I wonder if others out there in Allegany County took pause upon reading the comments in the Cumberland Times-News about the new Department of Natural Resources regulation that bans alcohol from the state forests.

Definitely listing a bit to the teetotaler side , I wasn’t really upset in the least about this decision, given that ethyl alcohol and people’s brains often times don’t mix all that well.  Throw in some Wild West weaponry, a hefty swig of the demon rum, a jigger of anger, or just a quick trigger, and you have the recipe for potential trouble with a capital T out there in the woods.

Whether this is a sensible decision on the part of our state bureaucrats is open to discussion, but the fact remains that the determination was legally concluded, and for now, it is the rule of the public forest in Maryland.

As with any regulation which the State enacts, there are recourses that the citizenry can take in order to reverse or modify it.  The path to changing such a regulation is well defined and takes place within the confines of the law.   If one is opposed to what the Department of Natural Resources has done, I would maintain that it is the obligation and civic duty of our citizens to act in a manner that is consistent with good government.

Sadly, that obligation and civic duty has seemed to be in short supply when it comes to some of our public figures here in western Maryland, where the mentality of a good-old-boy system seems to hold sway.

Hey, what’s so wrong with a little nip shared with a couple of buddies out in the woods, even if it’s against the law?  We certainly don’t need any downstate paper-pushers telling us locals what we can do and where we can do it.

At least that’s the attitude expressed by our state delegate, Mr. Kevin Kelly, when he suggested that the DNR boys turn a blind eye to any drinkin’ and carryin’ on out there in woods that are bounded by trees painted with yellow markers.  Witness illegal drinking in front of your face when the East Coast Sturgis motorcycle rally shows up later this summer?  Quickly avert your gaze and pretend you didn’t see anything is the way Mr. Kelly would handle it.  Just say that a veil dropped over your eyes, or that you suddenly developed a transient blindness, and if people don’t want to believe those concoctions, let them know that you have elected officials backing up your selective enforcement of the rules.  Out here, it may be the boondocks, but it’s our boondocks, and we’re glad to say that we can pick and choose which rules we like, and which ones we don’t like, thank you very much.

So go ahead and drink if you want.  You certainly have Mr. Kelly’s support in defying the regulations, and all you need now is compliance on the part of the DNR officers.  Hopefully these gentlemen will quickly learn the lesson from Mr. Kelly that “discretion is the better part of valor.”  In other words, if you guys in the brown and green uniforms haven’t been trained to read between the lines, you better not do something that might cause problems.  Got it?

And it that doesn’t give you enough confidence to throw back your head (taking care to avoid the branches around you) and take a long swig from the jug, perhaps the comment by Mr. Bill Valentine that was tinged with a not-so-subtle tone of warning to the G-men will help you feel comfortable that there will be no arrests forthcoming:  “I’d hate to see the ranger who goes down there and tells them to put their beer away.”

Whoa!  Does this misguided comment about the DNR performing their legitimate duties raise some definite misgivings about the acceptable legal attitude of the Little Orleans resident who is running for Allegany County Commissioner, or what?

And could someone please explain to me the audacity of an elected official who encourages law enforcement officers to engage in the malfeasance of duty?  It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to think that you are above the law.  A heavy dose indeed:  in fact, one that should not go unquestioned or tolerated.

To delegate Kelly and candidate-for-commissioner Valentine:  your comments were inappropriate and demonstrated a disregard for the legislative process of our government.  In addition, your attitude of complicity in breaking the law imparted to our citizens a lack of respect for an even-handed application of our rules and regulations.  Shame on you.  You owe the people of Allegany County an apology.