At what point did the BLM make the conscious decision to alter it's role from land management to selective law enforcement? What do radar guns and hi-tech law enforcement computer systems have in common with wildlife and land conservation? Speed traps on county roads? Sobriety checkpoints? Shaking down law abiding citizens for minor equipment violations? Aren't these the roles of city, county and state police departments? In the past several years we have seen the BLM's role in law enforcement expand exponentially. Our once good natured campground hosts have now become our adversaries. Less concerned with the quality of of our outdoor experience and more concerned with generating revenues for the Federal Government by handing out citations for the most meaningless of infractions. But yet another intrusion of "Big Brother" into our personal liberties. And what has become of the vast amounts of fines collected by these "wannabe cops"? Are there more bathroom facilities? More camping pads? Have they repaved Osborne Rd? Have they spent a dime to improve our experience? The answer is NO! They bought radar guns and computers and spiffy new trucks to patrol Ted Kipf Rd. with. All so they could....you guessed it, collect more fines! I'm far less worried by someone speeding on Boardmanville Rd. than by a small child getting smoked by a car because the only place to camp on Gecko Rd was right up against the pavement. It seems odd that The BLM Rangers are seen in their greatest numbers lurking around The Glamis Store, Vendors Alley, or running radar at the intersection of Ted Kipf and Boardmanville Roads. Why not patrolling on Sunday afternoons as large groups pull away from their campsites leaving mountains of trash heaped upon their fire pits. Or perhaps going from camp to camp handing out educational materials, introducing themselves as goodwill ambassadors, promoting respect for land and resource management. In recent years the only time I've seen a Ranger get his fat ass out of his brand new air conditioned truck was to shakedown some poor kid for a $100 fine for a missing flag or expired Green Sticker.(Don't get me started on our Green Sticker money! I'll save that for another article.) Granted there are some behaviors we have witnessed in the Dunes that endanger more than the perpetrators. But, this is part and parcel of our sport. What makes us different than the slobbering masses of Politically Correct automatons that besiege our daily lives, is that we accept these risks, even relish them.We come to the Dunes to escape the rules and regulations that bind mere mortals, to be masters of our fate. Our sport is dangerous, potentially crippling and sometimes even fatal. And I for one am not willing to have it sanitized and reduced to it's lowest possible common denominator like all other facets of daily life have been. I don't want my quad to have a "child-proof" gas cap or my dune buggy to have passenger airbags. If I choose to risk life and limb by riding double or God forbid running a blue taillight instead of a red one, so be it. I am an adult, perhaps socially and emotionally stunted. But, an adult nonetheless. My own safety is my responsibility, not the BLM's. And by operating an OHV at an area such as the Imperial Sand Dunes I accept the inherent risks. Yes, I may be struck by some moron with a blood alcohol level triple the legal limit. Yes, I may get landed on by some juvenile delinquent on a dirt bike who thinks he is Jeremy Mcgrath.Or I might even miss a transition and and launch off a razor in fourth gear, catching more air than an Apollo Mission (Will the next step be for the BLM to bring bulldozer's out into the Dunes and shave down the razors and fill in the witches eyes to improve the safety of the Dunes?). Freedom has always come at a very high price, and it is a tragedy of our modern society that so few are now willing to pay for it. As our government continually erodes away at our civil liberties, we will all too soon find ourselves unable to express our individuality at open forums like the Imperial Sand Dunes. If we allow organizations like the BLM and the Liberal Intelligencia that fuels them to run roughshod over us. We will cease being the Lions of the Desert we know we are, we too will be reduced to a bunch of slobbering sheep being led to the slaughter. Mr. Dune I'm sure the BLM would love to here from you! The Area Manager is Terry Reed and their Public Relations Manager is Elaine Briggs, they can be contacted at (760) 337-4400 A note from the Editor… This is my forum, not yours!
If you don't like my views or opinions then get a life!...Ed.E-mail Mr Dune at: mrdune@off-road.com for instructions on
finding a life. PREVIOUS ARTICLES
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