Blood on their hands

By E. Ralph Hostetter
web posted August 13, 2001

The Preamble to my Constitution does not read "We the insects, reptiles and rodents of the United States...do hereby ordain". My Constitution still reads "We, the people of the United States..."

However, in the parlance of the radical left wind extremists in the endangered species movement, "We the people" has become an anachronism.

Further, my constitution guarantees the God-given right to life and the natural right to property for all Americans. However, in violation of sacred trusts guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution: Tom Craven, 30, Devin Weaver, 21, Jessica Johnson, 19, and Karen Fitzpatrick, 18, lie dead today. Most certainly they are victims of an unconstitutional law (the Endangered Species Act) that has placed protection of a few fish identified as "endangered species" above human life itself.

Insanity must rule in the halls of Congress to openly condone such a blatant violation not only of the U.S. Constitution, which all congressmen swore to uphold, but every moral law in the universe. The cause of these tragic deaths began with a 25-acre forest fire in the early morning of July 10, near the Chewuch River, in Washington State's Northern Cascade Range. Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, the Chewuch River has been identified as the "protected" home of several species of salmon and trout.

A massive cover-up of the incident followed for the next three weeks. The only electronic news media today that will mention it is Fox News. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth (the big boss) said he heard "a whisper" of the incident on Monday, July 30, twenty days later.

The rest of the story now reveals that at 5:30 a.m. on July 10, the fire protection authorities near the Chewuch River ordered a helicopter water drop to douse the 24-acre fire. What ensued was a debate between fire protection authorities and endangered species representatives lasting for many hours. The endangered species people objected to the water drop, arguing that some three fish types, identified as endangered, might be dipped up in the water by the helicopters and taken to douse the fire.

By the time the first water arrived at 3 p.m., some 81/2 hours later, the fire had extended to the point that shortly thereafter it 'exploded' and the original 25-acre fire swept to 2,500 acres within three hours.

By 5:25 p.m. all four firefighters were dead.

For years, an expired Endangered Species Act has not been renewed after its mandated ten years of existence nor has the concept been abolished. The week leadership of both parties in Congress is afraid to renew the act and terrified of abolishing it. The greens (Watermelon Marxists) have intimidated them into inaction. The courts are treating the law case by case, mainly on issues involving property rights.

Hundreds upon hundreds of property rights cases involving the Endangered Species Act exist. However, courts have turned a blind eye to the rights of the property owner. But now human life has been taken.

The Endangered Species Act, passed originally to save America's Symbol of Liberty, the bald eagle, has been reduced to nothing more than an oppressive weapon to abuse the American people. The law has taken on a God-like aura protecting species as yet undiscovered.

The bald eagle has been saved. Congress must act to kill this venomous snake, the Endangered Species Act, that lies in wait to destroy not only American property rights, but now even life itself.

Ralph Hostetter serves on the Board of Directors of the Free Congress Foundation.

Printer friendly version

Home