It has come to my attention that there is growing resentment about keeping the bucket in front of the Klamath County courthouse. According to the information I have received, the critics of the bucket allege either that the bucket is a racist symbol, or that it evokes sentiments of a war.

I hauled that bucket to Klamath Falls, and helped unload it in front of the courthouse. My son-in-law's pickup truck pulled my flatbed trailer, which carried the bucket and a large number of shovels.

I won't bother with the details of what my wife and I gave up, and spent, to do this. Suffice to say that my motivation was simple: I wanted to do something to help the people of the Klamath Basin.

We took a circuitous route from Elko, Nev., to Klamath Falls. In all, the route covered 2,400 miles. Along the way we not only raised money for the people of the Basin, but we also raised awareness of what was going on. Because of this increased awareness, support for the great people of the Basin continued long after the big rally at the fairgrounds.

The allegations of racism or that what we did was war-like are, frankly, ridiculous, but alas, we should expect this in the “new” America.

It seems that when people like us band together to stand up for our rights, we are labeled this or that, and heaps of criticism are tossed upon us. Yet people attempting to modify the American landscape to accommodate some previously unacceptable behavior, practice, or way of life are called innovative, enlightened, or compassionate. Oddly, those “enlightened, compassionate” people often have little tolerance for those that fail to see the world their way.

The Bucket Brigade concept was innovative and enlightened. Many people were stirred by compassion - compassion for people a long way from where we in Elko first started plans for the caravans. Compassion for people we didn't know, but who were suffering a grievous wrong that needed to be addressed.

If the bucket is a symbol of anything, it is a symbol of freedom and all that is good in America.

To this day. I am very proud of all the people who gave of themselves to make the Bucket Brigade caravans a success. Obviously, what the people of Klamath County do with the bucket is completely their business. But I am grateful to God to have had the chance to have brought it to your beautiful Basin.

Bob St. Louis

Elko County, Nev.