to document
and report the actions of our government in this issue of great public
interest.
-
- If there is nothing to hide, why go through such lengths
to hide what is being done? This is hardly a matter of national security,
after all...
-
-
- For the rest of this article by LAURA LEIGH (and a second
sidebar by MARILYN WARGO) in ThisCantBeHappening!, the new independent
alternative online newspaper, please go to: www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/667
|
