ADDRESS AT INDEPENDENT CATTLEMEN OF WYOMING

by Roni Bell Sylvester June 20, 2011
Thank you Independent Cattlemen Of Wyoming… for inviting me here today.
Special thanks to Cork Meyer… for giving me opportunity to share my story with you.
Although I’m a native Nebraskan - who lives on a farm in Colorado - you’ve made Wyoming another cherished home.
It’s good to see friends – - - -
Before I started hanging out with that Chuck Sylvester guy over there, I was what you Cowboys call a “Green Horn!”
Speaking of Chuck – today’s his birthday!
Anyway - in many ways I was a Green Horn.
From Colorado. Strike one!
City girl. Strike two!
Knew squat – about cowboys, horses and cows. Strike three!
I should have been OUT!
But… you took this City Slicker in … put me on your “good” horse… sometimes with the bridle inside out…You cranked up the stirrups… then rolled one down, then raised up the other…then hid behind the fuel tank and chuckled over my confusion.
You de-spooked me… pliared off the tics… smacked my horse on the butt… and shouted – “Get around that cow NOW!”
“Damn’t!”
Somehow, you also roped me into cookin’ for the wranglers.
Now that was OK, cause it kinda- sorta- gave me a chance to act like a big shot with control… at least over one hungry dog.
Then, you let me “sit up at the table” with you.
After doing these things for about a year, I made an announcement…
“Well, I figure it’ll take me about three more years before I’ll learn your language - and really sit up at the table with you guys!”
It took 15 years for wisdom to finally prevail.
And today… I can honestly say… “I’ll never be able to sit up at the table with you guys.”
Why?
Because the way your blood runs deep in this soil…
You understand water…care for your horses and livestock.
You never miss a chance to dismount- stoop down- and gently touch a wildflower.
You love that “one good horse”… or… “one good dog.”
You have a canny knowledge of weeds, drought, grass, flood, hail, rain, blizzards, snuffy bulls, snuff, poetry, BLM, town folk, lariats, breached calves, guitars, rank horses, guns, “Little Joe the Wrangler,” banks, mean women, country music and rattlesnakes.
These aren’t things one can inherit.
Or purchase.
Or gain through osmosis.
Or “read a book” and KNOW.
I swear you guys come at a dead spiral out a saddle bag placenta… build a loop… and lasso off your own umbilici cord!
Although a mere infant, you say to your Mom in a low earnest voice… “Get my hat Ma.”
You sling your pudgy little leg over a horse - - put a bare heal to it… and the way you go!
Each of you have more useful stuff stored in your heads, and then a hundred pouty professors packed in a pannier.
OK. Enough about you, you, you, you, you, I wanna talk about ME.
Silence.
OK.
That’s all I know.
Are there any questions?
Questions…….
Ever since Cork emailed and asked me to talk today, I’ve been thinking…thinking…thinking.
What could I possibly tell you… that you don’t already know?
I know what’s on my mind.
What I need to know… is - what’s on your mind?
First off…here’s my disclaimer.
I’m a surface skimmer.
Seriously.
I don’t get into the complex minutia of anything.
For example, I don’t know beef cows.
Yes. I grew up on a dairy farm. But there’s vast difference between milking a Holstein and pushing an Angus cross.
Never once did I put on chaps and spurs to go milk.
Besides haying, we do share commonalities though.
We had to “Keep the milking parlor spotless,” - - because we never knew when the inspector would drop by, and shut us down!
You have to, “Keep that grass at an acceptable height!” - - to pass the range con’s inspection. Lest they take away your AUM’s.
We both lived in fear of “The Banker!”
Many times I heard my Dad mumble, “Got to get these books done. Bob Clark may stop by today.”
Bob Clark owned “Clark Bank” in Papillion. He was “rich” because he was the ONLY person in town who had a swimming pool in his back yard.
We were “impressed,” because our swimming pool was the cow tank in the corral.
For three years - - after my brothers left the farm - - Dad and I tried to run our dairy operation.
