Putting People First / July 5, 1994 =================================== PEOPLE'S BULLETIN =================================== News and notices in the struggle against animal rights and eco- extremists copyright@1994 Putting People First Permission to reproduce all or part of an item id freely granted on the condition that credit s given to Putting People First. Putting People First is a nonprofit organization of citizens who believe in western civilization; that we need to return to common sense in man's relationship with his fellow man; and that public policy should be based on science and rationality, not emotionalism. PO Box 1707 Helena, Montana 59624 (406) 442-5700 FAX (406) 449-0942 ====================================================================== PROPOSED FOREST SERVICE RULES WITHDRAWN In April. the People's Bulletin reported that proposed Forest Service Rules would have allowed, among other things, the government to prohibit firearm possession on Forest Service lands at the discretion of several levels of Forest Service administration. Putting People First got holy you-know-what for warning people what was at stake if the new rules were put in place. Soon after. however. many other organizations jumped on the bandwagon and called for a halt to the proposed rules. Others realized like us that if the government writes rules, the rules are not just to look pretty; they are going to be enforced sooner or later. Enough people expressed their outrage over the proposed rules that Forest Service Chief Jack Ward Thomas withdrew them. We can now expect revised rules. And we had better read them carefully to make sure they are not just cosmetically revised to say the same things as the last iteration. HSUS PROMOTES ANIMAL RIGHTS HSUS has announced their second annual "National Farm Animals Awareness Week," September 18-24, to "help educate the public as to the truth about what farm animals are really like." The truth according to HSUS gospel is very interesting. One of the "important" examples HSUS wants people to know about farm animals is that "some cows love the music of Elvis and produce more milk when listening to it." And "chickens are great at networking." HSUS is offering packets of materials with more such "little known and fascinating facts about farm animals." To get your packet call or write the HSUS. They are also inviting "friends" of farm animals to contact them to receive more information about how they can participate in "Farm Animal Awareness Week." For information contact: HSUS Washington, D.C. 20037 or call: Dr. Melanie Adcock 202/452-1100 WAR ON THE WEST HEATS UP As the times are a changing and more urbanites are moving west. the political atmosphere is becoming highly charged. Eventually the built- upions will be released. The question is how soon and how big will the explosion be. One of the biggest problems facing the decision makers will be how to please the eastern voting majority and yet make the policy work for those who live in the places where wolves and other predators are being reintroduced. Outdoor Life magazine took a poll on whether their readers supported the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone Park. The results were very interesting. First. the respondents were given only the two choices, yes or no on reintroduction. Yet. thirty percent of the respondents wrote in that they wanted the delisting of the wolf from the Endangered Species Act and to allow natural recovery with local state management. Another 42 percent did not want wolf reintroduction, so over 70 percent are saying, "don't mess with what we've got." The other aspect to look at in the poll is which states voted for and against. The states that will be affected by wolf reintroduction and those states bordering them voted first for no wolf option, then no for reintroduction. This included Canada. States farther from the proposed wolves were far more likely to vote for reintroduction. Would that have been the casu if the wolves were going to be introduced in their back yards? And are the decision-makers going to be influenced at all by this kind of poll? American Land Rights Association is offering "War the West" posters. They will also be offering T-shirts, buttons. and bumper stickers. MORE WAR ON THE WEST To have your voice heard on the proposed changes in mining reform laws, you can call an 800 number and show your support. The Mineral Resource Alliance has set up an 800 to collect names of supporters of mining, ranching. and logging jobs. The results will be given to Senators De Concini and McCain. To voice your opinion call 1-800-727-7788 ======================================================= From Webster's Thesaurus: Babbitt n syn PHILISTINE. boeotian, boob, middlebrow ======================================================= WATSON'S YELLOW SUB IS PETITE RATHER THAN TITANIC Paul Watson got the sub he has been dreaming about -- a mini sub and it is purportedly painted yellow. He intends to use his two man vessel to harass whalers. TAMPA TRIBUNE'S TACKY ATTACK ON TED NUGENT Commentary writer Philip Booth, of the Tampa Tribune, took a lot of misguided potshots and ad hominem shots at Ted Nugent. Calling him nasty. stupid. and loud. Booth attacked Nugent for being a hunter and