Natural Born Patriot

I want to take a minute this morning of the 4th to pay a little respect to the natural born patriots. To those who have put their lives on the line to protect this amazing country of ours. For those followers in the footsteps of people like John Muir, Edward Abby, Julia Butterflly, and Rachel Carson. And for the hundreds of thousands of foot solders engaged in the endless and daunting battles for our freedom to live on a planet with out pollution, and gross exploitation of habitat and resources. I am so thankful for all the people who are organizers, and lawyers, and activists, and protesters, and watchers of the places we all so easily forget about. For the people going to the meetings and filing the papers and doing what ever they can to oppose the onslaught of thoughtless degradation of these, and other, lands. These are the patriots I am grateful for today. The people still cleaning oil in Alaska. The biologist and climatologist and earth scientists, and the young kids and the animal lovers, and, yes, the tree huggers too. I am so proud of our men and women in this service. I honor and respect you all thank you.