I ran the milking… while he toiled in the fields.
It’s was an impossible venture. Dad finally sold the farm when I was 16.
Then I moved to town…then the city of Omaha…then big metropolis of Denver.
Going full circle 40 years later…I landed back…on a farm.
One thing I hate… is using the word I.
It’s rampant here!
Forgive me. But there didn’t seem to be any other way to show you where this is going… without telling you where I came from.
So how did all this private property rights stuff...Good Neighbor Law – Land And Water USA start?
It started with one of those conversations around the table…where the fear of the “Banker” had been replaced by fear of … “The Government.”
Something the Cowboys and I shared!
The Cowboys jawed about moving their cows around…juggling to do split second re-adjustments to Mother Nature…trying to second guess weights…read the markets… find good help…and who’d be the dead tired one that’d have to leave calving…and run to town for vaccine or a tractor part.
Town is ALWAYS at least an hour away—
If-- you’re not pulling a trailer.
If -- the road grader just happen by within the last year.
If you didn’t have food poisoning from potato-salad-in-the-sun-too-long-at branding.
And if – the road isn’t greasy… or gone with a ground blizzard.
Anyway, those weren’t the things that “damn frustrated” them. After all, “That comes with the territory,” they’d say.
What didn’t come with the territory were eco-terrorists, and, “This new, God awful foreign government.”
Seemed the government and these odd people we’ve come to know as eco-terrorists…started sneaking around together…doing stuff short of out-right killing you Cowboys.
Making some say, “It’d be more humane if they’d just shoot me.”
While I was busy trying to earn a seat at the table with you, eco-terrorists had already taken your money - - and bought seats in government.
They sued you. So you had to drop everything and “go to town.”
They cut your fences. So you had to drop everything and fix them.
They plopped un-identified objects on your property, then demanded, “Remove those cattle now! We have to take a look see at that! It might be rare, precious, a jewel, endangered, scenic thing they claimed needed, “Protection from ranchers!”
They poured sand in your equipment tanks. That’s self-explanatory.
They mandated feral horses feed off your forage and grow into massive herds.
They bitched and whined about “My view shed,” complaining “Those stupid Cowboys have the wrong color water tank. It’s disrupting my enjoyable experience with nature.”
And so it goes on and on.
That – is when I made a commitment.
A commitment to be the guy who “went to town.”
I hated what evil people were doing to my Cowboys. “My salt of the earth resource providers!”
So with luxury of time to “go to town” - - “Go to town I did!”
Once I got over the shock of finding out eco-terrorists are paid hacks sent out by government and government’s partners to steal your land and water, I started writing.
Good God I wrote loud.
I was enraged!
It got so bad Dr. Pete Simpson finally jerked my bit and said, “Roni. You’re so shrill you turn me off.”
I gulped and asked, “Shrill like Pat Schroeder?”
Then I called a guy named Ron Arnold. Heard he was a big shot eco-terrorist chaser, and wanted to pick his brain.
The conversation lasted long enough for him to curtly tell me, “You don’t even know enough to ask me a question. Study this so you’ll know what the hell you’re talking about! You’re making a damn fool of yourself and wasting my time!”
So I re-grouped, stepped way back, started learning about the players and worked hard on bringing the whole picture into focus.
Along the way, the many astonishing ways government and eco-terrorists take control of your land and water – began to surface.
Ways including Global Warming, Endangered Species, Conservation Easements, Death Tax, Climate Change, green energy subsidies, Environmental Protection Agency regs, monument designations (Remind me to tell you about our friends in Utah), wildlife corridors, feral horses and adding “non” to navigable waters are some of the many.
Because I’m not an expert in any of these areas, I ventured out to find… the best… brightest… and most honest experts in America.
An expert in any arena that connects back to protecting your land and water…your private property rights.
It’s not enough for them to be terrific in their particular area.
They have to be of unshakable character, love America, honor our constitution and be funny!