promoting hunting as a way of connecting with "the spirituality of life itself." Nugent has a summer camp for children called Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids where 100 children from 11 to 15 learn hunting and other outdoor skills. Booth describes the summer camp as a place the children "can learn that the helpless critters of today are tomorrow's dead meat." Obviously Booth is either a vegetarian or a hypocrite -- every meat meal was alive at one time. Booth does not have to approve of either Nugent or hunting. But he should behave like an adult and not use name calling to make his point. He should also learn to give reasons for his disagreement with activities whether it be bowhunting or meat eating or anything else instead of using the animal wacko's terms "putting defenseless animals out of their happiness" (whaever that means). Booth suggests that people contact Ted Nugent to express their feelings. We should contact the Tampa Tribune and express ours. To comment about Booth: Tampa Tribune 202 South Parker Street Tampa, Florida 33601 1-800-282-5588 To contact Ted Nugent: World Bowhunters' Magazine 4008 W. Michigan Ave. Jackson, MI 49202 RANGER RICK WRONG AGAIN National Wildlife Federation's Ranger Rick is teaching children about animals and their environment. Regretfully, Ranger Rick is often wrong -- intentionally. we believe. For instance, one Ranger Rick story, "A trip to the desert becomes a `moooving' experience," was an open attack on cattle grazing. The story told children that cattle are causing erosion, ruining the streams, destroying the stream banks, and causing flash floods. In a scientific paper published by Texas A&M University titled, "Current Issues In Food Production: A Perspective On Beef As A Component In Diets For Americans," Professor Milford of Texas A&M's Department of Soil and Crop Science provides the following information: "Even though soil erosion is a serious problem in the U.S., it is not due to animals or the feed they consume. Actually. the most extensive erosion occurs from crops grown for direct use by man, such as cotton." National Wildlife Federation's publication of Ranger Rick's attack on cattle grazing more clearly resembles a partisan attack of western ranchers grazing their livestock on public land than an unbiased lesson for children. Ranger Rick 8925 Leesburg Pike Vienna, Virginia 22184 National Wildlife Federation 1400 Sixteenth St. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 202 797-6646 fax 797-6646 ANOTHER PROPERTY RIGHTS VICTORY IN SUPREME COURT On Friday the U.S. Supreme court required the City of Tigard, Oregon, to demonstrate that its taking of Florence Dolan's property substantially advances the stated purpose of the taking. The city of Tigard had told Mrs. Dolan that if she wanted to expand her store, she must give up a portion (almost 10%) of her property along a creek for a greenway and bicycle path. In writing for the dissenting justices, who supported the government's attempt to snatch Mrs. Dolan's property for free, Justice John Paul Stevens revealed his mindset, saying that the "majority had stumbled badly in failing to recognize the public interest. . . must outweigh the private interest of the commercial entrepreneur." A growing faction considers the Fifth Amendment to be "less equal" than the others. But private property rights are a focal issue in the political struggles today, and will be pivotal in determining which way the country will go. Defenders of Property Rights' President Nancy Marzulla noted, "What went on in Tigard is a clear and simple case of government-sponsored extortion." Defenders was one of almost 30 organizations to file amicis curiae briefs with the Court in favor of Mrs. Dolan. Defenders of Property Rights 6235 33rd St. NW Washington, D.C. 20015 202 686-4197 CHLORINE DEBATE MOVES TO SENATE The U.S. Senate is expected to begin floor debate on the Clean Water Act reauthorization bill (S. 2093) some time this month. S. 2093 currently contains no chlorine-specific provisions, but Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH) plans to offer a revised version of his chlorine amendment which contains the main elements of the Clinton Administration/EPA chlorine phase-out proposal. Ninety eight percent of the drinking water in the United States is purified with chlorine. Many studies have shown the chlorination of water is one of the major factors in the increase in life expectancy of the U.S. population since the turn of the century. Without chlorination many diseases, such as cholera, could quickly develop. Call or write your Senators and ask them to oppose the Metzenbaum amendment or any similar provisions which may be introduced to the Clean Water legislation on the Senate floor. Urge your Senators to contact Senator Max Baucus (D MT). chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee (S. 2093 sponsoring committee), and express their opposition to the Metzenbaum amendment or any chlorine-specific provision. Tell your Senators, the move to ban chlorine is an effort that threatens the health and safety of every American. For more information: Mark Gallant Chlorine Chemistry Council 202 887-6956 Any Senator can be reached by calling the Capitol switchboard, 202 224-3121