----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Aaron Grahn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 11:52:26 AM Subject: Re: [badnarik2004] LP mascot
How about the mountain lion? Sure it's a predator, but then so is every living thing, with the exception of, maybe, lichen. Some may prey on plants, some on animals, but they all eat other living (or previously living) things. The cougar is a solitary hunter, provides for itself, rarely attacks maliciously, and is capable of defending itself if attacked. It is clearly adaptable to a wide range of habitats, and is very survivable. Or maybe the rat? Rats manage somehow to live and thrive freely in virtually any habitat, in spite of the fact that humans have done and do everything in their power to destroy all rats with which they come in contact. An individual rat has no hope of survival in any contest of strength, cunning, or technology with a human, and yet the rats find a way, living beneath the radar, in the shadows. Similarly, the libertarian who actually wishes to live free must live as a "stainless steel rat", live without a desirable job or a late model car, probably without a fixed place of residence, certainly without bank accounts or credit cards, probably without any kind of motorized transportation. You don't (yet) have to register a horse, I believe. The libertarian must avoid encounters with government as strenuously as the rat avoids encounters with humans, for government can and will destroy, kill, and torture with no more thought or remorse than you or I would devote to the killing of a rat. I think that, of the two, I prefer the rat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat On the subject of color: a case could be made for black. The black market is the free market. OK, my metaphors are not in line with popular culture, and probably wouldn't be useful in a propaganda campaign. But I like them. Sincerely, Aaron Grahn If government were valuable, taxes would be voluntary. marc guttman wrote: A few months ago, while driving cross-country with my father, we discussed politics a bit. He asked me what animal would be a good mascot for the LP. We came up with a few criteria and then he suggested an animal that would fit well. Some of our criteria: - a non-predator/aggressor - an animal that provides for itself (ie. does not live off of humans like pets and farm animals) - an animal that can defend itself - an animal that leaves its environment better than it was found My father suggested that the industrious beaver would fit our criteria and would make a good mascot. from http://www.beavers-beavers.com/: "The Beaver is one of the most reputable animals and is definitely a much-admired rodent in both the United States and Canada. It is the National symbol of Canada and two US states, namely Oregon and New York have adopted it as the state symbol...The animal slaps the water in the case of danger. It is believed that this sort of slapping may be a warning signal meant to other Beavers who usually establish their homes up or down the same stream...Beavers feed mainly on what they can find in their habitat. This includes vegetarian food such as aspen, willow, cottonwood, leaves, apples, crops, and similar fare. Fish can also comprise Beaver's ration, yet the animal does not hunt. It eats dead fish found near-by. Careful and prudent, Beavers hide food in their underwater tunnels to make use of it in winter periods...Beavers are considered a "cornerstone species" since they change the habitat they live in like no other animal. Thanks to the Beaver, other species such as turtles, frogs, birds, and fish can find a good home and enjoy naturally created habitat. Naturally created wetlands help to cleanse the water and serve as filters that are instrumental in getting rid of pollutants and silt. These areas are a valuable means of irrigation and water control...[However,] Dams result in flooding which can be negative for forests, roads, and agriculture. Beavers may damage fish and farm ponds and destroy agricultural crops when feeding. A number of other dreadful effects caused by this species' activities have aroused the need for managing Beavers and preventing them from undesirable habitat changes." The defensive porcupine would also be a good mascot: from http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/porcupine.htm: "The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat makes the barbs expand and they become even more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the fisher, are experts at attacking porcupines...The common porcupine is an herbivore. It eats leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal, but will sometimes forage for food in the day...The common porcupine is a solitary animal, although it may den with other porcupines in the winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad weather. The common porcupine is a good swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts, coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking." I've heard the penguin and the skunk recommended in the past. What color would a libertarian state be? White (the inclusion of all colors). SPONSORED LINKS Presidential election White house Us presidential elections YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "badnarik2004" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
