Or is it?

Though most of us are not obsessive enough over the issue to resent those who take the opposite side, it's the extremists on both sides - the "greenies" vs. the "greedies" - who get most of the air time and ink. So, the debates are likely to feature more name-calling than intelligence.

Too bad neither side attempts to understand the motivations of the other. If they did, they might find some common ground: that each side is merely acting in a natural way to preserve and protect their security - be it financial or spiritual.

Pro-drilling extremists, aka "greedies"

Most of these people live in Alaska or other places rich in fossil fuels. They believe they stand to gain financially or at least maintain their financial security if ANWR is open. Pro-drillers tend to be Republicans whose churches account for their spiritual security; they do not rely on the environment so much to fill that need. Indeed, they believe the earth belongs to man. Their spiritual security is not threatened by the greenies. But their financial security is.

Environmental activists, aka "greenies"

People who get their spiritual security from the earth and sky rather than from organized religion are generally for protecting ANWR - as well as any other wildlife sanctuary or refuge on the planet. Anti-drillers tend to be Democrats, most of whom live outside Alaska and do not stand to gain financially from opening ANWR; they do not rely on the oil patch to fill that need. Indeed, they believe man belongs to the earth. Their financial security is not threatened by the greedies. But their spiritual security is.

If each side sees the other as being insecure rather than just plain wrong, it's harder to maintain resentment, hence there would be less name calling and, perhaps, more intelligent debating.

Indeed, the two sides might want to go a few steps further - in the other's shoes - before judging them.

Greenies should imagine how insecure they would feel if, while driving to the National Nuthatch Festival, creditors tracked them down: "Yeah, we're gonna have to go ahead and repossess that Volkswagen bus of yours."

And greedies might not feel so secure if strangers with tool boxes showed up at their church one day: "Yeah, we're just gonna tip-toe into your sanctuary here and rip out the back row of pews. Nobody uses them anyway."

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, March 10, 2005.