The fuss Ken Burns has created with his PBS Series about our National Parks is astonishing. It seems like every magazine and newspaper editor has found something to say about our National Parks and National pride. By jumping on the bandwagon, there may even be a chance to save them from the neglect that is currently affecting National and,( in California) State Parks. Maybe the lesson will rub off and help our state parks as well.
Guilty, I am for knowing so little about them. I hadn't a clue that setting aside land for the people to use collectively in this country was an entirely new idea in governance that has spread throughout the world. And, guilty I am for visiting so few of them. With 391 sites, parks, monuments and preserves, there is much to see and do.
Have the National Parks simply not done a good PR job? Ney, again! Their first real leader fought hard to pull visitors into the parks and succeeded.
I had no idea of the fighting spirit needed and the private money of the Rockefellers and others that went into making these great places available to you and me. Now they stand forever so our own children and their children will have great beauty, history and unique plants and animals to see as we do. Let us appreciate and support them, for indeed, they are a unique legacy and our country's Presidents, Congressmen and citizens, did it right.
Tomorrow, Jim and I are headed for Yosemite. Last year, above photo, my son and his family and friends visited The Grand Canyon.
No comments:
Post a Comment