America's National Parks Face Existential Crisis

[LosDosSloFolks]

ABC News reports that a mostly white workforce and visitation threatens the survival of our 419 National Parks.
"We've got a lot of work to do," said David Vela, acting director of the National Park Service.
"Public lands suffer from the same systemic racism that the rest of our society does," said Joel Pannell, associate director of the Sierra Club. He added..."If we don't address this...we're going to risk losing everything. We're not going to have public lands to enjoy."

Full story....https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/america ... d=71528972

I was not aware of this crisis and I'm only posting this to bring it to the attention of our membership. After reading the story it's unclear how they want to proceed to address this threat, or what work it is that the Park Service stated it has to do to remedy the problem. I gathered from their statements that one goal if not the primary mission is to have the racial percentages of park visitors more closely match those of the world society...a very ambitious and difficult undertaking.

[Jim]

This is a joke, right?

[Jim]

Oh, never mind, I see it is part of the same insanity that will probably bring about the end of the US, in the next decade. Crazy is now normal. What do you know!
[ youtube video ] never more well timed.

[Mountain_Rat]

@LosDosSloFolks

After reading the story it's unclear how they want to proceed to address this threat, or what work it is that the Park Service stated it has to do to remedy the problem.

There's no plan, nor any intent to form one. Just more virtue signaling. I guess they could reinstate busing, forcing the proper ratio of ethnicities to visit our public lands. I mean, we all remember what a big, big hit busing was.

I actually feel 20 IQ points dumber for having read that article

[Jim]

It isn't even worth talking about. When you're guilty and wrong no matter what you do, there is no reason to try. BLM and the marxist ideas behind that organization can not be satisfied. No point in trying.

[ShatteredArm]

It's obviously written in an overly dramatic way ("We're going to risk losing everything!"), but embedded in there somewhere is an important observation. In my own experience, it does seem extremely rare to see people of color out in the wilderness. Why is that? Is it just a cultural thing? Or does privilege somehow play a part in it? I don't know that there's any sinister plot afoot here, but it does seem like something worth addressing.

[Jim]

Why doesn't somebody ask an actual black man instead of just making a bunch of ludicrous statements? Oh I'm sorry we have to embed it in the new accepted BLM culture, why doesn't someone ask a trans lesbian black pansexual why they don't go?

[Mountain_Rat]

Why doesn't somebody ask an actual black man instead

Short answer - they don't care. It's politics pure and simple,. Racism is just the most effective tool in the political-toolbox right now. Just like with COVID, the actual "privileged" have found control through shame. The actual "privileged" realize that people, by and large are decent and have a conscience, and that guilt is their achilles heel. This example though is like a toddler in a loaded, leaking diaper, smashing on an out of tune piano - his parents think it's just adorable, and spur it on while 20 dinner guest sit captive.

[Mountain_Rat]

BTW, the assertion that privilege is an inherent trait is in and of itself racist.

[Jim]

@Mountain_Rat
Exactly! You might enjoy listening to the linked podcast with James Lidsay.