[Jim's Eclectic World] New comment on Report from BFC rally in Helena, May 14, 2008.

Mike McCord has left a new comment on your post "Report from BFC rally in Helena, May 14, 2008":

Jesus-jumpin'-Christ-on-a-crutch, Jimmy! Fake tombstones on the lawn of the State Capitol? Buffalo Bill award? Bothering interns? You seriously need a hobby.

I mean, I understand what you're doing, and all, but really, what's it going to accomplish? Don't you think the governor understands by now that you buffalo people are feeling a bit cranky after this winter? I'm also reasonably certain that he knows that you folks are gonna stick around like guests at a party that don't know when it's time to go home. Or like an in-law that "only needs a place to stay for a week." He knows. We all know.

I won't go saying that I don't understand your obsession. Because I do. I read your article on April 21. I found it to a very entertaining read. Well, at first I was entertained. And then I was bored by all the philosophy crap. But you pulled it together at the end, and I was entertained some more. Heck, I even grew to respect you a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I still think you're wasting your efforts on a problem that isn't really a problem . . . but at least you know what you believe in and why, and you keep plugging away at it.

Even so, do you really believe that the buffalo in Yellowstone are in danger of extinction? Extinction??

I hate to keep restating this, but you yourself have said in the past that a healthy heard for the park is somewhere around 1,800 animals. So now we're in the ball park again. In order for them to become extinct, those remaining animals would have to completely stop reproducing, or every last one of them would have to wander into Montana and let the state have their way with them, or the government would have to go into the park and purposely eliminate them from the ecosystem, or some combination of all three of those events would have to happen.

So don't you think this whole "extinction" thing is just a bit of an exaggeration? I mean, c'mon, we just had a record sized herd this winter, and that's with everything that's been going on for the last ten years. So I don't know about you, but I'm fairly confident that barring anything catastrophic, the buffalo herd will rebound.

And I know, it's not just about size. Size matters, but not as much as giving them critters room to roam.

K. I get it. And I'm sure that one day, you folks'll bug the government enough that you'll get your way, or some compromise. But I'm wondering, do you have to do it with exaggerations? And how will you feel if you do get your way, and bison are allowed to wander outside the park, and their numbers get to be such that state of Montana opens up a bigger hunt than the one we've already got? Given the situation that buffalo are allowed to wander at will, wherever they want, but that some population control needs to be implemented just as with other game species . . . how will you feel about that?

Will that be another injustice to you? After you've gotten what you want, will you stick around and make sure the government doesn't pull any funny business? Or will you move on?

My guess is that there's enough going on in Yellowstone to ruffle your feathers for several lifetimes, and you won't be going anywhere. Which is fine with me, because you are just an endless source of entertainment for me. I've read other blogs, but they just don't compare to this one.

I may not agree with you. But I love you, Jimmy.



Posted by Mike McCord to Jim's Eclectic World at 5/21/08 9:29 PM __________________________________________________
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