[at-l] "Human crap"

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

At 09:28 AM 6/17/2005 -0400, Bror8588@aol.com wrote:
>
>In a message dated 6/17/2005 9:20:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>texas12step@nym.hush.com writes:
>
>While  many may have additional reasons for holding it
>dear -- for example,  "wilderness" for its own sake --
>the Appalachian Trail exists because there  are people
>who, at a common level, value a footpath passing
>through  undeveloped land where one can hike in relative
>freedom and solitude. Its  future existence depends on
>the continued existence of such people, and  whether
>they can continue to exert controlling  interest.
>
>
>
>If the Appalachian Trail exists for the purpose of providing Wilderness
>(remember the wilderness was already there when people painted white 
>blazes on
>trees) then it fails to achieve its purported goal.  Step off the trail on
>either side some 100 to 1000 years and there you will find "Wilderness."
>
>Because there is a path with water dams no less, and because there are
>shelters, and because there are campsites cleared, and because there are 
>cables  to
>aid those who value their food and want to keep it safe from the bears (who
>live in wilderness by the way), and because there are indeed White Blazes to
>show the way, I would have to conclude that the AT is for humans who want to
>get  near the wilderness.
>
>What do you think?
>
>Skylander

I think that the notion of wilderness is a human construct. Without humans 
to label everything, everything would merely "be". We humans however feel 
compelled to categorize the various parts of the world that we egocentricly 
call "our" world. We can't agree on some of the labels we apply and thus we 
get arguments like this one.