OPINION/COMMENTARY

The radical green god-squad

When the radical greens began distributing bumper stickers that read "No moo in '92," and "Cattle free by '93," most people just laughed, unable to comprehend the idea of completely eliminating ranching in the American West. Radical greens, however, are dedicated to the proposition that:

"A radical notion may become rational, and then, over time, reasonable and realistic – if you work your butt off."

This is the slogan that heads Andy Kerr's website. Kerr heads the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign, a coalition of radical green groups that have been working their butts off over the last decade to make the radical notion of a cattle-free West a reality.

A handful of radical congressmen has now introduced legislation that, if adopted, would be the final blow to the troubled ranching industry. Their plan requires taxpayers to cough up more than $3 billion to buy grazing rights from ranchers...