[at-l] AT hiker mention on Foxnews

[ellen at clinic.net (Bob C.)]

>"...As for me, I am going for a long walk."

Best of luck. And be sure to report back. I'm truly curious about which are more
likely to complete the trail -- us liberals, or you who think Fox is fair.

Your assignment is to conduct an "informal" survey and let us know the results.
My guess is "professed" conservatives. But try to explore a little deeper. I've
never done it professionally (i.e. for money) but from my experience I strongly
suspect that many professed conservatives are really lazy liberals, folks who
haven't taken the time to understand the issues.

Whatever. Bring us back your best judgment, which the curious will judge, based
on there best judgment. Or, if you are wise, just enjoy the trail. I know I did,
despite being appalled by the numbers of conservatives I met, who really didn't
know very much.

Weary, who apologizes in advance. I'm feeling cynical and depressed today.
DEspite our most valiant efforts at compromise -- which worked for a couple of
years -- the ATVers -- professed conservatives all -- have returned in force,
doing $10,000 worth of mud season damage overnight to our town land trust
preserves.

The offenders will profess to being believers in freedom. And think that that
makes them conservatives. But of course, private property rights, the hallmark
of conservative beliefs, are what they are destroying in their search for
freedom to destroy, while having fun.

I worked for 40 years to force the clean up of some shellfish flats in my town.
Eventually, I succeeded. I forced the polluters to clean up and the bureaucrats
to recognize that accomplishment. The flats reopened.

In a moment of weakness, I ran for State Senate in my district. I urged the 40
families that had benefited from my efforts over the decades to vote for me.
After my defeat I checked the voting statistics. I discovered that almost none
of the clam diggers who, through my efforts had gone from the welfare rolls to
owning $35,000 pick up trucks, had voted.

I complained to a more politically savvy friend. "You're lucky," he said. "Had
they voted, they would have voted against you."

Fox serves those who wish to remain ignorant -- or who know, no better. But it
does little to provide the balance of information that Democracy requires.

Weary