My son Frank III with "the lost watch buck" that I wrote about in my last column. 
The buck was taken during the Southern Zone Firearm season providing many
cutlets and ground venison.

Written by Frank Carbone Jr.

“Preserving all of our Bill of Rights”

As I write my column on the third day of the 2002 Southern Zone Muzzleloader season for deer and bear I can’t help but think what a great season that we’ve all had this year. The snow is always a welcome site to deer hunters. I’m grateful for the bounty of the land and also for the enjoyable times that I’ve spent with family and friends while hunting. Uncle Mike, Frank III, Nick, Paul, Dennis and Jeff -- thanks guys for the great memories and for sharing in the bounty of hunt. It didn’t matter if we tagged one or not we just don’t measure success afield by the number of tags that we fill out or if our game bag is filled.

As many of us already know success is measured by the good times, the quality times spent with family and friends and then talking about those memorable moments next year, at the next gathering and for the coming years.

So as the regular firearm deer season ends and as of this writing we’re in the middle of the muzzle-loader season. I have a few good stories to tell of this past season. I’ll get back to the stories later but for now I’d like to talk about something that concerns me greatly -- it‘s more important than hunting and I consider hunting to be very important to me. But what could be so important to me that I would postpone writing about hunting experiences during deer season.

My concern is about our Bill of Rights and our Civil Rights. The first ten Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, which were ratified December 15, 1791, and comprise a declaration of fundamental rights that are held by all U.S. Citizens. Every once in awhile “we the people” need to remind certain public servants that the Bill of Rights are still in force today -- and for that I’m very grateful.

Editors, investigative reporters, writers, TV’s O’Reilly, Hannity and Colmes (and others like them), writers of letters to the editor and op ed pieces, even outdoor writers all work under the protection of the Bill of Rights, especially Article I -- “Religious Establishment Prohibited. Freedom of Speech, of the Press, and the Right to petition.”

Yes it is illegal to shout “fire” in a crowded theater and to continually harass another individual or to make statements about another individual that are untrue or libelous.

I recently read a report (Times Herald Record 12/9/02) quoting New York State Senator William Larkin R-C Cornwall-on-Hudson. Mr. Larkin was talking to the reporter about the opponents of a state project (long in the planning stages) to build an interchange at the intersection of Route I-84 and Drury Lane. In my opinion this particular project has already been started with a connecting road on airport property. The project will connect I-84 to Stewart Airport through what I refer to as the “back door project.”

While Mr. Larkin was quoted commenting on the people who oppose the project he said that many of them haven’t lived in the area for very long. While I’m not sure who these new folks are, the Bill of Rights doesn’t make a distinction between newcomers or long term residents. The last time that I checked you still just simply have to be an American citizen in order to exercise your 1st Amendment Rights and be protected by the Bill of Rights.

But the quotes at the end of the article are very much surprising to me. “Now we have a new crew on the block that says we don’t want it.” Said Larkin. “If you don’t like that here, pick up and leave.” Just who is this new crew and why should they “pick up and leave.” As far as I know the three major organizations who are co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the Interchange project are the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs and the Sierra Club -- both long standing local organizations. The third co-plaintiff is the Stewart park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC) and the driving force that has been in existence since 1987 and is known throughout New York and surrounding states.

The particular news article makes reference to the I-84 Interchange Project. But even if Senator Larkin’s comments make reference to “a new crew on the block” re the airport proper it doesn’t make good political sense to tell people to “pick up and leave” just because they disagree with their senator.

I’ve heard this said before when I worked for a “Fortune 5” company and one particular high level manager made a similar statement at a manager/employee meeting. That if anyone didn’t like the way things were being done within the company “well there’s the door” -- needless the to say the individual didn’t last much longer as a manager. The company had “open door policies” and other methods for employees to redress grievances -- very similar to our 1st Amendment and Bill of Rights.

My best advice to anyone who doesn’t agree with what their government (or public servant) is doing or saying is to “Speak-up” loud and clear and express your opinion, pleasure or displeasure with their actions. Make a phone call, put it in writing, share it with others, a letter to the editor or speak up at a public meeting. This is our right as Americans and this is what our Nation was founded on. Many folks and our ancestors before us have shed much blood, sweat and tears so that we could be free to speak freely in a free nation without having to worry about a public servant of the people telling us to “pick up and leave” if you don’t like it. A public servant of the people should be defending the Bill of Rights -- after all didn’t they swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States when they took office.

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Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season -- see you next year!

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Outdoor Liaisons appears every other week in the Times - Frank can be reached at the Times or email forthebirds39@earthlink.net or 845-562-0941. Please visit my website at www.outdoorliaisons.com