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The
majority of the Republican leadership appears
oblivious to the importance of environmental
protection to the voting public and to the
health and well-being of the Commonwealth and
country. One only need review the 2003 Virginia
General Assembly Conservation Scorecard published by
the Virginia League of Conservation Voters to know
this is true.
I
was reminded of the Republican ambivalence towards
the environment the other day while listening to
Rush Limbaugh. A caller told Rush that he considered
himself a moderate because he supported some
Republican ideas and some Democrat ideas. For
example, he said, he was an environmentalist.
“Then you are a liberal,” Limbaugh replied.
Limbaugh’s
response was simplistic, typical -- and wrong. There
are conservation-minded conservative Republicans out
there, albeit leaderless. The
Republican leadership disappeared, almost as if they
were swallowed up by the forbidding Serbonian Bog of
ancient Egyptian lore.
It was not always so. One hundred years ago,
President Theodore Roosevelt observed: “The
conservation of natural resources is the fundamental
problem. Unless we solve that problem it will avail
us little to solve all others.” Roosevelt
proceeded to protect more public land than all other
presidents combined.
Republican
John Weeks was the chief patron of the bill that
allowed the federal government to establish national
forests in the eastern United States. Republican
Congressman John Saylor was instrumental in securing
passage of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
and the Wilderness Act.
And
in 1968,
Russell Train advised President-elect Richard Nixon:
“[E]nvironmental quality is a unifying goal that
cuts across political and social boundaries. It is a
goal that provides a new prospective to many
national problems and can give a new direction to
public policy. Its values and support come not from
the divisions that plague our society but from the
common aspirations of all for a life of dignity,
health, and fulfillment.” Nixon went on to sign
the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal
Protection Act, the National Environmental Policy
Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the modern
amendments to the Clean Air Act.
It
is amazing how far the Republicans have fallen from
leadership on an issue that remains, after global
terrorism, the fundamental domestic problem.
The climb back to leadership shall be difficult. In
large degree, the environmental movement has been
co-opted by (ceded to?) the far left, which often
uses environmentalism to push agendas antithetical
to the well being of this country. This, in turn,
makes it difficult for conservatives to join,
participate, and lead. Guilt by association. How can
one work for a
movement dominated by people so profoundly wrong on
so many things?
In
Latitude and Longitude Among Reformers,
Theodore Roosevelt gave direction: “Above all, the
political reformer must not permit himself to be
driven from his duty of supporting what is right by
any irritation at the men who, while nominally
supporting the same objectives, and even while
ridiculing him as a backslider or an
‘opportunist,’ yet by their levity or fanaticism
do damage to the cause which he really serves….”
And, as Russell Train admonished us,
the worthy goal of sound environmental policy should
resonate across the political spectrum.
Virginia Republicans should be particularly drawn to
environmental protection. The Virginia Constitution
provides that “it shall be the Commonwealth's
policy to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters
from
pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the
benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the
people of the Commonwealth.” How can Republicans
ignore what the people have demanded? From the
barrier islands to the Chesapeake Bay to the
Shenandoah Valley to the Appalachian Mountains, we
have extraordinary assets to protect.
Consider one aspect of environmental regulation –
aesthetics. In our state, so fiercely protective of
property rights, many recoil at the thought of
telling a person how to use his property for
aesthetic reasons. Or, as one Loudoun County
Supervisor put it, “I’d side with people before
I’d side with a tree.”
Why not demand, within reason, beauty over ugliness?
Republicans above all others should know when a pig
does not belong in the parlor. Republicans above all
others should know that responsibility comes with
rights and privileges.
Aesthetics lift the soul. As President Lyndon
Johnson observed, “Some things we know.
Association with beauty can enlarge a man’s
imagination and revive his spirit. Ugliness can
demean the people who live among it.” Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani demonstrated the same principle
when he lowered New York crime rates by attacking
graffiti. Noted Giuliani: “Graffiti creates an
impression of disorder and of lawlessness. A city
tainted by vandalism invites more vandalism and more
serious crime because it sends a message that the
city doesn’t care and isn’t paying attention….
And as we continue to remain constantly vigilant in
our fight against graffiti vandalism, we all enjoy
the improved quality of life, much lower crime rates
and the inviting
atmosphere that are the results of our efforts.”
Aesthetics set tone. The Virginia Supreme Court
recognizes the importance of aesthetics in the
Virginia Courthouse Guidelines: “The architectural
for a new court facility should present a bold but
dignified and judicial appearance to conform
traditional images of justice.” The Court knows
that proper aesthetics uphold the dignity of the
courts. Proper aesthetics envelop those who enter
and impart a sense of solemnity appropriate for
judicial business.
Aesthetics also are good business. Thomas Jefferson,
in his Notes on Virginia, properly observed that a
visit to the Shenandoah Valley was “worth a trip
across the Atlantic.” The people agreed, and
tourism is one of Virginia’s most important
business. According to the Virginia Economic
Development Partnership, “Visitors spend billions
of dollars to enjoy our beautiful state.” In 2001,
travel and tourism brought in to Virginia $12.9
billion.
Regulate for aesthetics? Absolutely. It makes common
sense, uplifts the human soul, reduces crime, and
produces money. These are all good Republican
values.
Rank and file Republicans, encumbered by inert
leaders, must stretch their legs and find a way out
of the bog. Some Republicans have already begun the
trek and travel under the banner REP America. These
Republicans share a deep concern for the environment
and believe that both a healthy environment and a
sound economy are essential and achievable for
current and future generations of Americans.
If
you are a lonely Republican aimlessly
circumambulating the Serbonian Bog, check out REP
America. You might like the company and find
that the path leads home.
--
April 26, 2004
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