The editors of HCN claim the Bush administration (and therefore everyone who voted for him) are out of touch with "Westerners" on environmental issues. I would argue that the environmental community is out of touch with Western values.

A small crack formed between environmental interests and the rest of America in 1994 when the Republican party took control of both houses of Congress. That crack is now a chasm across which we can no longer shout to make ourselves heard.

Environmental preservation groups could still build a bridge across the chasm, of course, but your article makes it clear that the agenda is to build tunnels and spider holes from which to fight the next four years.

A column from the San Diego Union-Tribune recently raised an interesting question: "Is the environmental movement still a movement, or is it now a tradition? A movement suggests change and adaptability. A tradition is something people cling to for a sense of stability, especially in time of fear."

It may be the environmental movement is now clinging to an idea out of a desire for stability, and is no longer a real movement.

Jim Gerber
St. Anthony, Idaho