[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From:
Category: Category 1
Date: 8/20/01
Time: 4:25:58 PM
Remote Name: 209.77.233.4
Tim,
I am not attacking you ... your concept of "attack" is indeed interesting. Hopefully for your sake that same concept did not apply to the "wolf attack". I am simply trying to link some very loosely constructed inconsistencies into something logical.
I am an average law abiding citizen trying to look at a story objectively ... so far not much of what you have said makes much logical sense to me ... so you can well expect that if that is the case it certainly will not make sense to experts who have real experience in these matters.
Certainly you can understand the skepticism of the world ... not only did you violate the 24 hour law you violated it by how long? Two or three weeks? Have you or your lawyer yet made an official report to the proper authorities? You have the number off the radio collar ... has that been turned over? You say you have a video ... has that been turned over?
If you were so intent on proving that wolves attack people for no reason than the sheer fun of it and indeed the animals attacked you and your wife you have every right to shoot them.
I doubt a court of law in the land would squabble about that ... neither would I.
In fact if the cougar threatened to attack my family I would do the same ... shoot it.
Cougar is protected here.
I have packed into the sierras farther than 16 miles .... never have I been more than 24 hours out of telephone contact somewhere ... somehow ... even 30 years ago when telephones were scarce ... it is pretty hard for me to buy you were either. The only times were when we were packed in with horses close to 20 miles and were left by the packers with one mule and one horse for a week ... even then should an emergency have occurred one of us could come out for help.
Why would you have to break camp? Had your wife accidentally been shot would you have broken camp, packed out and taken what ... 3 weeks to get her help? ... are you beginning to see the logic that IS NOT tracking here.
Maybe you could fly all this by your friends who might be willing to stand armed in your driveway to save you from law enforcement just because you are their friend ... or the city slicker who has never set foot outside his city limits ... but so far it is not passing by someone who has the experience of getting someone who was accidentally shot out of some of the most rugged country around ... without pack horses, helicopters or search and rescue in less than half a day.
I can well sympathies with the terror of your wife if indeed she was attacked. I can even imagine her terror and yours if just the horses were attacked. I will further admit that if wild animals protected or not attacked my dogs I would also shoot it/them.
I would however make the necessary reports IMMEDIATELY without consulting a lawyer first.
Here is where your story falls apart as being accepted as truth.
Every word of this incident may be the gospel ... but because of the way you have handled it probably very few will believe you ... I am a centrist on the issue and am having a hard time of it ... even cutting you slack for your admitted bias.
Don't you think environmentalists want the truth too? Did you ever consider that people just like me want accurate scientific data about wolf attacks on humans anywhere? You my dear young man have screwed that up in this case if indeed there is a case.
I look at your "I couldn't" as poppy cock. Simply because there is always an "I could have but just chose not to" in everything we do.
As far as your opinion on anti reintroduction of whatever ... do try to keep in mind the wolves and whatever were there long before any of us were thought of and would still be had man and his trusty flintlock not happened upon the scene.
As far as the government managing wolves or anything else for that matter they are a dismal flop. In fact I can not think of anything right off hand that they are a success at in this day and age. I agree they have set these animals up for a doomed existence ... I further agree that "its sickening". Don't delude yourself that the public is not aware of what goes on and is fighting it all.
You my dear young man have not helped the situation but instead have hindered it. Has it ever occurred to you that omission of fact is also a lie? So before you jump on your tree stump and beat your chest about being an honest Abe take a moment to reflect on that.
There are actually some very simple solutions to this whole reintroduction scenario. None of them are you guys going to like. 1. Getting it into your heads you moved into the wilderness ... it did not move into you. So it and its wildlife have first dibs. 2. If there is not enough big game to go around they get it first ... if the supply is to short you guys get none until the herds recover. 3. If you can not co-exist ... to bad you lose. 4. If ranchers who graze on public land can not afford to lose livestock to wild animals then don't run them there ... cows and sheep on public land are fair game for any/all predators. 5. If you choose to shoot animals protected by law with no justifiable cause and get caught an automatic $250,000 fine, 2 years jail and revocation of hunting permits forever ... no plea bargains. All implemented immediately.
Reflect on that and then try and convince me that would not change a mindset or two. All without sacrificing our constitutional rights.
Kevin has congratulated you for having "big balls". Hopefully half your brain cells have not fallen to that area making that so ... because in reality "balls" are going to be nothing and "brains" everything as time goes on here.
When the investigating dust settles and it surely will the political thrashing will begin with you in the middle ... when it ends you will no doubt wish you had never allowed yourself to be drawn onto this court. There are far better ways to bring about change than being the tennis ball for 2 tennis pros in a high stakes match.
How does it feel being a political pawn?
So do I feel compassion for what has happened to you and is about to happen next ... you bet (especially your wife because in the end it will be hardest on her). Do I think you are an innocent victim? Perhaps of a wolf attack which initiated a wolf killing ... but for what followed after that definitely not.
Respectfully, Linda