The Jesuit priests
thought that they had given me a pretty good education.
They had me in their high school, and colleges, for
9 years and tried to instill in me a well-rounded
curriculum, but the education I received in Juneau
the last few days, isn't anything like the good fathers
said life should be.
I went to Juneau
to oppose the Governor's attempt to amend our " Alaska
Constitution. Our Constitution presently holds that
all Alaskans have an equal right to the allocation
of Alaska's fish and game resources. Equal rights
are guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States.
Equality is a quality espoused by both political parties.
The Governor,
however, doesn't believe in equal rights. He thinks
we should amend our Constitution to give the Legislature
authority to allocate our resources any way they want,
even if it is in a way that discriminates against
those of us who live in urban areas. Indeed, the Governor
actually wants the Legislature to discriminate against
urban people. He wants to give rural residents a "priority"
in the allocation of our fish and wildlife resources.
That means that if the fish or game stocks available
for harvesting are small, we urban folks don't get
any, period.
The Governor doesn't
care if there are some people in the urban areas who
may need some of those fish, or some game meat, to
feed their families over the winter. The Governor
doesn't care if there are people in the rural areas
who don't need some of those fish, or some game meat,
to feed their families over the winter. The Governor
just wants to allocate the distribution of our resources
based upon where in the State a person lives.
It should have
been simple for the legislators to see the issue.
"Should we amend our Constitution to allow discrimination
against one group of Alaskans, and in favor of another
group of Alaskans?" It should have been equally simple
for the legislators to see the answer. "Such arbitrary
discrimination has no place in Alaska"!
"But you don't
understand" cries the Governor. "A Federal Law, called
ANILCA, requires Alaska to discriminate against urban
Alaskans, and in favor of rural Alaskans. If we don't
discriminate against urban Alaskans, in all
of Alaska, when we allocate our fish and game
resources, the Federal Government will come in here
and discriminate against the urban Alaskans, in two
thirds of the State, when it allocates our game stocks!"
It should have
been simple for the Governor to see that issue too.
"Simply because the law authorizes another to perform
an act which is not fair and just, does that mean
we should do it for them?"
It should have
been simple for the Governor to see the answer to
that issue also. "The State of Alaska should not participate
in an unjust act. It should not seek authority to
participate in an unjust act. And, the Governor, who
has a duty to uphold the Constitution of the State
of Alaska, and to protect all the people of the State,
should attempt to stop anyone who attempts to impose
unjust action on the people of Alaska."
"But you don't
understand " cries the Governor." We are not sure
we can win if we went to court to try to stop the
Federal Government"
It should have
been simple for the Governor to see this issue also.
"If we are not sure we can succeed, should we try?"
It should have
been simple for the Governor to see the answer to
that issue also. "If at first you don't succeed, try,
try, again! Or, all that is necessary for evil to
triumph, is for good men to do nothing!"
