My Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I write in response to recent comments in your paper by Tal McBride that I am “opposed to anything and everything that constitutes growth or development in the area.” Besides being untrue, Mr. McBride’s attack attempts to limit choices based upon his belief that wind energy is inherently good and opposition to it, by definition, is rejection of progress.

In this debate and others like it, I hear false choices given regarding our county’s future. When hearing about the evils of gas drilling and contamination of our water, I hear that we only have a choice between that and coal mining. Or when talking about wind turbines, I hear it’s either that or no job and more power plants. These are false choices between artificially narrowed alternatives and imply that as a community we are powerless to create other options for ourselves.

This county can become what we choose to become. The ever growing demand for energy does not necessarily mean that our environment must be sacrificed or that our economic security rests upon it. Education and reinvention can offer the tools to embrace other more sustainable and broader choices. Unfortunately, these require hard work and self-discipline and do not produce immediate results. Farming, tourism, timber and fostering a healthy community with an enviable quality of life can sustain us far longer than short term projects which leave behind ruined water or decimated landscapes. We need to take better advantage of what we already have, for example: we can get a community college here and improve educational and technical opportunities; we can expand tourism by creating farmer and artist cooperatives which become additional industries; we can educate and inspire people with our culture and history; we can encourage spiritual retreats and create an atmosphere of renewal and growth.

Our best asset is our unmatched quality of life and ourselves. Go to any city and drink the water there, if you can, or listen to the deafening racket of sirens and traffic or smell the stale air. Walk crowded streets where no one knows your name or waves hello. It’s your choice.

Martin Saffer
President
Pocahontas County Commission