‘In 1970, a Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson raised his voice and called on every
American to take action on behalf of the environment,” read President Obama’s Earth Day
proclamation last year. “In the four decades since, millions of Americans have heeded that call
and joined together to protect the planet we share.”
Well, I’ve got news for our President. Millions of Americans who had never heard of Gaylord
Nelson “took action on behalf of the environment,” decades before the good Senator “raised his
voice.” More newsworthy still, most of these belonged to those insufferable rustics who “cling to
guns and bibles.” To wit:
The Pittman-Robertson Act (1937) imposed an excise tax of 10 per cent on all hunting gear.
Then the Dingell-Johnson act (1950) did the same for fishing gear. The Wallop-Breaux
amendment (1984) extended the tax to the fuel for boats. All of this lucre goes to “protect the
environment” in the form of buying and maintaining National Wildlife Refuges, along with state
programs for buying and maintaining various forms of wildlife habitat.
For the last couple of decades hunters and fishermen have contributed over $1.5 billion per year
towards Senator Gaylord Nelson’s lofty goal. To date, hunters and fisherpersons have shelled
out over $20 billion “on behalf of the environment.” A study by the National Shooting Sports
Foundation found that for every taxpayer dollar invested in wildlife conservation, hunters and
fishermen contribute nine.
So please note: to "preserve nature," they don’t tax Birkenstock hiking boots and Ying-Yang
pendants – but do tax my shotgun. They don’t tax Yoga manuals and Tofu tid-bits wrapped
in recycled paper – but do tax my 30.06 deer rifle. They don’t tax binoculars or birding Field
Guides with cutesy photos of the red-cockaded woodpecker and spotted Owl – but do tax the
shotgun shells I blast at Mallards before arraying on my grill as Duck-K-Bobs (cooked rare and
lovingly basted with plenty of butter, Cajun seasoning and teriyaki sauce).
Going further, they don’t tax Kayaks and rock climbing picks and ropes – but do tax my
compound bow and rifle scope. They don’t tax the plastic water bottles on Mountain bikes (or
the mountain bike itself, come to think of it) or the cutesy spandex shorts these yo-yos wear –
but do tax my duck decoys and camo pants. They don’t tax Yanni and Enya CDs – but do tax
the arrows I fling at Bambi before he sizzles on my grill as Bambi-burger (lovingly draped with
thick bacon slices that dribble their appetizing fat into the meat while cooking. Then a chunk of
cheddar cheese melted on top.)