America, we have a problem. Those old men who've long been passed away are busy rolling over in their graves tonight; John Muir, John Wesley Powell, Teddy Roosevelt, 19th century dreamers, poets and early 20th century activists who crusaded to protect natural beauty from development would be in outraged. Nature in 2013 is "non-essential." I shot these photos at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area today. One of the nation's oldest National Parks once called Platt National Park. It features a travertine spring and a beautiful creek with natural swimming areas. The Sulphur Springs is in an area of the park that is always open for people to stop and sip the strongly scented sulphur water.
Not only has the federal government taken natural beauty away from the people as "punishment" by labeling the National Parks Service employees as non-essential this is a petty show of the will of governmental power. This is in effect showing "We the People" of the United States that we are not responsible enough to visit a National park without a nanny state guardian available. Yet, we educate our citizens that they have ownership in our national places. That these places are for everyone, all the time.
A symbolic cone placed to tell people that we aren't allowed to walk freely throughout this park collectively owned by American citizens, that the stewards who are hired to work here aren't important enough. A tradition of protecting natural beauty for over a hundred years is now subjugated to political games and ploys to show the power of the Government.
This show of the "might" of the US Government is just as mighty as a parade of 10,000 soldiers down the streets of a big city. It is a flagrant slap in the face to the American people telling them that this country is not theirs, it belongs to "the Government" and the Government will determine what we need and what is essential and "non-essential" so while regulators and tax collectors continue to go to work and harass and fine ordinary citizens, our parks are unnecessary. This is no different as unveiling giant paintings of a dictator, this is the marching of troops, this is a group of soldiers invading a home to look for one person in Boston. This is a show of power.
Yet, Government excess exists, an unsustainable path of destruction exists for a country whose expenditures outstrip income. We are beholden to the full faith and trust of a system whose show of might is to put barricades up to keep citizens from seeing collectively owned natural beauty.
In many ways this reminds me of the historic treatment of Native peoples in this Nation. The government has deemed what is essential and nature is not. Native people have always held land as sacred within certain religious ceremonies. The sense of place holds a power with people whose ancestry may be traced back tens of thousands of years on this continent. Yet, ultimately the government with it's courts and judges decide what is sacred and what land is to be protected. This time the Government has decided what is important and nature is not important.
The Governmental shutdown is a passion play that our legislators like to have with each other every so often, yet I disagree that running the country into the ground is the best idea for our children. But, at the same time I don't see that an entire park system needs to be shutdown especially as our national parks produce revenue. Maybe we need fewer insurance companies, agents, and lawyers sitting around making up regulations and laws to protect their own self interest.
Maybe for the most part we don't need to be hovered over at National Parks and for the most part at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area I never see park workers, especially near the Sulphur Springs. This show of Governmental power is to show the American Citizens -- the very citizens that we educate about their ownership of the government--that we are indeed powerless against barricades and cones that tell us that "this land is not our land." This land is Government Property and you, the citizens are to keep out. The sad part is that the park system provides the only nature that some people enjoy. A controlled beautiful nature, not a wild nature to be explored but a highly regulated, legislated natural beauty.
No one owns the land,ultimately all civilizations rise and fall and change. A short millenia ago this land was also occupied great civilization who left us echoes of their mounds which we can visit at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, which is not closed by the Government of the United States.
It is not time to privatize the National Parks, privatize to development and corporate ownership along with more fines and fees. It is time for the old men running the country to show some respect for the people who put them in office and take a step back and re-prioritize the essentials.
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