Of Woodpeckers and Wooden Heads

Last year, the U.S. Corps of Engineers began a 320 million dollar project that would provide water to farmers in Arkansas. 

Now, after having already spent 80 million dollars, a federal judge has ordered the project shut down.  Judge William R. Wilson ruled that noise from the proposed water pumping station might cause stress in nearby woodpeckers. 

Interestingly, the species of woodpecker he is so concerned about is one that was thought to be extinct until 2004 when some kayaker going down the White River claimed to have seen one. 

Wilson must have reason to believe that this particular species of woodpecker has exceptional hearing, given that the water project is 14 miles from where it was supposedly spotted.

In any event, no evidence has yet been found to confirm the kayaker’s sighting.  In fact, the last confirmed sighting was in 1944.  In other words, Wilson is holding up a 320 million dollar water project, that taxpayers have already spent 80 million dollars on, to keep from stressing out some phantom woodpecker that may or may not be extinct, and may or may not be in Arkansas even if it does exist. In his ruling, the judge said that he chose to just assume that the woodpecker exists. 

In his ruling, the judge said that he chose to just assume that the woodpecker exists.  He went on to say that, “When an endangered species is allegedly jeopardized, the balance of hardships and public interests tips in favor of the protected species.” 

The question is why federal judges – including Judge Wilson – don’t apply this standard to the unborn human. 

If you haven’t guessed by now, Wilson is a rabid pro-abort who was appointed to the bench by none other than Slick Willie Clinton.  In 1994 Wilson even struck down an Amendment to the Arkansas State Constitution that limited taxpayer money from being used to pay for abortions.

Of course, there is a bright side to all this.  The next time Planned Parenthood breaks ground for a new death camp, all we have to do is say that we saw a woodpecker in the area.  Surely, Judge Wilson will jump in and stop construction.