Candidate Ryan Hartman and Earth First

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In today's Palm Beach Post page B3--

At the Bryant Park Neighborhood forum:
"...there was a brief testy exchange between Amoroso and Hartman after the commissioner called Hartman a “self-proclaimed anarchist” [Hartman has already said that he is a philosophical anarchist who believes in benevolence towards others...See my blog]. The Post writer goes on to say that Hartman plans to bring a group of Earth First! members to the city in February to register to vote, per Amoroso. "Earth First! is a radical environmental advocacy group," the Post wrote.

Actually, Hartman has never said that he personally plans to bring this group to our city as stated in the Post article or has anything to do with this group's decision to come to Lake Worth or that he has any clout over a national movement. A radical is anyone who takes a position against the norm or just takes action for what he believes.  A simple definition of the word "radical" is that others are actually trying to get things done or take a different position than the norm. Most of us just sit around and do nothing when something "bugs" us. Constitutionalists are considered "radical" by progressive Democrats. I've been called a "radical" by some in this city for my conservative political views.

At the forum, Commissioner Amoroso said that we need to embrace all people but in this article he said, “They will be making decisions for you, the taxpayers,” Amoroso said. “It’s a wedge piece.” Hartman responded to the Amoroso charge by saying that the Earth Firsters are coming to produce an outdoor musical and even asked the audience if anyone wanted to help with it. “None of them, to my knowledge, will be sleeping in Bryant Park,” Hartman said.

Read the article...

Earth First describes itself as not an organization, but a movement.  They actually try to protect the environment and our planet that in many ways are being slaughtered by human activity. "There are no members of Earth First!, only Earth Firsters. It is a belief in biocentrism, that life of the Earth comes first, and a practice of putting our beliefs into action."

Earth First! has survived attacks by moderates, would-be leaders and the agents of the system, remaining the most diverse, passionate, committed, and uncompromising group of environmental activists. Our direct actions in defense of the last wild places only seem radical compared to an entire paradigm of denial and control, where the individual is convinced they are powerless, and the organizations set up to protect the wilderness continue to bargain it away."