How Arrogant!

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Originally posted by tatsxxx11
In fact, the father of the environmental movement, the nation's first notable conservationist, was also one of our greatest presidents, the progressive Republican Teddy Roosevelt.

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I had the pleasure of serving for three years aboard his namesake, the USS Theodore Roosevelt during which time I gained great respect for him as a statesman, writer, historian, naturalist and environmentalist. He is also the architect of the modern U.S. Navy, won the Nobel Peace Prize and busted the trusts. He is one of our most overlooked presidents when the "great" ones are discussed.

There are many who mistakenly refer to him as "Teddy" Roosevelt. He was called "Teddy" by his first wife Alice. When she died he forbade anyone from using it in his presence.

One of the first things we were taught upon arriving at the ship was that it was to be referred to as the "USS Theodore Roosevelt" or the "TR," but never the "Teddy" Roosevelt out of respect for his wishes. To this day I still use Theodore or TR.

Thank you so much for that clarification, jscperson! I certianly meant no disrespect; to the contrary, I admire him greatly! Interesting that so many websites and the "vernacular," continue to refer to him as Teddy! My apologies to Alice and to the President!

What a great experience and honor that must have been for you, serving on the USS Theordore Roosevelt!:)

I have no problem with a feasible environmental strategy, however the extremists have taken over the debate. Wind farms were a golden solution 15 years ago, however now the same environmental groups that were pushing their development are trying to defeat new developments (Nantucket sound and CA) and trying to shut down existing wind farms (CA). Nuclear power was very effectively shut down in the US (No new plants since Seabrook), and Hydro power is anathema to the environmental extremists. If we go to some form of electric vehicle for transportation, where is the electricity going to come from?

There needs to be a bridge from point a (oil dependency) to point b (alternative solutions), but the extremists on both sides won't allow it. Nuclear power is quite safe (Chernobyl could never happen in the US, for one we don't use that reator type, and our safety controls are much more effective), but instead of building plants in the US, GE is shipping plants overseas. Wind and Solar can only at present make up for a small proportion of the power required by the US. Any alternatives, anyone?

Points well taken, LH. I live on Nantucket Sound and so am quite familiar with the controversy currently raging regarding the proposed wind farm to be constructed on Horseshoe Shoals. Environmental impact not withstanding, the case has been taken to federal court, disputing the right of a private, commercial enterprise, namely Cape Wind Farm, to construct these turbines in fedral waters. Certainly no one is naive enough to believe that Cape Wind Farm is acting in the pubic interest, for altruistic reasons. They are out to make a buck and to set such a precedent, to allow similiar private enterprises to construct these tubines in federal water without oversee, is I believe, something we do at our peril.

Opponents and state officials argue that there is no firm regulatory structure to determine how and where offshore wind farms can be built in federal waters, and that the plan should be halted until a clear approval process is established. A powerful anti-wind farm group, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, also filed suit in federal court saying that the Army Corps of Engineers, which licensed the construction of the data tower, had no authority to permit the use of "public waters" to a private developer without clear guidelines in place. That case is pending in federal court.

Yes, in theory, one may argue that this should indeed be a project hearlded by environmentalists. But the postive aspects of the farm may in fact be out weighed by a myriad of negative impacts, including effects upon some of the most fertile fisheries in the country and possbile impact upon weather patterns amd interference with shipping lanes. Here it is not the construction of such a project that is at issue so much as the location.

Being the eternal optimist that I am, and having great faith in American ingenuity and know how, I have to be believe that somewhere out there, there's got to be some emerging Einstien who will come up with the ultimate solution to our energy crissi;)

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Originally posted by tatsxxx11
Thank you so much for that clarification, jscperson! I certianly meant no disrespect; to the contrary, I admire him greatly! Interesting that so many websites and the "vernacular," continue to refer to him as Teddy! My apologies to Alice and to the President!

