It’s online now. It’s about the U.S. Army’s attempt to seize hundreds of thousands of acres of private ranch land.
In the asymmetrical war these ranchers are fighting, they use any weapon they can, because theirs is an opponent that tends to win: the U.S. Army.
The Army already occupies 245,000 acres of Colorado’s desolate Piñon Canyon, which it uses for large-scale, force-on-force mechanized brigade combat exercises involving tanks and armored units. But since 2006 Uncle Sam has had his eye on at least 418,000 acres more, to handle increased demand for maneuvers and the expansion of Fort Carson.
Most of that land is private property in the Comanche National Grasslands lying between the rustic ranching towns of La Junta, Trinidad, and Walsenburg. The proposed annexation, which would create a contiguous Army-owned area 85 percent the size of Rhode Island, has attracted loud opposition from local landowners, environmentalists, scientists, and politicians. Their combined efforts were enough to gain a congressionally ordered reprieve in 2007, but the Army appears determined to wear them down. In fact, the training ground expansion may be just the first phase of an enormous land grab potentially involving millions of acres
Well, well, Mister Garrison, you’ve really made the grade, and the papers want to know who’s shirts you wear.
Great article but why do you hate the US Army?
Now that you’re famous are going to sell the movie rights to this article?
Only if you represent me. Five percent?
Good stuff, herr hauptmann. :techman:
Given the right script, it probably could be a good movie. Look at other issue based movies – China Syndrome and such. Find a sympathetic character and build the case against the evil government stealing their land. It works when it is an evil corporation.
The best part is that in the movie, the citizens can win.
Thank you Terry for the even keeled article. You did a great job…Micheal, he doesn’t hate the Army and neither do any of us living in Southeastern CO….we just hate what they are trying to do to us. I’ve worked long and hard for my dream and I’ll be damned if the Army is going to take it from me. But that doesn’t make me unpatriotic. I send care packages to soldiers serving in Iraq on a regular basis. Our beef isn’t with the soldiers but the “brass” behind the curtains.
I like the idea of a movie….with the “real” ending of the citizens winning..cause that is what we are going to do.
I really enjoyed the article – it’s how I found this site – I hope to see more of ‘em in the future!