[at-l] Put a cork in it

[rickboudrie at hotmail.com (rick boudrie)]

"I haven't gotten this mad in quite a while.:

I suppose its OK to get boiling mad over RnR's posts.

On the otherhand, I think I could better understand how someone might get 
upset at some of the characterizations that the AT project devolved into 
some sort of big government land grab over the past few decades.

And I could better understand how AT enthusiasts might getted hot under the 
collar to hear that the work of people who  have doen so much to protect the 
AT for GENERATIONS TO COME like did the late Dave Ritchie (sp?) was 
tanamount to theft.  We owe him and Pam Underhill a debt of gratitude, not 
what we are hearing here.

But go ahead, get mad at RnR.

On thing that comes thru in RNR's post is that he thinks of the AT is far 
more than just a place to take a long hike.  Rather it is a glorious 
resource that is worthy of protecting for generations.  That the Trail is as 
sacred as the battlefields of Gettysburg (who said ED hasn't been used by 
the park service elsewhere) or by the Concord River near where the rude 
bridge arched the flood and a shot was heard around the world (yes, ED there 
too).  Or Yellowstone.  And just as worthy of protection for hundreds of 
years, even at a price.   Jim Owen may have the 180 IQ he has claimed on 
this list, but I think RNR is a whole lot smarter about that simple truth.

You know, if Jim was to argue that using the big stick of ED to protect the 
trail was tactically a poor idea because it would affect how land owners 
would react to passage of other trails over thier property, I would listen.  
For certainly that has been the case.  But that hasn't been what we have 
been hearing here is it?  On the contrary, we have been hearing that the 
work of Richie and Underhill and the ATC and NPS has been just plain wrong.  
Misguided.  Almost evil.

Now that, makes ME mad.

Rick B

_________________________________________________________________
Need more e-mail storage? Get 10MB with Hotmail Extra Storage.   
http://join.msn.com/?PAGE=features/es