Daryl L. Hunters Last Column For Planet Jackson Hole

Daryl L. Hunters Last Column For Planet Jackson Hole
By Daryl L. Hunter

For the past six months Planet Jackson Hole has provided me the opportunity to point out many wrongs, as I perceive them in our dynamic and rapidly changing area.

Most of our new residents, of the Greater Yellowstone Region, having been impressed by the area enough to move here, but upon arrival, they attack the logging industry that provided the logs for their cabins, condemned the landowners for subdividing their land, forbade the development of gravel pits for the construction of their roads, and exasperated a land shortage by limiting the height of buildings. It has been a pleasure to point out this hypocrisy and hopefully trigger introspection and intellectual honesty.

I hope that I have opened a window so our many newcomers can look at some of the endangered, traditional professions with empathy instead of scorn. How prudent logging practices can enhance our forests and protect our communities from wildfire, while preserving an honorable way of life. How public land ranching can preserve the green space of our valley bottoms if we continue to let ranchers graze our public lands.

I hope there is a new empathy for entrepreneurs who, over the years, have spent their lives developing tourist facilitation services that some newcomers don't agree with such as, snowmobile tourism, and heli-skiing. The environmentalist's exponentially expansive armada of Subarus is infinitely more damaging to our environment than a few snowmobile trips to Yellowstone or heli-ski tracks in our mountains.

I hope that I have convinced some that a few wolves and grizzlies are a good thing, but if we host to many of them they will destroy the income of our open space stewards, endanger our walks in the woods, and may pluck our children from our yards. I hope that someday Native Americans can hunt bison in Yellowstone.

So much of our local politics, in our beautiful area, is tied to the environment, green space, endangered and recovering species, and growth. I have grown weary of addressing it. The well meaning, but short sighted, people that need to listen most are deaf in one ear and refuse to listen with the other, environmentalists, the new pagans, being faith based, are unreasonable as is the nature of faith.

We must acknowledge landowners have rights. If they want to subdivide their land to make room for your cousin/sibling/friend to move here, we need to extend that fundamental right to the landowner. If we don't want them to develop, it is incumbent upon those who protest, to purchase it for green space, not lawyer them into bankruptcy.

The law of unintended consequences must play a bigger factor in the planning process; however, I realize that it is difficult to factor future ignorance, but the effort should be made.

Many of the environmentally conscious I have had discussions with who criticize, forest usage, and entrepreneurial exploitation of our resources somehow believe they have more of a right to an existence here because they are environmentalists. When I point out it isn't public land ranchers, miners, and loggers that have are the biggest destructive impact on the land in the Greater Yellowstone region they are incredulous. When I point out that them and I, the newcomers, are the biggest destructive force to the ecosystem they are taken aback because they as environmentally conscious couldn't possibly be a problem. The flood of us newbie's who devour the cattle ranches and farms are the locusts of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Well I am growing weary, for now, of delving into negativity, selfishness, shortsightedness, it is time for me to escape into the mountains so I can write about our embarrassment of natural riches for my website. It is time for me to redirect my energy into the positivity of our regions beauty and turn my back on, what seems to me, like a bunch of selfish siblings arguing over the pie of a recently deceased relative.

I hope Mary Grossman the Publisher of the Planet, can find another writer who can speak up for the rights of the families who have hammered out a living here for a hundred years. Voice some food for thought in the environmental debate, and be able to articulate the paradoxes and dichotomies of our community's growing pains. It is easy to find a starry eyed newcomer that wants to save the world; it is a little tougher to find someone that wants to save a way of life.

The real reason I had to leave Planet Jackson Hole was different.

Last Thanksgiving I wrote a letter to the editor about Thanksgiving and our troops, giving them thanks for their service and sacrifice; a national subject. That is when Planet Publisher, Mary Grossman asked whether I would be interested in writing for the Planet. She explained she was seeking balance for her paper because her editors and writers were left of center, and she needed a conservative writer to bring balance to the paper.

Since then I have written about local energy production, alternative energy, animal issues, forest issues, development issues, cowboys, Christmas, public land ranching, Memorial Day, logging, Wyoming legislation and some of my articles are about the world.

My first interest is how the USA interacts with the world and how the liberal/conservative dichotomy effect it. My second is my world in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and how the liberal/conservative dichotomy affect it.

I sometimes have a hard time trying to figure out what I want to write about. Sometimes there is a big and obvious issue, often times there isn't. Most of what I write is local stuff but when a milestone is reached in Iraq, I wanted to be able to write about it. When a holiday rolls around that calls for reflection, I wanted to write a reflection about it. When Dick Cheney accidentally shoots a friend and I write an empathetic piece that makes Cheney appear human; I would like to see it printed. When I read the Planet editors side with the New York Times' Dana Priest about the merits of sabotaging covert intelligence operations in the War on Terror, I become infuriated and want to address it. When I speculate when Dick Cheney will be in town, I would like to write something that will catch his attention and maybe then we could get an interview someday. All Planet reporters and editors slam from the left about national issues, yet I was to be restricted to local issues.

