We’re having a sale this weekend and a fun drawing for RANGE merchandise. Every new subscription purchased between now and midnight on Sunday will receive the next four editions of our beautiful RANGE magazine. Don't miss the great stories, photos, and art as we continue 35 years of celebrating the Cowboy Spirit in America’s Outback. In addition, we will send you our special America 250 edition of the magazine, and your name will go into a drawing for our America 250 RANGE Merch Care Package. Gift subscriptions count too! We’ll post the winners Monday on the RANGE Facebook page. Here’s the easy link to subscribe now…

The old saying, “United we stand, divided we fall,” is very true! Those in power prefer that American citizens concentrate on their differences and avoid any possible common denominators. As long as we stay divided, we are easily manipulated and used. Divided, we fall prey to any and all who want to have power over us. Ben Franklin said, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” A nation whose people are divided is a broken nation.

October 3, 2022

A broken nation cannot be free,

When people hate and disagree.

Removing bits of history

Brings discord, not harmony.

From our revolutionary days,

To wars on prairies against the brave,

From civil wars to world conflicts,

This young nation stood the test.

Resisting tyrants on foreign lands,

Freeing others from their hands,

It was the blood of our young men,

Strangers’ freedom they did win.

When once for Independence they fought,

Now a people who want for naught.

Less satisfied with what they’ve got,

More longing for what can’t be bought.

But if they’d only stop and think,

Their Liberty is on the brink.

Together when the people stand,

Their strength and freedom are in their hands.

The people who once fought for Independence,

Now scream for government dependence.

Our history is tried and true,

The future now is up to you.

Chance Gowan, Science Editor, RANGE Magazine

In the spring edition of RANGE magazine, I wrote about an Oregon “environmental” group’s effort to pass a law that would essentially ban hunting, fishing, agriculture and animal husbandry.

At the time, the proposed measure was floundering. Then hugely wealthy animal-rights groups such as PETA—smelling an opportunity to generate donations from poorly informed bleeding hearts—began throwing buckets of money behind the proposed law known as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions, or the “PEACE Act.”

The proposed act would criminalize hunting, trapping, and fishing, including catch-and-release. It would also outlaw ranching, many common farming practices, pest control, and nearly all forms of wildlife research, animal research, and animal husbandry.

As unbelievable as it may seem, the extreme left wing’s effort to destroy virtually every human interaction with animals, protecting everything from soil microbes to, well, everything living, is now one step closer to becoming law.

This shortsighted and grossly misrepresented effort would also destroy Oregon’s critically important fish and wildlife conservation programs, which are funded largely through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.

I am deeply saddened to report that Oregon is one of a handful of states where ballot measures can essentially be bought and paid for. Sympathetic organizations, some operating far outside the mainstream and others simply smelling an opportunity to enrich their “nonprofits,” urge their supporters to donate money. They then use that money to hire professionals to present a one-sided version of the proposal while collecting enough signatures to place it on the November ballot.

These professional “representatives” do not simply stand around gathering signatures. They solicit them by presenting a wildly misleading picture of what the measure would actually do.

Then, when voters enter the voting booth, the measure’s true intent and consequences are obscured by carefully crafted ballot language. Most voters have never heard of many of the measures appearing before them. Their vote is often based entirely on how the proposal is presented:

“Gee, this measure helps prevent cruelty to animals. I’m for that.”

And the measure passes. It can be as simple as that.

At this juncture, the measure is unlikely to become law this time around, because it still must receive a majority vote. But fear not: The authors of the “PEACE Initiative” are already regrouping and repackaging their proposal for the next election cycle.

Concerned citizens, those with their feet firmly planted in reality, must band together. We need support from manufacturers of hunting, fishing, and outdoor equipment, along with organizations such as the National Rifle Association, to present an honest explanation of what this and similar initiatives would actually mean.

We must ensure they never become law.

Once measures like this pass through the initiative process, they become law without meaningful legislative review or oversight. Once they are voted in, that is it. Done deal.

If this initiative passes, it will decimate agriculture and outdoor recreation while stripping the state of its ability to manage wildlife, natural resources and outdoor recreation.

Call or write to your representatives.

There’s so much going on right now in our country, but we don’t want to keep you from your celebrations. Be on the lookout for an in-depth update next week, and today – enjoy your family, this beautiful land, and our nation’s 250th anniversary.

Happy Independence Day!

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