The American Spectator

p> COWGIRLS br> Re: Larry Thornberry’s The Cowboy Way : /p>

Well, now I don’t know if Mr. Thornberry is a cowboy or just knows enough to write a great piece about them. Coming from a long line of cowboy cattle ranchers I can attest to his accuracy. I call my father, David Foster, the last of the great cowboys. He will turn 88 this August. Just a few weeks ago we worked cattle and he was still able to get into the chute to castrate the little bulls. At 85 he broke a hip working the cattle, so we just allow him this one activity, and the right to boss the rest of us around.

The spartan life of the cowboy was certainly his. At age nine he and his older sister (who worked her last cattle roundup at 85) were placed out on a homestead in South Texas. Their father had several ranches and it took all seven children to work his land and leased land. My Dad remembers being left with his 12 year old sister and a small amount of grub. They had to use it sparingly because it would be three weeks or more before their father returned. He said that most times they ran out then shot anything that moved in order to eat. He could speak to the taste of rattlesnake well. He didn’t like it.

The lives we live now are far removed from those days of hardship. And, I believe, that is most of our problem in this country. When you can hold convenience in your hands, seldom do you understand the clear thinking that comes with hard work, the necessity of being inventive, and what doing without really means. Today, folks define inconvenience as missing their latte.

I believe our President needs a break back at his ranch. He needs to grub brush, work cattle, build a fence, and just do some plain hard labor. He did a lot of that his first years in office. I believe those trips kept him able to make clearer decisions. I also believe that if this fine man took a trip to Crawford and did some cowboy work we wouldn’t be talking about stupid amnesty legislation because he could clear his heart and mind. Ranching does that for you.

p>Cowboys, the last great legacy of the American West. Couldn’t be a great compliment given a man, to this rancher’s mind. Give me a cowboy any day over a Washington politician. You can count on one of them to do the right thing at all times. br> — Bev Gunn br> East Texas Rancher Proud mother of serving Pilot /p>