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U.S. LAND LOCKOUT
Letter to the editor
Reno Gazette-Journal - Jan 15 2001
President Clinton:
Criticized for preventing access to public lands.
Clinton forest action:
In a last show of power, President Clinton has added 58.9 million acres of public lands to those already locked up during his reign. His total, nearly 63 million acres, is roughly equal to the size of Wyoming. As serious as this action is with respect to timber, mining and ranching industries, it is also an affront to all of us who are effectively barred from entering our lands.
It seems inconsistent that the government which mandated the widespread provision of special facilities for handicapped people is the one that would lock up public lands, preventing access by a majority of citizens who would find it difficult, or impossible, to enter on foot but who could do so with a motorized vehicle. A road-less area is a use-less area, and becomes in fact the private domain of the young and physically fit.
We should hope that our newly elected and appointed officials will act more responsibly, making decisions consistent with "conservative use," not "preservative storage" of our lands.
For no one can know who will inherit them, nor how they will make use of our vast resources.
George A. Phelps, Sparks
Criticized for preventing access to public lands.
Clinton forest action:
In a last show of power, President Clinton has added 58.9 million acres of public lands to those already locked up during his reign. His total, nearly 63 million acres, is roughly equal to the size of Wyoming. As serious as this action is with respect to timber, mining and ranching industries, it is also an affront to all of us who are effectively barred from entering our lands.
It seems inconsistent that the government which mandated the widespread provision of special facilities for handicapped people is the one that would lock up public lands, preventing access by a majority of citizens who would find it difficult, or impossible, to enter on foot but who could do so with a motorized vehicle. A road-less area is a use-less area, and becomes in fact the private domain of the young and physically fit.
We should hope that our newly elected and appointed officials will act more responsibly, making decisions consistent with "conservative use," not "preservative storage" of our lands.
For no one can know who will inherit them, nor how they will make use of our vast resources.
George A. Phelps, Sparks
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POST WW-II WORLD
The following is a copy of my article
as published in our Northfield, Mass.
High School Newspaper in 1944.
I was a sophomore at the time.
POST-WAR WORLD AS SEEN BY G.A.P.
I believe that after this war a peace conference of some
sort should be held, and a “League of Nations” of some kind set
up. I do not, however, believe in setting forth democracy for
all the countries of this world. This would make us a dictator
in telling them what they should do.... Each country should have
their choice as to what sort of government they wish. Countries
are different. Their habits are different, and therefore their
form of government might necessarily be different. Therefore it
is up to us to see that peace is made and MAINTAINED but not for
us to govern their world.
George A. Phelps
The following is a copy of my article
as published in our Northfield, Mass.
High School Newspaper in 1944.
I was a sophomore at the time.
POST-WAR WORLD AS SEEN BY G.A.P.
I believe that after this war a peace conference of some
sort should be held, and a “League of Nations” of some kind set
up. I do not, however, believe in setting forth democracy for
all the countries of this world. This would make us a dictator
in telling them what they should do.... Each country should have
their choice as to what sort of government they wish. Countries
are different. Their habits are different, and therefore their
form of government might necessarily be different. Therefore it
is up to us to see that peace is made and MAINTAINED but not for
us to govern their world.
George A. Phelps
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WILD HORSES
The following letter appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal in 1992:
The wild horses in question should be rounded up and disposed of. That will be a temporary cure for a small part of a big problem. So-called wild horses are not in fact "wild." Just like "wild dogs," dogs escaped from domestication, they are feral.
However, since having been named "wild" (along with free-running burros) by an act of Congress in 1971, they should be managed by wildlife agencies, and in the same way real wild animals are managed; by controlling the herd size through the issuance of licenses (tags) to individuals to hunt or trap them. The price of each license should be commensurate with the cost of handling the program. The individual should then have the right to own the animal. If taken alive, it must be kept off the public range. If killed, it should be appropriately disposed of; for example, the meat could be eaten by humans or pets.
The burden of managing our wild horses must be removed from the taxpayer.
George A. Phelps
[History has proven the worth of my conviction. January 1, 2012]
The following letter appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal in 1992:
The wild horses in question should be rounded up and disposed of. That will be a temporary cure for a small part of a big problem. So-called wild horses are not in fact "wild." Just like "wild dogs," dogs escaped from domestication, they are feral.
However, since having been named "wild" (along with free-running burros) by an act of Congress in 1971, they should be managed by wildlife agencies, and in the same way real wild animals are managed; by controlling the herd size through the issuance of licenses (tags) to individuals to hunt or trap them. The price of each license should be commensurate with the cost of handling the program. The individual should then have the right to own the animal. If taken alive, it must be kept off the public range. If killed, it should be appropriately disposed of; for example, the meat could be eaten by humans or pets.
The burden of managing our wild horses must be removed from the taxpayer.
George A. Phelps
[History has proven the worth of my conviction. January 1, 2012]