Reader takes issue with Wild Horse Transition Team member’s comments

Independent Newsmedia

I am writing in response to John Mack’s letter to the governor and state agencies posted on the Daily Independent’s Opinion page on July 14, stating the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group failed to moderate or condemn inappropriate comments on its Facebook page about a federally employed wild horse roundup contractor.

 SRWHMG currently holds the contract to manage the Salt River herd and was founded in 2015 when the order to remove these horses was issued. They have 100 volunteers who monitor the horses, highways, river, clean up trash, provide mandated supplemental feed and birth control, save abandoned animals, give public information, care for rescued Salt River horses and genuinely love the wild horses. 

They also have an enormous following on Facebook, and when the contractor announced she would be bidding on the new herd management contract as part of the Wild Horse Transition Team, hundreds of people commented. Yes, there were a few that were inappropriate. However, SRWHMG also has posted, “As always, please be careful with to post responsible comments … please state your feelings carefully, not wishing anyone bad things.” The inappropriate comments are removed.  

Mr. Mack creates numerous posts on Facebook in support of the Wild Horse Transition Team. Here are several comments Mr. Mack has made to his online audience that I consider rude, condescending and inappropriate:

• “I am an academic and you are not. I am trained in the methods of acceptable research and you are not.”
• “You have repeatedly demonstrated through your posts that you are incapable of even the most basic forms of critical thinking.”
• “It's not rocket science. Pretty straightforward. I don’t understand why it is so difficult for people to understand the simple truth.”
• “Do you know what academia is? Do you know what the word means?”
• “Again, it is almost embarrassing to have to make this kind of an argument--I am assuming everyone took and passed 9th grade biology!” 

Reading these, I cannot fathom how he will be able to professionally handle the public, which includes visitors from all over the world. This is not the decorum of a potential spokesman for government agencies.

I appeal to these agencies to seriously consider who they want to be their spokesperson. I continue to support the humane management of the Salt River herd by the SRWHMG.

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