Comments on: Freeing the Smoky Mountains

By: David M

David M — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 06:21:36 +0000

Unfortunately, it was never their land to take. It belonged to a proud people who had lived on the land for centuries before the white man arrived from the British Isles. Despite what you may promote as historical achievement ie clearing fields for farms, the native tribes were growing many gardens before the arrival of your toiling ancestors. It’s just too bad they couldn’t have learned to share the land and respect the culture of their native brothers and live in peace. Instead their blindness led them to judge them as savages and drive them off their own land. I wonder how you would act if some foreigner came upon your land and decided to claim it for their own. You might act like a savage yourself. I respect what my ancestors who settled East Tennessee from the British Isles and well as my ancestors who lived here long before my other ancestors arrived. I feel fortunate to be of the lineage of native and settler that learned to love one another. Peace be upon you.

By: Terry King

Terry King — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 18:06:14 +0000

In reply to Robert Zimmerman. Sure, no problem.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 01:38:16 +0000

As I said in my other post, there is NO way they’re going to keep me out. I visit the GSMNP every year in the best way, by boat … hiking the trails less traveled. There is no way they can enforce closure along the 30 mile north shore of Fontana.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:38:59 +0000

In reply to Terry King. Great information. Thank you. Can I quote you extensively in a post?

By: Terry King

Terry King — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 12:49:09 +0000

I was at the Smokies this weekend (Sat. and Sun.). The parking lot a Newfound Gap was completely open. The road to Clingman’s Dome was open. I did not travel down the NC side of the park. Major trailheads were blocked at the Chimneys and Alum Cave Bluff. Chimneys picnic area closed. All other trailheads along 441 were open and there were plenty of people parked and enjoying the park. Little River Road was closed. We parked a couple of quiet walkways and took some short walks. Never saw an ranger anywhere.

If you are planning a trip to the Smokies then I would say to go for it. You may not be able to access some of the more popular areas of the park but there are plenty of areas that are accessible. I am planning a horseback riding trip (my own horses) in a couple of weeks and I am not going to let the dictatorial gov. in Washington ruin my plans.

By: Edward

Edward — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 23:19:22 +0000

In reply to joe.

It may be worse than socialism, because it is fascism:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fascism?s=t

Not just the healthcare system and the control over the rest of American industry, but even in the government shutdown they have their own rules for what is shut-down and which golf course stays open.

Robert, I am glad you are enjoying your vacation. Thank you for keeping us posted.

By: joe

joe — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 04:20:41 +0000

In reply to Robert Zimmerman. Exactly why the disdain for Caucasian races by the liberal party?

By: joe

joe — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 04:18:57 +0000

In reply to wodun. Very scary to have the IRS and the politicians in charge of your medical care, this is worse than socialism!

By: Mike V.

Mike V. — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 00:35:10 +0000

In reply to PJ. They like to refer to it as benign neglect. They saved and maintain a few cabins in Cades Cove for the tourists to gawk at. Settlers cabins aren't considered culturally or historic enough to be maintained. And to be fair, they have limited funds for preservation.

By: wodun

wodun — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:50:05 +0000

These are the type of people Obama wants in charge of your healthcare. Better not be a registered voter with a party in opposition to the Democrats or you may find your medical records leaked, doctor visits delayed for months or years, and a health audit by the IRS.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:20:23 +0000

In reply to PJ. I can give you several examples of what I call the park service's general dislike of "White Man Ruins." In Arizona, one of the first settlers had their ranch house near a significant Indian petroglyph site. After the ranchers gave their land to the park service, the park service tore down the ranch house and buildings, while doing everything it could to protect the Indian site. Similarly, in Shenandoah National Park the buildings and ruins of the original settlers are allowed to decay, unmaintained. In one case a cemetery is disappearing in undergrowth because the park service does nothing to preserve it. (I had a long discussion about this with the park service when I complained about it, but they said tough.) Meanwhile, all Indian ruins are treated as if they are more precious than gold.

