DesertRose said:
I don't think Abbey asked to be made some sort of bizarre icon for environmentalists - and so it's unfair to say he didn't walk the walk, actually. He just did his thing and was greatly amused to be held up on a pedestal (actually enjoyed probably throwing things down from the pedestal onto the adoring masses, to see how they'd react . . .)
...Just can't keep my mouth shut...
Maybe it was the last bit that led him to make some of the blistering statements he did. If that is the case, his additions are some of the the most unhelpful, divisive, illogical, selfish things I've ever heard, taking stereotypes, fears, and conspiracy theories to their worst possible conclusions for a primed audience.
Put a barbarian in the beauty of the American Southwest and I think he'll turn in to a poet. I think many independent-minded people could have been Edward Abbey...maybe that's the only difference between him and a legion of sycophants, a sense of personal independence. I also don't think it's strange that anyone who can appreciate beauty would try to protect it, or that a talented artist would create based upon it. What I do think is strange is that someone who preached this gospel of reason to anyone who would listen would take their leave from it so often. He tried to protect it, but did his worst...whether intentionally or in a misguided attempt to do his best.
The world still has plenty of poets, and the beauty of the Southwest will long outlast people like Edward Abbey (I hope...they can and do destroy it with their thoughtless behaviour). I think if we do our best to show that it's worth protecting and preserving, people will come to appreciate it just like he did, and respect it better than his actions ever suggested.
Sometimes (ok, a lot), when I'm angry at someone, I'll want to be completely immature and taunt them with their own behaviour--cut them off and go even slower, yell louder, say even more illogical things, show them my perception of the error of their ways by providing an even worse example. It's a natural first instinct--win a fight. It's also the worst possible choice and benefits nobody, and the older I get and the more positive role models I have (like everyone here), the less I react that way (like what I wrote first). The poor choices others made with regard to the environment were in no way a license for him to do the same--much less to do worse, for his part--and were in my opinion just as childish as my desire to get in front of that jerk in traffic and go eeeeeven slooooower.
I have not read Desert Solitaire. What I have read is the shorts, the statements, the forwards, the opinions...from them I can only conclude that if Desert Solitaire is as good as some of you have said, it's a work that stands separate from its author.
At least it gets us talking about the important things...maybe he did have the right idea, since the end result of his over-the-top statements and poor examples may yet be understanding on everyone else's part.
-Sean
*edit* In retrospect...the guy'd probably enjoy even my own editorializing. After all he did poke himself at some of the things I mentioned...
