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Pitching In to Avert an Environmental Disaster

"Perhaps you also saw the story. (I)n Australia, a delivery truck carrying
24,000 cans of beer overturned and fell into a river. The potential for environmental degradation was enormous. But, then, from out of nowhere, dozens of volunteers showed up to dive into the river to remove the cargo. Some of these citizens just dove in, grabbing as many cans as possible from the truck before the beer could start leeching into the stream and doing who knows what to the species - endangered and non-endangered - natural to that habitat. One anonymous hero came in his scuba gear, and reportedly salvaged 400 cans. You know, it is times like this, tragedies, when people put aside their selfishness and petty jealousies, and simply respond to the need."

- Clifford Thiess, former Republican Liberty Caucus chairman, 4/20/01