Zinke voted last week to oppose the Joint Budget Resolution and he should be praised for doing so. To write it off as some sort of political posturing on his part does nothing for the long-term discussion. If we are going to have any influence on the discussion over the long haul, we better be equal opportunity supporters as we are equal opportunity critics.
Lumping people into groups or parties is counter productive. The leader in the Senate to reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund is Senator Burr, a Republican from North Carolina. If anyone needs our support and appreciation, it is those who are standing strong against the current of ideology. If we leave them standing there without our support, the odds of them continuing to vote for our cause diminishes quickly.
My respect for some Republicans in the Montana Legislature hit high levels this session, based on what they did for public lands and wildlife. The easy route would have been to follow the fringe of their party and be good soldiers in the war of ideologies. A good number of them rejected that notion and voted to our benefit. That is where we have to focus. I have written or personally thanked them for doing so, knowing what they did was not easy. I would advocate that more hunters do the same if we want to give politicians reason to support out causes., both locally and nationally.
Both sides have their fringes, just their fringes preach different ideologies. The fringe on the left is just as harmful to our cause as the fringe on the right. It is the middle where we have to keep our support. Labels and grouping only serves to push moderates on any issue further toward the protection the fringe operators can provide them.
Carry on .....
