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Re: [pct-l] Fire Rules - alpine especially

Hello,

I agree with Birgitte's argument considering fire in alpine areas, i.e.,
that alpine areas can support a fire, tho' not in the sense of a raging
wildfire; these fragile environments can be damaged. But I also agree with
Dave G. that inappropriate rules/laws do exist and should be "beaten"
until they reflect real-life situations that center around applications of
justice. The verb "to beat" can be used in a sentence such as "swords
shall be beaten into plowshares."

I do _not_ support the building and use of fire in areas where "no fire" 
rules are in effect. But to support the idea of civil disobedience, I
might point out that as a species, we usually are content to follow the
majority rule, even if that means that minorities are repressed, or if it
means that one or a few of our civil rights (read the U.N.'s Univeral
Declaration of Human Rights) are abused. Persons of sincerity and who
cared about humanity have supported civil disobedience in the past:
Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," M. L. King, Jr.'s "Letter from a
Birmingham Jail," are two examples of short, written works, but we
shouldn't forget individuals like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B.
Anthony, or more currently, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, writer Rachel Carson
(Silent Spring), and one of my personal favorites, Dave Foreman, one of
the EarthFirst! founders. 

Without individuals engaged in civil disobedience, "beating on" the laws,
we would not have the Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act, which have
made great strides in restoring air and water quality in the United
States, and consequently, over and in our beloved national forests and
wilderness areas. Perhaps the imagery of "beating on" is violent, but
civil disobedience can be pacific AND effective. 

Just my nickel cigar rant. Sorry if it seems a little off-topic for this
list.

Craig W. Smith      FAX: (417) 873-7432
Associate Librarian      Phone:    (417) 873-7339
F. W. Olin Library       E-mail:   csmith@lib.drury.edu
Drury College
Springfield, MO 65802

"O Solitude! If I must with thee dwell, let it not be among the jumbled
heaps of murky buildings--Climb with me the steep, Nature's
Observatory..." 

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