It was gubernatorial candidate Ronald Reagan who said, "If you've seen one = redwood tree.....", but not really. It's a paraphrase. See http://www.sn= opes.com/quotes/reagan/redwoods.asp=20 =20 Cheers, Mary Anne
>>> On 4/10/2007 at 2:51 PM, in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED] rv.umd.edu>, William Silvert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I checked quite a few sources and I have to say that not only did Watt =3D deny making the statement, he also pointed out that his Pentacostal =3D faith required that we look after the earth and protect it. While I =3D think he was a pretty lousy Secretary of the Interior, I attribute that = =3D to the development philosophy that he shared with his party and not to =3D his religious values. I do not see any evidence that he made the =3D statement and then backtracked. Spiro Agnew on the other hand -- while I have not checked for =3D references, I personally remember when he made that statement (if you =3D have seen one redwood, you've seen them all) which was definitely a =3D rejection of the concept of habitat conservation, and he was no =3D conservationist! I might add that Agnew's comment hit the fan as soon as = =3D he made it, while Watt's alleged comment only appeared much later. Bill Silvert ----- Original Message -----=3D20 From: Wayne Tyson=3D20 To: William Silvert ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 7:33 PM Subject: Intellectual integrity Truth and Fact Re: Overshoot, Homo =3D colossus, detrivore ecosystem, dirty commies, pestilence, nuclear =3D meltdown etc., ad infinitum. Whether or not it is written that Watt said ""God gave us these things = =3D to use. After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back," does the = =3D statement truly reflect his attitude, actions, and personality? While I = =3D respect Silvert's mea culpa, I don't doubt that Watt was capable of such = =3D a statement, nor do I doubt that history was, at that time, commonly =3D rewritten, "misspeaking" was common, and "maximum feasible denial" was =3D THE mantra of the times. Times haven't changed much, eh? =3D20 Facts commonly fall short of truth, and truth is not a mere fact. =3D That's why a single datum is an inadequate basis for a conclusion. =3D20 WT
