The degree of one’s patriotism can be measured by
what is risked by the individual. Todd Wilkinson’s recent essay
said, “Yet how is standing up to battle against landscape
destruction any less a patriotic calling than what is being asked
of our soldiers in Iraq?” (HCN,
1/21/08) Conservationists rarely risk their lives or even
their safety for the cause, while soldiers in Iraq are often
charged with their life or health for what they believe in. I went
to Iraq believing that there always have to be soldiers ready to do
the nation’s heavy lifting. A soldier’s job is not to question,
only to do.
Mailing a rock to Gov. Racicot hardly asks as
much of a person. I agree that the consequences of not conserving
the natural landscape are dire, but fighting a legal or legislative
battle is not the same as one with bullets. Please, don’t dare to
compare the sacrifice of letter writers or tree spikers with those
of soldiers. What I did as a soldier and what I now do as a
conservationist are not the same. I am offended that the two are
compared in bold print in HCN.
Mike Talia
Missoula, Montana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Degrees of sacrifice.
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