ku # 625 / man & nature # ~ America's Best Idea - sort of, but not really
Monday, October 5, 2009 at 10:36AM 
Roadside Autumn splendor ~ near Ticonderoga, NY • click to embiggenMost here in the good 'ole US of America who have any interest in the landscape of America, photography-wise, probably watched all or part of the recent PBS / Ken Burns series, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. The 6-part documentary basically covers -
...the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. from - PBS.org
In the telling, the story -
...is a visual feast, featuring some of the most extensive, breathtaking images of the national parks system every captured on film. from - PBS.org
Need I even mention that Sir Ansel, his pictures and his conservation advocacy, was featured prominently in the "visual feast" of "breathtaking images"?
The media has fallen all over itself while heaping fawning praise and adulation upon the series. To be fair, there was some critical analysis of the series scattered about the media landscape but one is much more likely to be reading / hearing words like majestic, stunning, inspirational, pride, rich cinematography, scenery that is almost unspeakable in its gorgeousness, a must see, and so on.
That said, IMO, the words of Pittsburgh Penguins announcer, Mike Lange, are what come to my mind -
How much fried chicken can you eat?
Now, it should be stated that Mike uses that Langeism to denote a good thing - like when Evengi Malkin beats an opposing netminder "like a rented mule". However, I use that expression when I want to get across the idea of puking. You know, like when you eat way too much of a good thing (fried chicken?) and end up spewing lunch.
That said, I didn't watch much of America's Best Idea because, for the most part, it made me want to puke.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to rewrite history and/or eliminate / change America's National Parks. For the most part, they protect things that are very worthy of being protected. But ...
... unfortunately, for a wide variety of reasons - to include quite prominently presentations just like Burns' documentary - the idea of National Parks which are intended as "set-asides", primarily for the "grand and glorious", does an enormously harmful diservice to idea of preservation / conservation for the rest of the natural world.
To wit, if it ain't grand and glorious, pave it and put up a parking lot.
The very idea of a set-side, aka: National Park, is an idea that separates man from nature - indeed an idea that, at its core, separates man from his very nature as an integral part of nature. We are it. It is us. In a very real sense, the idea of National Parks as "special" places that are worthy of protection / preservation lays the mental and emotional groundwork / rationale that "anything goes" for the rest of the "un-special" planet.
Once again, don't get me wrong. I am certain that National Parks have captured the preservation / conservation imagination of some people and that some of those people have taken the fight for preservation / conservation to places that are on a smaller, less spectacular scale. But, I also suspect that for the majority of citizens in the good 'ole US of America, National Parks are little more than a Disneyland of sorts that one visits on vacation and then returns to their "normal" life of devouring the rest of the planet one small patch of earth at a time.
In effect, a visit to one or, for that matter, all of the National Parks might lead one to the belief that, as an American Indian park superintendent says in the film:
America is not sidewalks. America is not stores. America is not video games. America is not restaurants.
To which I would respond - what set-aside planet is he/she living on?
Reader Comments (6)
National parks are symbols of rich people's bad consciousness. "Let's save some tiny piece of land to show that we care about the environment". I get your nausea. I've seen part of the series myself. The title got me interested. Americas Greatest idea – talk about propaganda! It’s like hearing my own prime minister (of Norway) claiming that Norway should not stop drilling for oil or digging for coal since we do more environmentally friendly than other energy producing nations. Just another lie for the people to feed on.
There's something in what you say, but this series had much more. For one, the efforts of people to despoil/steal these wonderful places. (And they are wonderful, even if there are others that are also noteworthy). For another, the broadening of the Park Service mandate to protect and support places of historic and cultural, not just scenic, importance.
Perhaps if you had watched more of the series, you would have noticed these things.
I consider myself to be an avid landscape photographer, but I got bored with the show quite quickly.
I got pretty bored with the documentary also and more than a little turned off by a couple of references that seemed to be saying that the National Parks are the only places in America where people can have transcendent experiences with the natural world. I believe I can achieve transcendence in my own back yard--no snow-capped mountain peak required. And I got very bored with the repetitive scenery shots too. How many times did Half Dome pop up?
I was however, very intrigued to learn more about John Muir. I studied him in college but I don't think I was paying attention.
To VB:
Yes, there are some interesting stories about people trying to despoil what are now national parks. But, by any chance, have you taken a look around this country lately? There are nearly endless landscapes that are being obliterated. What about the mountains of West Virginia that are now missing? The Sand Hills of NE? The recent ravage of the Northern Appalachian Plateau by this damn Marcellus Shale drilling? Logging of our old growth forests in the northwest, Alaska, the southern Appalachians? Not to mention a complete lack of respect or care toward the lands that we actually inhabit, real places where people actually live.
In my opinion, the national parks have become a little shiny distraction that those in power flash in front of the populations eyes to make them forget about how we abuse the rest of our home.
Puke Mark?? ..really ? I guess I agree with VB on this... Man you guys need to lighten up a little......