D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
March
2009
What Is Your Perception?
On outdoor issues and the law, your viewpoint often depends on where you stand.
Perception is a strange critter indeed! We folks have it all of the time. Let's see, how do I explain it to you? If you are standing next to each other and you are both looking at the same cloud, one of you might exclaim that it resembles a dog, while the other of you will say, "Oh, no, that cloud looks exactly like a lion."
Who is right? Both people, because to any of our brains, what we perceive to see or hear is believed to be truth or reality.
How many times have you said something to someone (especially a spouse!) and he or she perceives to hear something entirely different than what you were trying to convey! To that person, though, that was the truth.
Now let's apply this notion of perception to some of the local outdoor issues. There are several examples.
Legally, folks are allowed by law to trap critters, and now as in the past, there are conflicts between those who trap and those who do not trap. Those folks who oppose trapping perceive that the sport is unfair, immoral and unethical. Because of these perceived truths, they rationalize that it is perfectly OK for them to break the law by stealing or damaging traps.
Currently there is a problem in a part of Grant County with someone illegally trapping, and free-roaming dogs as well as dogs with owners have been caught in these traps. It is still illegal for someone to tamper with those traps if on public lands or lands where the trapper has permission (never mind that the free-roaming dog owners are breaking the law!).
Yet, perception being what it is, people are violating the law in return. They believe their deeds to be "righteous acts."
Now, in another case, let's suppose that the powers-to-be decided to pass a rule or law stating that because hunters, ATVers and fishers have to pay a special-use fee to use public lands, then all other users must pay this fee. And let's theorize that they will have to pay the same amount paid by ATV users, which in this case is 50 bucks for two years.
You'd better believe that some campers, hikers, mountain-bike riders and horseback riders would scream bloody murder! And a certain segment of those offended outdoor-persons will ignore or break that law! Why? Because they perceive that it is an unfair law.
But that hasn't happened yet! All that it would take is for some hunter or fisher to file a class-action suit on being discriminated against, and win!
But let's look at another real-life local example. On the front page of the Silver City Daily Press on Jan. 27, 2009, there was an article about a Mexican Wolf being shot. The article goes on to say that out of the 62 past wolf deaths, "28 were attributed to shooting."
To most of the rural folks living in Grant and Catron Counties and in eastern Arizona, the perception is that the wolf is a dangerous and unwanted predator and they don't want it. So they also perceive that the law to introduce and protect the wolf is both unfair and unjust upon their rights.
Perception is truth to them, just like it is to everyone else, and no amount of action or threats for killing wolves will change their minds! Folks, this attitude is no different than the attitude of someone who takes or damages traps.
Let's look at another local issue, yet to be fulfilled. Again, certain powers-that-are have decided to close much of our public lands to what they feel is over-use or abuse by ATVers. A law has been passed, although not implemented yet. Virtually every ATV owner whom I've talked to has said that the law is unfair or tyrannical; that is their perception!
I've talked to virtually dozens of ATV owners from every walk of life and segment of society, both rural and urban, and they all say that they do not have an obligation to obey the law. Again, that is their perception, right or wrong!
I have a friend who is in the taxidermy business. Several years ago he and a buddy were out fishing on the Gila River; he parked his truck on an isolated part of the highway and someone came along and slashed four very expensive tires. What was their perception at seeing the taxidermy sign on the truck and then justifying an act of violence?
Lastly, what about the environmentalist who justifies the burning down of expensive homes around Phoenix, the person who spikes a tree in order to injure a logger, or the person who justifies throwing paint on a $10,000 fur coat worn by someone? Are their perceptions and attendant actions any more or less justified than the shooting of a wolf?
My point is this: You and I may not like it, but we are all in the bed-of-perception together, no matter what side of which outdoor issues that we stand on. We all can self-righteously defend our beliefs and our actions as truth, whether they really are or not.
We folks use perceptions as the basis for irrational thinking and illegal behavior. But does that make it right, and can we really scream and point fingers at others?
Jesus probably said it best: "You who are without sin, cast the first stone." Ya know what? That entire crowd that he was speaking to dropped their stones and walked away.
As always, keep the sun forever at your back, the wind forever in your face, and may the Forever God bless you!
Larry Lightner writes the Ramblin' Outdoors column exclusively for Desert Exposure.