Being fenced into subject matter strictly of a local nature and being restricted from taking pot shots at Washington and the media, or support the effort of our president and troops every now and then seemed to me equitable to a pay cut from a compensation package.

Writers write because something burns inside them to say what they feel. The removal of my ability to address what I believed needed to be said made me lose interest in digging ever deeper into local issues I haven't covered yet or how to cover the ones I already have in a new way. If I can't sometimes voice what really interests me and have to restrict myself to what interests me less is a dynamic that can only end in boredom.

Planet Publisher, Mary Grossman's reasoning to keep it local is; there are dozens of conservative writers in Washington and New York that specialize in the minutiae of international issues as that is their full time job, therefore, they can say it best. Although her argument has validity, the beltway writers may be able to write about national issues better, but I told Mary, I think, a local's take on national issues has merit as it is home grown opinion that the followers of a local columnist could identify with. The leftist in Moose, the family in Victor, the environmentalist in Jackson, or the rancher from Star Valley may value or abhor a locals take on things, however, I think that, although it has less polish, its home grown value makes up for it, especially if it had already been written about by other Planet writers.

I wrote an article for the Fourth of July issue about our freedom of press and freedom of speech that the editor refused to publish; it included conservative balance to national issues that had been written about in the Planet.

I was asked to come on board to bring balance to the paper and due to reasons out of my control; I have failed to do so. Since I couldn't bring comprehensive balance to the Planet, I felt compelled to leave.

'And Rightly So' - Daryl L. Hunter's column published as inspiration dictates

A Deist Among The Mormons • By Daryl L. Hunter
What I think of the Mormons and why Mitt Romney should be President!

I live in a beautiful rural valley of 700 people in eastern Idaho and after I came to live here I found out that Utah isn’t the only place that is fifty percent Mormon..............................As a compulsively inquisitive geo-political junkie I decided to look through the Book of Mormon so I could learn a little about the belief of my neighbors. As with any outsider looking into another’s faith, I found many outlandish passages that would require faith to swallow, however, this is a characteristic that all religions share. What I have learned of my Mormon neighbors in the years since my voyeuristic venture into the sacred book of the LDS Church is more telling. My anecdotal experiences have revealed to me that I couldn’t have better neighbors or live in a finer community....................................................Although I canít achieve faith, I admire, and may be envious of those who do. One of the problems I find in my on going analysis of life and faith is the paradoxical dichotomy of religion that fosters the Achilles Heel of human nature, ìtribalism.î The tribalism of religion pits one religion against another, hence 99% of the worlds problems. The tribalism of Evangelicals is undermining the ability of their conservative brethren, the Mormons, to carry forward the flag of conservatism and I find this as an affront to common sense. -----------------------> More

Militant Islam 101: a history and warning • In the wake of the Iraq War, there has been much Monday morning quarter backing by America’s weak offensive line (liberals) who insist the “War on Terror” is to be waged only against Osuma bin ladens al Qaeda. This essay is to make the connection of pan-Islamo Fascism and its long terrorism history. As the democratic world confronts al Qeada’s Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hezbollah ‘s Hassan Nasrallah, and their followers, many among us are trying to understand militant Islam, where it came from and its aims. The following background material is designed to give an overview of the phenomenon that has been called "militant Islam," "fundamentalist Islam," “Islamo Fascism” “Islamism,” or "radical Islam."

"Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Koran is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." - the Muslim Brotherhood

The roots of militant Islam go back to the thirteenth century-----------------------------> More

Independence Day reflections and hopes • On July, 4,1776 our forefathers mustered up the temerity to declare their freedom from the tyranny of a foreign government. This brazen act set forth the foundation to build the freest nation on earth. During the following 16 years this new country crafted the foundation for our nation to succeed. This first contract with America sowed the seeds for Americaís future greatness, but did it also sow the seeds for Americaís future demise as well?

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Info Tours • Governor Frank Murkowski (R) AK should sponsor information trips to Alaska and ANWR for all influential people involved with this issue................... It should be mandated by Congress that all Congressional members must participate in these tours in if they wish to vote on such important legislation............................Extracting the oil of ANWR is an unavoidable eventuality. God put that oil there, and humankind will not allow it to remain there forever.

