Thursday, July 31, 2008

It Can Happen Here Too

Last year, Cape Hatteras National Seashore was the subject of a lawsuit launched by environmental extremists. They found a friendly judge who sided with them and issued an ultimatum to local residents, landowners, and tourists. Cape Hatteras National Seashore would be subject to complete closures to the public at any given time, or the seashore would be closed to humans entirely. Why? One species of piper on the seashore was placed on the threatened list. Not the endangered list, the threatened list.

The public was not consulted. Congress did not pass an act. The President did not sign an executive order. A liberal federal judge, without any scientific evidence, sided with environmentalist wackos and limited American citizens' rights to use public land. At one time, judges refrained from acting in such cases because the subject matter was considered more fit for the elected Congress to consider. Liberal federal judges see themselves as a legislature, unelected and serving for life. One of the areas closed was the popular "Point" region, the easternmost American territory on the Eastern Seaboard. Senator Elizabeth Dole and other GOP lawmakers from North Carolina last month launched the uphill battle to restore the rights of human beings to use taxpayer land.

Why does this matter to the Potomac Highlands and West Virginia? Think of all the federal land in the state currently used by West Virginians and those from outside the state. Also consider how much our state depends on tourist dollars. Any special interest group can file a lawsuit and potentially shut down access to parts of the national forest or the New River.

Theodore Roosevelt started the process of setting aside land for public use to preserve for future generations. Now environmentalists want to shut off large tracts of American land from any use whatsoever. We cannot allow the election of a president who will appoint judges who beleive that the law is their mouth.

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