Governor Brian Schweitzer D-MT defies EPA and authorizes wolf killing
By Taskr36
@Taskr36 (13963)
United States
March 17, 2011 2:11pm CST
Governor Brian Schweitzer send a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar stating that they are no longer going to treat wolves as an endangered species in Montana. The fact is that they are no longer endangered, but the EPA refuses to allow Montana to treat them as standard predators claiming that they other states have to have wlidlife management plans first.
The governor is now encouraging ranchers to kill them to protect livestock stating that he will enforce no laws that would ban them from doing so. He has also directed Fish and Wildlife to cull entire packs of wolves that are threatening livestock, or elk in his state.
So this story was reported a month ago on FoxNews, CNN, and MSNBC. The strange thing? I have yet to see the lefties screaming about how evil he is. What he's done is no different than the predator control that was authorized in Alaska under Frank Murkowski and continued by Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin was framed as a monster who was telling people to chase and gun down baby wolves just to be evil. Ignorant celebrities like Ashley Judd made commercials bashing her and lefties here on mylot and across the country were cheering calling Palin a criminal. The only real difference is that the EPA wasn't against predator control in Alaska. They are against it in Montana right now.
So where are the lefties? Where are the animal rights activists? Where are the celebrities that should now be saying the same things about Schweitzer that they said about Palin? Is it that the letter "D" next to his name protects him from these groups?
For the record I fully support his actions, I'm just interested in hearing opinions from people on the left, especially those on mylot who were bashing Palin for her predator control.
Here is the letter he sent.
http://governor.mt.gov/news/pr.asp?ID=880
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/17/montana-governor-authorizes-wolf-kills/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/05/montana-governor-defies-feds-wolf-management/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41633057/ns/us_news-environment/
2 people like this
6 responses
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
17 Mar 11
Good for him. The people of his state need to have the right to control the wolf population especially when it impacts the safety of their livestock and their livelihoods.
But killing animals, even when it's necessary, would get him pilloried on the national news if he were a Republican. They won't go after him if he's a Democrat. They won't even need to try to defend him because the right won't question his actions and they won't bring it up, either.
1 person likes this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
18 Mar 11
The hatred for Sarah Palin (and also for George W) still burns me up! The media and the left painted Sarah Palin as stupid and ignorant and almost everyone fell for it.. and all the bashing of Prez Bush for 8 years was truly unbelievable. Even some friends I've known for years, I heard say someone should assassinate Pres Bush. Now Pres Obama has continued most of his policies and yep, not a peep. Some outrage! Imagine someone saying a democrat should be assassinated! But supposedly they are the party of peace and tolerance.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
20 Mar 11
Is it REALLY "no different than the predator control that was authorized in Alaska under Frank Murkowski and continued by Sarah Palin", Taskr? Is telling ranchers they won't be prosecuted for killing wolves to protect their livestock the same thing as killing them from the air far from civilization, more or less?
Annie
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
20 Mar 11
In Alaska killing them by air is more realistic due to the terrain. I don't know what you mean by "far from civilization" in Alaska as they only have 2 or 3 cities that would be called "civilization" by northeast standards. Also, they weren't defying the federal government or the EPA in doing that. Did you miss the part where he is also authorizing Fish and Wildlife to kill entire packs that are threatening elk?
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
18 Mar 11
It never ceases to amaze me! And I don't care what anyone says, dislike of conservatives (and Christians! too) is nothing more than a bigotry plain and simple. Couple that with the manic zeal for their own group and cause which they like to think of as 'progress' (progress where? back to barbarism and 3rd world status for all) and it's a bit disconcerting. And may I also add, it's bigotry and human nature that is the cause of all wars, not religion as is so very popular to claim these days, and is just part of that very same dislike/prejudice.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
17 Mar 11
It is the D after his name that protects him.
I was at a town meeting last night and My State Senator (D) was opposed to Gov. Walkers budget bill in part because it gave power to an unelected Official to make decisions concerning medicaid in the state, but was all for it in Obama Care. It must be the D after their name.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
18 Mar 11
There are other ways of dealing with predators. Not that I am opposed to killing as a final measure, mind you. And I fully agree with the sentiments voiced here about the double standard in media and political parties. I know what you are saying. I still have to disagree with killing wolves without trying first more humane measures.
I have been involved in the wolf issue up front and personal. You can trap them and move them. You can spread concentrated odors, chemicals, that will drive them off as well.
They are a necessary part of the ecology and man has encroached on their habitat, not the other way around. Now before you jump on me for that, I fully support a persons right to protect his livelyhood. But surely, there is enough room in this big country for ranchers, cattle and wolves, if handled with some thought? And I also know that a healthy hunting wolf will not go after cattle, they hate the smell of man and are intelligent enough to leave when they encounter it. The sick and the old are the ones who prey on the livestock of humans. Not the young healthy wolves. So to kill a whole pack of healthy adults is foolish and most likely, the real culprit is still out there.
Kill off all the predators, and you soon have problems with rodents and rabbits and other critters who compete with your livestock for forage.
It is not cool to kill just cause you can. And it gives conservatives a bad name, we look like bloodthirsty idiots when we don't think something like this through.
