Nearly 1,000 dKos visitors have clicked on the link in my signature line to see the picture of a cowboy I put there. Some of you even stuck around to read his stories. Thanks to all of you who took the time to do that. The man in the picture,
William S. McCarter, is my grandfather, son of a Populist member of Idaho's Second Legislature, and my father's father. Grandpa, Dad, and I all grew up on the same Idaho ranch. From him and Dad, I learned what a cowboy really is. And what a cowboy definitely isn't.
I'm going to retire the signature line tonight. I can't help thinking how embarrassed Grandpa would be to know that hundreds of people had looked at his picture. For one thing, he was an incredibly modest man. For another, there's one small thing in the picture that bothered him his whole life. He didn't take the time to shoe his horse before riding over to see Grandma--the photographer--whom he was courting at the time. Seeing his unshod horse every time he looked at the picture was reminder that he had this one small act of irresponsibility.
Modesty and responsibility are only two of the things that set off Grandpa, and most other cowboys I know, from the likes of George Bush. Another is a profound sense of community. The pioneer experience and the dangers of ranch life and isolation reinforced the connections between neighbors, and the commitment held among all to work together, help one another, and celebrate together. It also reinforced a sense of continuity--a responsibility both to the past and to the future.
Most of the ranchers and dryland farmers in our community held a profound connection to the land. It had to be protected and preserved just as a matter of ensuring one's livelihood, but beyond that, ensuring that ensuing generations would have it to work, live off of, and protect for their own children. It's a commitment to the generations that came before, and to those that follow. Cowboys, ranchers, small farmers, and maybe even sheepmen (it's a stretch for me to write that) all understand very well that what they do the land today can have a profound impact on their children's future.
For all these reasons, and a myriad of others, I'm personally insulted every time I hear someone call Bush a cowboy. The "cowboyism" he tries to emulate is a fiction created in Hollywood and perfected by Ronald Reagan (who could at least ride a damn horse). The shoot-first and damn-the-consequences mentality is antithetical to the cowboy, who's life is capricious enough with unpredictable weather, horses, farm equipment, the bank, all posing an imminent threat. They don't go looking for trouble.
So before you toss of that "cowboy" epithet when talking about our pResident, think about Grandpa, and Dad. To make it a little less personal, here are three more exemplary individuals, all real cowboys.
Tom Lasater, survived by his son, Dale. Tom is the environmentalist and rancher profiled in Fast Food Nation.
Ken Salazar, Colorado Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate
Senator Bob Graham, who doesn't need me to testify to his integrity.