2 Responses to “Military Seeks Exemption from Environmental Rules”

1. Mike Betzer Says:
   March 31st, 2004 at 12:26 pm

   I know this is extremely late, but I just wanted to put in my meaningless two cents. I know the writer was being facetious. Admittedly, I am also inclined to adopt the liberal idea that people are generally stupid and thus need to be spoon fed the dogmas that will shape their behaviors and more (or less depending on your view) importantly their votes. Thus, I will clarify some points the writer decided to leave to conjecture rather than facts. Animals are never targets in live-fire training exercises. The “live” in “live-fire” refers to live ammunition. You don’t really have to read the rest of this if you understand the first two facts I presented. When present on a firing range or in the area of an exercise, animals especially endangered species disrupt or end that exercise. I’m sure many people cheer when hearing that. The money paid by taxpayers for that training is then completely or partially wasted as troops have to wait or relocate. The net result is a military which is that much less prepared, that much less money going to (insert favorite government expense), human lives lost as a result of improperly trained military, etc. blah blah blah. Anyway, it isn’t just killing of desert tortoises (or whatever) that is disallowed. The mere presence of humans is inexcusable by certain laws. I don’t condone indiscriminate killing of wildlife. I believe any death of any animal must be justified by more than whim or the assumption that “we’re at the top of the food chain.” However, depriving the military (which secures your right to use the internet and express your opinions without fear of governmental retribution) of quality training in order to allow the Sonoran pronghorns to receive deliveries of water from the Marine Corps is a little whacko in my not-so-humble opinion. http://endangered.fws.gov/DOD/ES%20on%20military%20lands.pdf

2. John Callender Says:
   March 31st, 2004 at 12:51 pm

   Yeah, valid points. I was being silly.

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