Folks have a strongly skewed perception of public lands in the western US of A. It’s tiresome being questioned about the legality of the stuff I do.

For example, I photographed a phytosaur skull eroding from shale, posted it to FB, and an immediate reply from a naively and wrongly informed dude was, “Did you take it? Because right now you’re admitting to a felony. And you’re required by law to inform authorities where exactly it is.”

Everything he said is wrong.

And then there are these few goofballs (four goofballs precisely) on Friends of Route 66 who attacked me immediately after posting a photo of preserving eroded pieces of 66 pavement washed clear of the road that no longer exists. This is an crucial entity of our project. Naivety and ignorance on full display was revealed through comments like “Thief” and “Put it back for everyone to enjoy” and “I’m telling law authorities and you’re going to prison for a long time.”

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. And wrong.

Of these groups, I leave and I delete my contribution to the group. And, when a group admin actively deletes content and condones members accusing others of criminal malfeasance (such as on Friends of Route 66), I can’t be part of this oddly specific brand of censorship and discord.

And willful ignorance.

Talk is always in motion about education in science and American civics. Instructing Americans on mineral resources and multiple use public lands fits neatly into the conversation.

Ignorance is temporary.