Fair warning: This post might offend those with a more delicate disposition than my own. Outrage brings out my Jersey longshoreman lexicon, and I can’t bring myself to apologize for that right now.
So, The National Butterfly Center property in Mission, TX, has been invaded by the US government in preparation for the construction of that damn, disgraceful, wholly un-American wall. The utterly deranged man in the oval office will have his ego assuaged and his manic followers pacified no matter the cost to the country, the world, wildlife, or humanity. And, of course, being true to himself, he is getting things started by devastating a natural and national treasure. Marianna Trevino-Wright, Executive Director of The National Butterfly Center, told Huffington Post:
... a border official told her that the Trump administration is beginning its barrier construction in Texas through environmental sites because it’s the “path of least resistance.” That strategy won’t immediately trigger outrage from large numbers of private property owners whose land will also be confiscated.
(It's not just environmental sites that are considered an easy path. The Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe will also see their rights and heritage bulldozed. https://www.facebook.com/CarrizoComecrudoTribeOfTexas/
https://www.kveo.com/news/local-news/activists-and-indigenous-tribe-stand-against-border-wall-construction/1754563571?fbclid=IwAR18-0JtaLVHpBNSTcu55b78oLpzZ2Fc-g0GxTL459HKDC5wFUC8mMMNhk8)
Um, fuck that. I’m outraged, and I hope that anyone who might read this will be, too. “The path of least resistance”? We cannot let them believe that. I mean, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY??? Why has it become acceptable to over a third of U.S. citizens to demonize science, common sense, and compassion? I am a WWII history buff, and I have to say, the series of events unfolding here in the U.S. and around the world right now is terrifying when you consider the lessons we've learned from history. But wait - they haven't been learned, have they?
Older people like to say, “Oh, I’ve seen much worse. The tide will turn in time as it always has.” My response to that is, “Yes, but back then there was time because the planet wasn't under imminent threat of worldwide environmental devastation.” And let’s face it, people weren’t as stupid as they are now. I justify that statement by pointing out that historical records, science, and the virtually instantaneous availability of facts – and I’m talking actual facts, not “alternative facts,” or whatever the shameless liars are labeling their bullshit these days – along with the continuing denial/ignoring of these vast educational resources, makes it clear the human race is, by and large, stupid. For the record, my definition of “stupid” is “willfully ignorant,” while my definition of “intelligent” is “curious and open to learning – regardless of how ignorant you are on a topic.” Ignorance is the lack of knowledge, willful ignorance is the rejection of knowledge, which is Just. Flat. Out. Stupid. On that note, a favorite quote of mine is from Charles Bukowski, an American poet and novelist:
The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
So, here I sit, lamenting the fact that millions of Americans hold stupidity in such high esteem, and venting on a blog that probably no one will read. But you see, in order to defy the craziness that abounds in the world at the moment, I need to focus on one thing over which I might have some impact, and I have chosen pollinators as my focus because they are not “just bugs;” they are lovely, fascinating, and essential fellow inhabitants of Earth. Their habitat cannot –cannot –be regarded as “the path of least resistance.” It is, in fact, a very important path to our continued existence.
A world without butterflies is unimaginable to me. The American people accepting the demise of vital habitat and sacred places as just two incidental losses in the face of “protecting” the United States from imaginary threats is absolutely mortifying.
No, environmental sites are not “the path of least resistance.” Please stand with The National Butterfly Center. Support them in any way that you can. https://www.nationalbutterflycenter.org/