ABQjournal Opinion: Letters to the Editor
Bush Sends Parks to the Dogs

THE THEME of “White House Christmas 2007” was Holiday in the National Parks. As a prelude to the airing on HGTV of a tour of the White House, television stations aired segments of a program in which George and Laura Bush appointed their pet dogs as Junior National Park rangers.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), “Our National Park system— the first and finest in the world— is in dire straits right now.” According to the NPCA, there is an estimated $4.9 billion backlog of park maintenance that needs to be done to preserve our national parks. …

Watching the program in which George and Laura appointed their dogs as junior rangers, I was reminded of the Roman Emperor who appointed his horse as a Roman senator to express the emperor’s contempt of the Roman Senate.

George Bush has been accused of trying to establish an imperial presidency. Judging from his contempt for the National Park system and its visitors, he obviously believes he has achieved his goal.

RONALD GRENKO
Albuquerque

[mjh: Amen, Ron. Note the irony that most National Parks don’t allow dogs (at least, on trails). One year and nine days until the End of the Bush Error.]