Wyoming “Common Ground” Troops Marching Statewide
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April 14, 2008
Rawlins, WY – Ever since the "Sacred Ground" conference last year, Wyoming religious leaders and some of their congregation members have been knocking on doors, asking for time at city council meetings and setting up community seminars around the state -- all to find some "common ground" on often-divisive issues. They're discussing such topics as conserving energy and preserving wildlife and habitat, and how oil and gas development plays a role.
The Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, a United Methodist minister in Rawlins, says volunteers are approaching neighbors and elected leaders to try to show that the "great divide" between energy development and conservation is false. The goal, she explains, is to dispel commonly-held beliefs that are tearing communities apart, such as that people who work in the energy industry don't care about clean land and air.
"I think people are really ready to find a middle way that honors the environment, God and local economies."
Simon-Peter says she has learned through her "green" workshops that most people share core beliefs about what's best for their family, town and state -- even when people think they disagree. A big piece of "common ground" that she has discovered, for instance, is that being a "conservative" in Wyoming includes having values about the outdoors.
"Caring for the environment and stewardship. Those things really go together when you think about conservation of resources and fiscal responsibility. All those things are part and parcel of the so-called environmental movement."
More information is available online at www.wcvedfund.org.