tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post6529020579350916453..comments2024-02-05T05:15:04.759-08:00Comments on Wandering Scientist: Weekend Reading: The Post-News Conference EditionCloudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-71295065267651941482016-12-19T14:03:36.677-08:002016-12-19T14:03:36.677-08:00No apology needed! I'm always happy to discuss...No apology needed! I'm always happy to discuss my political posts as long as we stay polite, and you did. Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-81090153948343358542016-12-19T12:31:21.236-08:002016-12-19T12:31:21.236-08:00Thanks for the response: it makes the context of y...Thanks for the response: it makes the context of your words so much clearer! I suppose since I tend to exclude the people who try to deal with changes in a legal way from the militias, I thought you were lumping them all in together. My fault - sorry. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-35067663668645988062016-12-17T15:04:31.639-08:002016-12-17T15:04:31.639-08:00I'm glad you like my blog. I did not mean to i...I'm glad you like my blog. I did not mean to imply grazing rights are trivial, just that they are probably less likely to provoke violence than a constitutional crisis. I am aware of the importance of grazing rights, but will try to be more careful in my wording in case some of my readers are not. I don't really see how to change this post, though, since even after re-reading it several times, I do not see how it is dismissive of grazing rights. They did occupy a wildlife office over grazing rights. I do worry they might do something worse if the current situation proceeds into a Constitutional crisis. I do, though, think the this is a tiny number of people.<br /><br />However, I would not characterize the ranchers who have essentially occupied federal land because of changes to grazing rights laws as having the same standing as the people at Standing Rock. In the grazing rights case, a law was changed by a government in which the ranchers have representatives. I understand and respect that the change had a big impact on their ranching businesses, but it was done by their own government. At Standing Rock, a treaty with another sovereign nation was violated. This is made even more egregious by the long history of treaty violations. The Standing Rock people are fighting to have their sovereignty respected. The militia folks can make no such claim, and it is in fact their willingness to try to make sovereignty claims that I find most disturbing. If we all think we get to make our own rules when our government's legitimately enacted laws force us to change our life in some way, we are headed towards something very dangerous. <br /><br />I guess it comes down to: I respect farmers and ranchers and the unique difficulties of their business, but do not think their concerns necessarily take precedence over other concerns. I expect them to deal with concerns like the rest of us do: elect representatives that will make our case and work to find acceptable compromises, and settle any disputes with the government in court. We have some big resource use issues to figure out in the not too distant future, including some really thorny water rights issues. We're all going to have to compromise and accept it when the final result requires us to change our lives. The militia guys make it harder to do this, and that is bad for all of us.Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-49637644553796787332016-12-17T12:03:17.646-08:002016-12-17T12:03:17.646-08:00Okay, longtime lurker who politically is left of y...Okay, longtime lurker who politically is left of you, and now feels like an exile rather than an expat from the US. But the way you talk about grazing rights, like it is trivial, grates on my nerves. The armed occupation was stupid, and I am doubtful of the true motivations of at least some of those people, but look, grazing rights are IMPORTANT for a rancher. It is just as much worth fighting for as for what the people at Standing Rock are fighting for: the freedom to not have your traditions and livelihood trampled upon by the government. Changes to grazing rights and other agricultural issues have a major impact on the bottom line for families who already live close to the bone, and make a gamble every year about weather and sickness and a host of things out of the control of humans, while trying to plan long term at the same time. Grazing rights are not trivial.<br />Coming from the agricultural community, it really just annoys me that you make it sound like grazing rights are not something to get worked up over. Be worried about the people who favor violence to legal response, but don't trivialize what is a serious issue for the people who provide the food American eat.<br />Ranting aside, I really like your blog, and how you're trying to find things to do to preserve democratic principles, and gives me hope that my friends and family in the US might not suffer TOO much in the next couple years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com