The liberal mindset

I am always amazed at the thought processes people employ in their daily lives. None is more fascinating than those of liberals.

Volkswagen was recently discovered to have rigged emissions tests on some of their diesel cars. This resulted in calls for strong prosecution, heavy fines and prison time for the perpetrators. Not long ago, another cover up occurred with General Motors. This one involved faulty ignition switches that resulted in over 80 deaths. No one went to prison, at least not yet.

In the case of Volkswagen, liberals apparently consider the offense to be more serious. After all, VW dared to commit blasphemy against the altar of Mother Earth. In the case of GM, there were only a few lives lost, not nearly as serious as a few extra micrograms of exhaust emission.

Liberals espouse that we are ruining the planet. Apparently they believe themselves to be the exception — this while living in a dwelling made from mined, harvested, and smelted materials and hauled to the site by diesel trucks and trains. Oh, and the food they stuff in their mouths is grown on farms using hydrocarbon powered equipment, even the organic farms, and hauled to their point of purchase by emissions-spewing vehicles. Yet I see very few eschewing those for a simpler, albeit much harsher, lifestyle.

On the other hand, where would they go? It seems they want all of nature “preserved” as if nature doesn’t ever change. Funny how they believe in evolution but great effort and expense is undertaken to save endangered species. Isn’t the concept of evolution that species must change or die?

By curtailing or banning logging and grazing, they have created tinderboxes across the West. By many accounts, fires today are larger and more severe than in the past. Apparently, that is caused by climate change rather than the banned harvesting of renewable resources. Besides, aren’t burned tree stumps accentuated by the surrounding black ground more scenic and useful than a cow pie?

Once the rains come again, and they will, the blackened landscape will most likely erode into something far less useful than a forest because roots and plants that hold the soil are gone. That will also be caused by climate change. I guarantee it.

Grazing is public enemy number four, behind logging, mining, and oil production. My son lives in Wyoming in the area where Western Watersheds was caught trespassing on private land to take water samples and then claiming the data to be from public lands. It doesn’t end there.

They use an ultralight to land on dirt roads, open gates, and then herd cattle toward the gate. They film the cows going through the gate and then claim the permittees are irresponsible.

There was also an instance where cows were being moved from one allotment to another in accordance with their management plan. The ranch crew moved away to let the cows stay bunched on a creek for an hour until they found their calves. An ultralight filmed the action, edited out the crew, and submitted it to the BLM with a complaint of riparian abuse. This is a classic Alinsky strategy where the ends justify the means. These are small but important incidents in understanding the liberal thought process.

Planned Parenthood is a standard for liberal belief. Its president, Cecile Richards, had an uncomfortable day before Congress on Tuesday. When asked whether politics or health care was more important, she did not have a decisive answer. While maintaining that no federal funds were used for abortions, she could not provide specifics as to how funds are segregated. She also unwillingly confirmed that none of the clinics nationwide have a mammogram machine. I thought mammography was basic to women’s health care. Many clinics and doctor offices have them, why not Planned Parenthood?

A graph was exhibited that showed an increase in abortions and a decrease in breast exams at Planned Parenthood. Ms. Richards denied the statistics but wouldn’t offer data to refute the graph. Alinsky backfired this time. She could not make Congress the bad guy, although she tried. We’ll see what the media comes up with. Her main assertion, which she never proved, was that they provide services unavailable anywhere else. Like mammograms?

Incidentally, Nevada Sen. Dean Heller was one of 19 senators who voted against a continuing resolution to fund the government including Planned Parenthood.

I’ve run out of space before material. I hope this helps give some insight to the liberal mindset. Use it wisely.

Tom Riggins is an LVN columnist and may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.