What a great experience and honor that must have been for you, serving on the USS Theordore Roosevelt!:)

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I'm sorry, I did not mean it to be taken as a correction of what you wrote.

That is a personal choice I still make. Walking the passageways of that great ship and realizing what it represents was a tremendous honor. Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about some aspect of my career in the Navy, including Desert Storm. My office on the TR had a poster with the words of John F. Kennedy:

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Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile -- can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction. "I served in the United States Navy"

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You've given me goosebumps, jcperson! Among my most beloved American heroes are President Roosevelt and President Kennedy, both "Navy men." Their deeds, their words, hold such hope, optimism and inspiration. Thank you for your service to our country!:) And I took NO offense at all at being "corrected!":)

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Originally posted by tatsxxx11
You've given me goosebumps, jcperson! Among my most beloved American heroes are President Roosevelt and President Kennedy, both "Navy men." Their deeds, their words, hold such hope, optimism and inspiration. Thank you for your service to our country!:) And I took NO offense at all at being "corrected!":)

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JFK is the first president I can remember. I was 8 when he was assassinated. I remember that as a time when people rarely spoke ill of the president and even the most vociferous political arguments were on issues rather than personalities.

From everything I've read, TR was most likely our most revered president while in office. When he uttered his famous, "Speak softly, but carry a big stick" line, the White House mail room was deluged with all manner of sticks, clubs and cudgels, many elaborately carved, for him to brandish at speeches. On the USS Theodore Roosevelt we had a tiny TR museum with one of those cudgels on display. It also had a set of his pearl-handled revolvers, stuffed birds he had collected, campaign badges, photos, and other mementos.

I don't have anything to contribute to the conversation right now but I wanted to say I am really enjoying the posts and am learning a lot too! Thank you!

Woe for the day that our Presidents and leaders were held in reverence during their lifetimes. They say the nation lost it's innocence the day that JFK was shot and I do believe that to be true, that innocence replaced by a cynacism and skeptism that is bound to cloud the true merit of the man...or woman.

I was reading an Audobon article recently which noted TR's great love for birds. It may be myth but has been said, that on his death bed, he mentioned among his greatest regrets in passing, was to never again hear the sweet, sad music of the thrush.

For example, TR’s journal sensually describes the sounds of the wilderness birds in this passage, referred to as "Keatsian" by biographers:

"Perhaps the sweetest bird music I have ever listened to was uttered by a hermit thrush....We had been out for two or three hours but had seen nothing; once we heard a tree fall with a dull, heavy crash; and two or three times the harsh hooting of an owl had been answered by the unholy laughter of a loon from the bosom of the lake, but otherwise nothing had occurred to break the death-like stillness of the night....Suddenly the quiet was broken by the song of a hermit thrush; louder and clearer it sang from the depths of the grim and rugged woods, until the sweet, sad music seemed to fill the very air and to conquer for the moment the gloom of the night. I shall never forget it."

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Originally posted by tatsxxx11
I was reading an Audobon article recently which noted TR's great love for birds. It may be myth but has been said, that on his death bed, he mentioned among his greatest regrets in passing, was to never again hear the sweet, sad music of the thrush.

For example, TR’s journal sensually describes the sounds of the wilderness birds in this passage, referred to as "Keatsian" by biographers:

"Perhaps the sweetest bird music I have ever listened to was uttered by a hermit thrush....We had been out for two or three hours but had seen nothing; once we heard a tree fall with a dull, heavy crash; and two or three times the harsh hooting of an owl had been answered by the unholy laughter of a loon from the bosom of the lake, but otherwise nothing had occurred to break the death-like stillness of the night....Suddenly the quiet was broken by the song of a hermit thrush; louder and clearer it sang from the depths of the grim and rugged woods, until the sweet, sad music seemed to fill the very air and to conquer for the moment the gloom of the night. I shall never forget it."

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"Keatsian" is appropriate. Not too many people can write like that anymore.