I love a campfire as much as anyone. In fact, I don’t particularly enjoy camping without one. As a result, I limit my outdoor experience a lot more than I like. I do this, like my Momma and Daddy taught me, out of respect for authority. When The Forest Service says, “No campfires,” I choke back my disappointment, figuring they are doing this for the common good. I will live to camp another day, and I want a wilderness in which to enjoy it.
It makes me furious, then, when brainless, completely self serving Neanderthals ignore perfectly reasonable restrictions. What would serve as common sense in a more evolved being is intentionally ignored. These creatures thumb their nose at regulations to satisfy their primitive urgings. They, too, love a campfire, and, by God and Budweiser, ain’t no prissy Forest Service gonna interfere with their longings. Everyone knows The Forest Service is against the common man, anyhow.
Burn, baby, burn.
And, as of this moment, five hundred thousand acres of prime Arizona wilderness have done so. The Wallow fire, as this one is named, is about twenty five per cent contained. Four thousand Hot Shots and other heroes are working their tails off to attempt to contain the blaze to something under a million acres – the price of Liberty for a couple of brain-dead “individuals.”
The state of Arizona was the last contiguous territory to finally gain enough educated concerned and motivated citizens to form a majority, voting to come in from the wild and become a state. There is still a significant minority, however, yearning for “The Old Days” when a man made his own law and organized government was the despotic enemy. A vote today might not achieve the same result.
Fortunately, all Arizona citizens are allowed (some say encouraged) to accumulate as many unregulated firearms as one can afford. First, of course, you have to figure the monthly payment on the six-wheel, four wheel drive, crew cab diesel with a raised chassis and a ten thousand pound hauling package, and child support for three kids under the age of five. The economy sure puts a squeeze on a man’s rights.
When the government comes to take away everything a common man owns, though, the right to form a “well regulated militia” will be our salvation.
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota and others all have a state bird, a state flower and a state song. Arizona has a state handgun. Yee Haw! That kinda tells it all.
On another note, I’m noticing with great interest how many people are finally standing up to that socialistic, secret-scheming despot Mayor Kenny Evans. It’s only taken three incredibly difficult years of openly negotiating, planning, and organizing, with dogged determination to bring two monumental, profoundly uplifting and broadly beneficial projects to the little town he was sworn to serve. Payson will soon have the best continuous supply of fresh water and possibly the best ongoing source of fiscal and cultural support of any small town in Arizona, possibly in the entire west.
The combination of a small town mountain setting with a heritage of great old west legends and a well earned reputation of “neighborly-ness” with a relatively small state college and an abundant supply of fresh water is guaranteed to be the envy of the whole state and beyond. The equalized tax burden, alone, is something to salivate over.
Suddenly, the recognition of these undertakings has come into the conscience-ness of some obviously hoodwinked town citizens, though. “Wait just a minute!” come the shouts. “We need more explanation. We were never consulted, Why didn’t The Roundup report this skullduggery?”
To some, the advent of a college here in the midst of Paradise is abhorrent on its face. It will obviously be the ruin of this little pristine, uniformly wealthy, smooth running, self-sufficient machine which guarantees everyone a continuous better way of life each year. It ain’t broke, by some estimates, so why work on it?
Others might answer that change obviously comes with some serious concerns. It is well documented, for example, that colleges are a rat’s nest of wild un-contained mayhem and that rural children coming to find an affordable education are all from no-count families with a slobbering desire to burn down the town or “Hoo Rah” innocent civilians with their fast running new automobiles. The noise factor, alone, is enough to keep folks renewing their Prozac prescriptions.
Just name me one single small town with a local college that has ever amounted to anything.
Adopting a pet comes with well-known concerns, too. Fleas, disease, and bad behavior are but a few possible negative results. Even more seriously, adopting a child is a great un-known. The possible problems are daunting.
I’m told there are bold, brave individuals with a positive vision of some challenges being worth it though.
I could go on, but I should probably save some observations for a rainy day. As it appears now, I’ll have lots of time for contemplation.
3 comments:
For the record, the Gazette Blog is very much in favor of a 4-year college and all it would do for Payson. What we question is the lack of verification of much of the information related to the project, especially the enormous sums of money said to be pledged. It's Journalism 101. You verify or you don't print.
It is important to remind your readers that it was not Mayor Evans who secured the rights to C.C. Cragin. It was his predecessor, Mayor Edwards.
HB
I am in accord with both comments.
My blog concerning the college refered to quite a few late blooming protesters who have raised a red flag concerning "being kept in a three year dark period." or some such complaint. They assert that they were not "consulted."
In addition, most of the other complaints I hear concerning the college allege that nothing but drunken parties and traffic-choked streets will result.
As for Mayor Edwards "securing" the Cragin water rights, he did, indeed, get the town involved in the SRP proposal. He did not initiate it, however, nor did he generate the many, many initiatives necessary to get the deal done. (Incidently, There are still a few "I"'s to dot and
"T"'s to cross. It ain't a complete slam dunk just yet.)
Edwards was a fine mayor, in my opinion, and he paved the way for much of the progress which followed his term. The actual progress, however, has come as a result of the excellent efforts of Mayor Evans.
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