'And Rightly So' - Daryl L. Hunter's weekly column published in Jackson Wyoming's "Planet Jackson Hole" until 7-12-2006

7-12-2006 • Daryl L. Hunters Last Column For Planet Jackson Hole • For the past six months Planet Jackson Hole has provided me the opportunity to point out many wrongs, as I perceive them in our dynamic and rapidly changing area...................I hope that I have opened a window so our many newcomers can look at some of the endangered, traditional professions with empathy instead of scorn.................The flood of us newbieís who devour the cattle ranches and farms are the locusts of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

7-5-2006 • Column about media, freedom of speech and freedom of the press rejected by Planet Jackson Hole

6-28-2006 • Tort Reform • Americaís medical industry is in a crisis due to frivolous lawsuits and outrageous judgments to victims. Tort reform is desperately needed...............Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, on 6-22-2006 called for reforms that will deliver quick and fair compensation to injured patients, while providing consistent and reliable results so doctors can eliminate defensive medicine and learn from medical errors.............Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine, that high premiums ìare forcing physicians to give up performing certain high-risk procedures,

6-21-2006 • The Spotted Owl Canard and Environmentalists • A funny thing happened here in our Northwestern forest; a giant canard has been shot out of the sky. One of the most fought over endangered species in the history of the West, the Spotted Owl, contrary to popular belief appears to be the victim of an invasive species from the eastern forest; the culprit, the Barred Owl.

6-14-2006 • In Defense of Logging and Loggers • There have been few characters of American folklore with the stature of Paul Bunyon.......................It is refreshing to hear that this proud profession is still celebrated despite its vilification by Americaís tree huggers who have turned a blind eye to their need for timber products.........................When we choose not to log our forests, by default we are choosing to look at burnt forests instead.

6-7-2006 • The Public Grazing Conundrum • The face of the west is changing, what was once a frontier populated with hard scrabble farmers, loggers, miners, cowboys and ranchers has been infiltrated and is getting gentrified by interlopers from the cities that have a new plan for their adopted home, part of this plan is to end the grazing of our public multipurpose lands.

5-31-2006 • About Memorial Day • Private First Class Jacob Allcott, 21 from Caldwell Idaho, was killed April 22 near Baghdad. On Friday May 5, I heard on the radio that the following day in order to honor Pfc. Allcott, that the people of Idaho Falls were going to line the funeral procession route to the Iona cemetery, I decided to go too pay my respects to our fallen soldier I did not know.

5-24-2006 • Conservatives are from Mars Liberals are from Venus • Several years ago observation provided an epiphany that testosterone may be a factor of political ideological persuasion; later Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put forth his oversimplified hyperbolic ìgirly-menî comment about the California Legislature apparently coming to a similar hypothesis.

5-17-2006 • The Wyoming Range: a drilling dilemma • As an outspoken conservative multiple use advocate some will be surprised that I come down on the side of not drilling in the Wyoming Range, but it is not the first time;.......................Driving through the Hoback Valley I always marvel at the untouched beauty of its mountains and the timeless tranquility of its river bottom ranches, the Wyoming range to the west and the Gros Ventre Range to the east are breathtaking. Most any place else in the world this awe inspiring spot would be a tourist attraction but in Western Wyoming with its embarrassment of natural riches the Hoback Valley is just another pretty place.

5-10-2006 • Power of Place, or values? • The power of place, well we sure have that! The question is what are we going to do with it? We inarguably live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, our rivers, mountains, wilderness areas and our plethora of wildlife has presented many paradoxical, insoluble dilemmas....................

5-3-2006 • A teachable moment • A teachable moment can be characterized by a current event one experiences or observes that provides an anecdotal example that can be illustrative by opening a window upon the past,............In 1783 a planned military coup was defused only by the personal intervention of General George Washington, ............During the Vietnam war the mediaís incessant brow beating verbally emasculated our leaders robbing them of the tools they needed for bold, decisive leadership to win the war, In Iraq..............

4-26-2006 • The Cowboy: an endangered species • The cowboy is one of America's most cherished and mythical figures. He symbolizes the mystique of the American west, a caricature of frontier courage, independence, and rugged masculinity. The iconical cowboy brings to mind, horses, cattle, the howl of a coyote, and wide-open spaces, the cowboy riding off into the sunset. In the west all these things are still alive and well but sadly the cowboy may be riding off into the sunset for good.

4-19-2006 • Illegal Aliens: Our legislators perplexing paradox • The illegal immigration debate has brought to the fore some interesting political dynamics that beg analysis. The imponderable elephant in the living room of this debate is the Hispanic voting block..........................Their convoluting of semantics is nothing but disingenuous subterfuge about their intent. For the sake of semantic clarity we can call it – lying! Their covert attempt to pass off a sow’s ear for a silk purse should not fly.

4-12-2006 • Family Values - a journey of discovery • Growing up a child of alcoholics in a single parent home with a mother who sang the praises of..................Other than that I was the typical 70’s something counter culture rebel. During the 70’s and 80’s I was libertarian in many ways..............my opinion of a “Family Values” platform was: how lame.............Then I became a father.