One of the main things I love about these experts I call “My Guys”, is that each and every one of them has a robust sense of humor!
They also have to show a kindred chemistry with my Cowboys - and other experts. This insures a good balance of fun and work…so together we can produce powerful products.
This is how Good Neighbor Law evolved… then overlapped into Land And Water USA.
This troupe of experts includes religious leaders, policy research analysts, soldiers, scientists, and yes…even some good politicians…like your own Senator’s Barrasso, Enzi and Congresswoman Lummis.
LAW also has veterinarians, educators, medical doctors and some good lawyers…like Harriet Hageman. There are many good attorneys like Harriet, who freely share their time and knowledge.
They deserve our abundant thanks and appreciation.
I can proudly say that if it has to do with property rights and keeping domestic resource production healthy, I can dip into my reservoir of incredible experts, and get one who can answer your question.
Today, our experts come from around the world. Greece, Czechoslovakia, England, Australia, Canada, Mexico, France to name a few. Because they’ve carried the burden of socialism, they share our passion for staying private property rights!
Each work you see on Land And Water USA – also known as LAW- - is contributed by the author. None have ever asked for compensation.
They love sharing their knowledge. That’s the kind of people they are.
When we see something we believe would fit in, we quietly vet the author, and then ask permission to post their work.
Most likely you’ve noticed we’re engaged in a psychological warfare… unlike anything I’ve witnessed in my 66 years of life.
So where do we go from here?
Good Neighbor Law and Land And Water USA have put together tips that are already helping back down illegal, un-Constitutional activities by government and eco-terrorists.
Good Neighbor Law means, “To use your own so as not to harm another.”
The government and eco-terrorists – have a different way of going…. They “use your own so as to harm you!”
Their end game? Take control of all land and water.
That’s country takeover 101.
And they’re doing it without firing a shot.
This may sound overly dramatic, but it’s true.
And the findings from our experts show…this is fact!
Tips from Land And Water USA
Never forget. When you’re presenting something to someone, count on the fact that someone else is presenting them just the opposite. The recipient of these contraire presentations has to make a decision (choose) between you – and the other. If your case matters enough to you, you’ll want them to choose you.
1) Presentation is everything!
Have you ever wondered why there are so many bad actors on the big screen or TV? It’s because they are “professional auditioners.” They know how to present their product.
2) Be a problem solver.
Think up some practical, workable solutions in advance of your meeting. Go in with the intent to help them solve a problem. Be firm, but not so rigid you snap.
Read as much on the subject as possible. See what others have presented. Boil it down to its simplest form, and then present a solution, in a new and creative way.
3) Watch your words.
Most likely the person you’ll be making your case to will be a bureaucrat. Picture them as a little guy or gal, with vulnerabilities, feelings and the ability to get scared…just like you.
Don’t threaten, bully, or try to quote law. They will shut down, dismiss you, fight you, or clomp onto something and use it against court of law…against you.
4) Remember the B’s: Breath, Body, Butt, Boobs. Don’t let any of it stink or hang out!
Dress in a way that shows you respect yourself and the person you’re meeting. Check those little things, because 99.9% of the time, they will become the big things that kill your deal.
Remember, the recipient will choose you… or the other.
5) Mind your manners. Manners never go out of style.
Remember my encounter with Pete? Yup! I’d forgotten my manners, and lost the sell.
6) Be alert to what’s going on around you.
Build and keep in mind a whole picture. Don’t be myopic and think only of your special area.
7) Choose “one” area, then stay focused on that.
8) Know what it is you want to know.
Remember the reaming from Ron? I had no clue as to what I wanted to know. I rambled and wasted his time.
9) Identify and know your enemy. Then work hard to maintain a united front.
One affective ploy eco-terrorists and government use, is to stir the neighbors into fight’n and feud’n by dangling money and puffed up agreements in front of them. When they’ve fractured and splintered the neighbors off from one another, they easily pick them off one by one.
10) Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
The only stupid question is – well see Number 8. A gracious person will answer kindly. A slob won’t. How the person answers will be more telling about them…than you. And that – will be good information for you to have.
11) Rely on our Constitutions as your foundation and truth for everything.
Our U.S. and State Constitutions are written in plain speak. That’s how brilliant our forefathers were. They knew the grace of putting words together in ways everyone could understand…and apply. Don’t let anyone try to sell you on some deep philosophical psychobabble interpretation. They’re contorting it to serve their goal of self-enrichment.
Construct you presentation around upholding our Constitutions. Demand your governments follow Administrative Procedures, and expect them to terminate any activity that is un-Constitutional.
12) Have each person who sets foot on your property sign a Property Admittance Agreement.
You’ll find Sample Forms on: www.LandAndWaterUSA.com Look for one that most closely suits your particular situation, tailor then use it.
Each person who asks to mull around on our property, hunters, wood gatherers, public servants, children, “the help,” higher education teachers, relatives, is required to sign a “Property Admittance Agreement.”
Another that’s useful is the “Public Servants Questionnaire.”
Ask, “Are you a government employee?” If they say yes, have them sign both the Private Property Admittance Agreement – and the Public Servants Questionnaire. Signing these agreements won’t stop those who intend to harm, but knowing their name is on a legal agreement will definitely slow them down.
13) Show me the law.
If someone shows up on your doorstep and starts barking orders at you, take Karen Budd-Falen’s tip and state firmly, “Show me the law.”
Stand your ground. Don’t take, agree to take, or sign anything right then. Make them show you the law, and ask them to leave their materials for your review. Tell them you’ll consult with your lawyer and get back to them.
Don’t be a jerk and play games. Give them a definite date you’ll get back to them…then do it!
14) Never lose sight of how you factor into the equation.
The one talent God gave me is - the ability to read people. I can read human body language the way Doc Beeman can read a horse.
Something really interesting emerged from one of the many times I was asked to sit and “read the players around the table.” Much to my surprise I discovered: Everyone around the table was so busy reading each other, that none – read themselves. That’s right. None “factored themselves into the equation.”
Example: One would act like a non-hemorrhoided asshole… explode the whole deal…then walk away bitching about “those lousy bastards.” They never saw how it was their action that aborted the deal.
Donald Trump is a master at “factoring himself in the equation.” While he’s studying the other players, he never loses sight…of himself. He’s a good model to study.
15) Call whatever by its correct name.
One of the reasons why Land And Water USA is fast becoming one of the most reliable resources on the World Wide Web is the fact we’re not afraid to call whatever by its correct name.
Examples: It’s not “wild” horse. It’s “feral” horse! They’re not prairie “dogs,” they’re prairie “rats!”
We know full well that political correctness is a necessary part of behavior modification. We won’t be behaviorally modified. Why should we be?
We see very clearly, and recognize the difference between right and wrong, good and evil.
The political correctness police refuse to identify themselves, so to us – they’re phantom nothings.
Unlike eco-terrorists, the phantoms and low bred bureaucrats, we don’t engage in bad – or illegal behavior. We’re not rude. We’re just accurate. And that – scares the hell out of them!
16) Empower your local authorities to - “claim their authority.”
Federal must recognize local authority! That’s the law. Federal is required to notify counties the minute they think of an action. Help your County Commissioners put a coordination plan in place. Federal must recognize that authority. Use that authority to pull actions targeted to harm, to a screeching halt!
Here are some NEPA illustrations you can use as a bit of a directory. One of the biggest violations by government is their blatant dismissal of the Human Dimension – cultures/custom and economic impact on a community – as required in NEPA.
That’s all for now. I encourage you to get on that website. Study it. Use us. That’s what we’re here for.
Questions:
I made a commitment to “Go to town” for my guys, and will continue doing so… until I need a youngster to take the reins.
Thank you again, for inviting me. It’s a pleasure – and honor - to be with you “salt of the earth” Cowboys.
My Green Horn hat off to you!