First, let me say that I'm not a member of the Sierra Club. I'm not generally in favor of anyone or any group who uses questionable science and hysteria in order to seek government control over the property of others.

Generally speaking (always dangerous ground), "environmentalists" tend to be leftists who favor BIG government, more regulation and they tend to oppose capitalism. Many sincerely love the outdoors and many are sincerely concerned about harm to and destruction of the natural environment. To my way of thinking, environmentalists come in a number of flavors just as any group can be categorized into separate factions.

Most reasonable people advocate good stewardship and sound resource practices but many of us don't see government force and regulation as the best answer to every environmental issue. Many of us are concerned conservationists who love the outdoors, but we don't really have anything else in common with environmental activists who are out to be central planners for the world.

All that said, we should still be concerned when anyone---even leftists----are smeared with the same "racist" brush they use on anyone else who opposes their political agenda.

The Sierra Club has been one of the leading environmental groups and like any group of such large size, they have members on opposite ends of the spectrum with regard to the best policy positions they should take. They believe that human population has a powerful impact on the global environment, therefore, they advocate stabilization of human population.

Here's where other issues enter the arena. Immigration (legal and illegal) has caused massive changes in the U.S. population. The Sierra Club years ago adopted a position of "neutrality on immigration" because leftists and the politically correct dominated their membership. Now, some people within the Sierra Club believe that the Sierrans must address the issue of immigration to be consistent in their policy and to address the real environmental impact. Here's where it gets really interesting.

Several candidates for the Board of Directors have advocated a change in Sierra's "neutrality," that is, to open the issue for debate and perhaps advocate limitations on immigration as a means to protect the environment. [ See Board Candidate's answer on question number 9. ] Columnist John Leo suggests that three of the candidates have been "tarred with charges" of racism.

Race-baiters have brought in the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to help them defeat these people by labeling them "racists." The people they're labeling as racists are people who don't fit the typical profile of a racist, at least not SPLC's typical use of the term. I have no idea how long Morris Dees has been a member of the Sierra Club, but I note that he is a "petition" candidate for the Board of Directors. Dees has not returned his candidate questionnaire, so his info is not online with the order Board Candidates.

The SPLC, self-described hate-group trackers and watchdogs, have become corporate hitmen. If you need to discredit someone, just label them as racists and get professional smear artists to help. If you want to label someone a racist, who do you call in? The SPLC, of course.

The John Leo column below (with other news stories) has more on this Sierra story.

What the SPLC does is unconscionable whether it's assassinating the character of left-leaning environmental activists or heritage groups like the Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The SPLC----as character assassins who specialize in "hits" using the "Racist" label----are a major part of the immigration problem because the "racism smear" threat will be used on any group that proposes immigration policy changes.

The United States simply MUST address the problems caused by massive uncontrolled immigration be they educational, health, security, crime, financial or environmental. It would be much easier to address the ROOT CAUSE and simply shut down immigration completely for a period of time.

Political correctness, which always obscures the truth, never helps to solve any problem. It almost always makes any given problem worse.

While it is questionable whether the federal government should be involved in protecting spotted owls, old growth forests and caribou migration paths, protecting our borders and enforcing existing laws (immigration and other) is the job of government. It seems that half of Congress wants to ignore the immigration problem---perhaps profiting from it----and the rest is paralyzed with fear that they will be labeled as racists if they propose reasonable changes.

We the people are enablers to this subversion. We must stand up to let our legislators and our governors and president know we expect action and results, not excuses and pandering. Our security and our future is at stake. Will we defend ourselves and our American heritage? Or will we let demagogues browbeat us into surrender with lies?

A Really Ugly Shade of Green - by John Leo on Townhall.com.

Sierra Splinter Group: Support US Population Stabilization

Google News on Sierra Immigration split

Bush Explains Immigration Policy