Mr. President;
I write this, my first letter to an elected official, in the hope that you are not fully aware of the ramifications of using the National Park Service as a tool, indeed, a weapon, against your political opponents.
If there is any small corner left in our Government that people from all parties and political persuasions can feel, at worst, a mild indifference to, and for the most park an admiring appreciation of, it would be The Park Service and its attending Rangers.
With their uniforms that resemble Scouts more than Police or Military, and their archaic Campaign hats , they are seen by most citizens, especially children, as guardians of the nations treasures.
From glades of ancient forest giants to mountains so high you can almost see tomorrow, they guide us safely, acting as walking encyclopedias of the wonders that are preserved for us all. Pointing out the delights we might walk by without seeing on our own , sharing the secret knowledge gained by years of observation that we cannot acquire in the short time most of us can afford to spend away from the grindstone.
They are master teachers, guiding us to the spot where wonders are revealed, then standing aside, not intruding on our thoughts as the wonder becomes our own unique possession, never to be lost.
The places where we all meet on even ground; rich or poor, businessman, laborer, man, woman and child; the natural wonders of the most beautiful land God ever made; the preserved homes, halls and fields where those who came before us can almost be heard walking by; these irreplaceable treasures, the National Parks and those who keep them on our behalf, Must be kept inviolate, unsullied with the things that divide us.
Respectfuly;
A Concerned Citizen
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