By: K Scott

K Scott — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:15:54 +0000

There ought to be sort of bumper stickers to put under park closed signs that say things like:

CLOSED
By Order of the All High Obama

Peasants Keep Out
by Order of the Sheriff of Nottingham

{CLOSED}
But Obama’s golf course and swimming pool are open

By: RebeccaH

RebeccaH — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:51:30 +0000

Those people who settled the Smokey Mountains and the Appalachians in general were my ancestors, and, trust me, today I am experiencing outrage, contempt, and hatred on their behalf and for myself.

By: Greg Taylor

Greg Taylor — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:09:28 +0000

Thanks for the article and I’m glad you had an enjoyable day. In my 30 years or so of fishing in the GSMNP I’ve been stopped by rangers for a license check about 2 times and have seen rangers on the trails maybe 3 or 4 times. So, they don’t have much in the way of coverage anyway. I say, enjoy the park.

By: PJ

PJ — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 13:59:01 +0000

“where the National Park Service either destroys or lets decay the ruins of the white man”

Seriously? This is awful!

By: Brett

Brett — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 12:59:57 +0000

I’ve never known a time when our employees at NPS had anything but contempt for the public, considering themselves lords of the manor protecting the natural environment from ordinary people. People, let us hasten to acknowledge, are in no way part of the natural environment. They must be in heaven now: they’re certain to be retroactively paid, no pesky tourists to deal with, and the opportunity to establish more rules.

By: ThomasD

ThomasD — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 12:58:36 +0000

“far more than the typical owner-tenant relationship we now have in the U.S.”

The people who ran the colonial farm near Williamsburg had a thirty year lease from the NPS, yet they too were forced – by armed agents – to close to the public.

http://freebeacon.com/shutdown-theater/

The lords are back in town.

By: willis

willis — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 11:02:05 +0000

I read this article with absolute astonishment. The government has shut down and yet this citizen was able to walk unaided over bare ground. We may need to rethink the necessity of hordes of “workers” being paid for out of money we actually earn.

By: ThomasD

ThomasD — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 10:16:21 +0000

The selectivity says there is local NPS involvement and direction.

So the Nuremburg defense of “only following orders” from Washington is not going to wash.

It’s a disgrace.

By: David McKissack

David McKissack — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 09:24:45 +0000

These days, I rarely obey government signs to keep out, road closed, etc. It’s a new thing for me. What I’ve discovered, however, when I ignore those signs is 95% the time they’ve been placed there for legal protection or to save a government worker some, er, work. It’s not my fault this society has gone litigation-crazy and decided government workers must be every where I might hurt myself; I shouldn’t be punished for that.

By: Glenn Henricksen

Glenn Henricksen — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 05:35:50 +0000

If you see a barricade or other obstacle put in place to obstruct you from enjoying your property, then remove it or destroy it.

By: Gary Smukal

Gary Smukal — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:52:08 +0000

Before I read the full article, my first reaction was just wait until they get the drones in position.
Mr. Robertson showed a lot more class in his reply. I concur with his thoughts.

By: Alexander

Alexander — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:35:48 +0000

“The day was just ending and I was descending
By Grindsbrook, just by Upper Tor
When a voice cried, ‘Hey you!’ in the way keepers do
He’d the worst face that ever I saw
The things that he said were unpleasant
In the teeth of his fury I said
Sooner than part from the mountains
I think I would rather be dead

He called me a louse and said, ‘Think of the grouse’
Well I thought but I still couldn’t see
Why old Kinder Scout and the moors round about
Couldn’t take both the poor grouse and me
He said, ‘All this land is my master’s’
At that I stood shaking my head
No man has the right to all mountains
Any more than the deep ocean bed…”

From the song “Manchester Rambler,” by Scottish (and hard-core Socialist) folksinger Ewan MacColl

By: Jerry Robertson

Jerry Robertson — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 03:42:28 +0000

Excellent article. Glad you enjoyed the hike and thank you for bringing along the history of the area and of those who came to America to find Freedom. Makes one very proud to be part of this lineage….and makes one take another look at the what the current “Lords” are trying to bring back to America.