I have to agree about the stereotype issue, on both sides. It probably has a great deal to do with the fact that it is the extremists who get noticed. Nobody pays much attention to ranchers who are great stewards of the land, because their property just looks like more wilderness. But you can’t ignore a giant cattle feedlot. Likewise with the environmental movement. it is the nutjobs that stand out. I guess it is that way with every movement. There will always be a fight to keep the extremists from hijacking the narrative and making the whole group look bad. I can definitely see potential for this in the pipeline protest.
I don’t dislike hippies. I guess when I talk about hippies, I really am talking about people who proudly conform to the stereotype, as far as wearing a lot of tie-die and batik, smoking large amounts of pot, and avoiding traditional barbers. If they are back to the land hippies, there is very likely a yurt or teepee involved. And usually, they are happy to trade goats milk or eggs for our free range organic beef. But I take your point, and will try to consider what I write here, and whether it furthers negative stereotypes.
It is starting to snow a little here, and we will also be back east in a few weeks.