4-05-2006 • Taliban in Jackson Hole • After a commercial rafting trip one day, I asked this gal from Kansas how she liked her trip. She replied it was fun and it sure is pretty around here, but the mountains get in the way of the view..................ìI felt I had looked into the face of evil,î Fund wrote after Rahmatullah defended the Talibanís treatment of women and said he hadnít seen any evidence that their ìguestî Osama bin Laden was a terrorist.

3-29-2006 • Conservative Populism • - popÝuÝlism - 1 - A political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite.........- eÝlitÝism or ÈÝlitÝism - 1 - The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class. - b. - Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class. ................Liberals bandy about the word populism in a proprietary manner as if their social advocacy made them the de facto ìpeoples partyî. I donít think that they are correct.

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3-22-2006 • The New Paganism • There is a new Paganism taking root around the world and it manifests itself as environmentalism or more explicitly, Pantheism, a doctrine identifying the Deity with the universe and its phenomena, Fundamentalist Environmentalism, if you will..........Making a reasoned argument to a Fundamentalist Environmentalist to harvest any of earthís recourses is akin to asking a Christian to give up Jesus.

3-08-2006 • Xenophobic paranoia or teapot tempest • In the uneasy climate after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administrationís hasty decision to allow Dubai Ports World to purchase of operations of six U.S. ports is incomprehensible to most Americans...........It is regrettable that the administration didn't factor perception by the American people into their analysis. ..........

3-01-2006 • Media should ignore ‘work product’ • Two bills being considered by the Wyoming Legislature that would prevent public access to government e-mail........What a nit picking world we have created where we feel the need to read the mail of others,.....

2-22-2006 • A Cellulosic Ethanol plant may be coming to Idaho Falls • According the the Ottawa Sun, Iogen an Ottawa biotech firm who specializes in Cellulosic Ethanol is hoping to build a $350-million factory in Canada or Idaho Falls,......Supporters of alternative energy sources say that thanks to biotech breakthroughs, we may soon be able to produce ethanol easily and inexpensively.....

2-15-2006 • Let Natives have a PC bison hunt • Montana, Gov. Brian Schweitzer's office is planning on changing how bison that wander out of Yellowstone are managed. In recent weeks........... Imagine, the Griswoldís family vacation to Yellowstone while watching for moose, elk, and grizzly bear they happen upon a real live native American bison hunt,

2-08-2006 • Freudenthal - Alito - Bush - in the news • Gov. Dave Freudenthalís recent trip to Iraq included meetings with Wyoming troops, Gen. George Casey and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. The following are some of the statements he made while there........Justice Alito has emerged unscathed at the end of the gauntlet hosted by the Senate Democrats much to the chagrin of Americaís liberals ......President Bush in his state of the union speech said a couple of important things that need to be driven home: ìI have authorized a terrorist ........

2-01-2006 • Greater Yellowstone; A Grizzly Home • About 10 years ago a grizzly sow and her three cubs were seen by Paul Bruin as he was fishing the Snake just above Deadman's Bar in Grand Teton National Park. The following day these bears were tranquilized on South Park Loop at the Bob Lucasís Ranch. She either skirted Jackson or walked straight down the river through the property of many unsuspecting homeowner........

1-25-2006 • Ethanol - now is a good time • Ethanol is a commercially proven renewable bio-fuel which is used as an additive to gasoline, either as an oxygenate additive as mandated by federal or state "clean air" programs, or as an octane enhancer or gasoline substitute. It is refreshing to know that fuel choice is on the horizon and it is in our grasp to write an obituary for foreign oil.....

1-18-2006 • High Mountain Heli-skiing under attack again! • Jon Shick of High Mountain Heli-skiing, the 12 good paying jobs that he provides and the $870,000 that 1, 200 heli-skier days would bring into our community are under attack again.......Once again I would like to thank the environmentalist community for marginalizing themselves by putting forth another imbecile's argument to further their anti multiple use agenda on our forests. Their red hearing about heli-ski operators scarring and stressing the wildlife living in snow deep enough that powder hounds pay $725.00 a day to ski it is amusing.

1-11-2006 • The Elk Feed Ground Conundrum • Wyoming's elk feed grounds are coming under increasing scrutiny because the feed grounds crowd elk into unnaturally small areas which foster conditions that are conducive to the transmission of disease, this is why brucellosis is so common on feed grounds and game farms, and it is only a matter of time.........

1-04-2006 • Freudenthal Second Strike Legislation • Governor Freudenthal has proposed legislation that will require sex offenders who target children to get life in prison with no parole upon their second conviction. But predictably Casper criminal defense attorney Mike Krampner in defense of his customer base......

12-21-2005 • Christmas Present • Growing up as a child in America, as all children, I loved the Christmas season, the Christmas tree, lights, lawn decorations, candy, mistletoe, cookies, Santa Claus, elves, reindeer and most of all presents, it was a magical time of year. It sure was a surprise at age 12 when I found out that........

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