The editors of HCN claim the Bush
administration (and therefore everyone who voted for him) are out
of touch with “Westerners” on environmental issues. I would argue
that the environmental community is out of touch with Western
values.
A small crack formed between environmental
interests and the rest of America in 1994 when the Republican party
took control of both houses of Congress. That crack is now a chasm
across which we can no longer shout to make ourselves heard.
Environmental preservation groups could still build a
bridge across the chasm, of course, but your article makes it clear
that the agenda is to build tunnels and spider holes from which to
fight the next four years.
A column from the San
Diego Union-Tribune recently raised an interesting
question: “Is the environmental movement still a movement, or is it
now a tradition? A movement suggests change and adaptability. A
tradition is something people cling to for a sense of stability,
especially in time of fear.”
It may be the environmental
movement is now clinging to an idea out of a desire for stability,
and is no longer a real movement.
Jim
Gerber
St. Anthony, Idaho
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Enviros are out of touch.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
