The AFU and Urban Legend Archive
Politics
 clinton fires cattle guards




Cattle guards of the West - unite. Your jobs are in jeopardy.

A story is circulating in these here parts that President Clinton was shocked to learn that there were 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado. Since the prez is unhappy with ranchers, the story goes, he ordered Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt to fire half the cattle guards immediately.

According to several published reports, before Babbitt could terminate the 50,000 cattle guards, Colorado Congresswoman Pat Schroeder stepped in to request the cattle guards should receive six months of retraining.

KOOL-105's Rick "The Coach" Marshall came upon this story last week. He figured no one could be this stupid, that everyone knew a cattle guard is a device set in the ground that vehicles drive over, but cattle can't cross. But Coach talked to newspaper people who swear this is all true.

We bet it's an urban myth. Babbitt, for one, is a rancher and has to know that you can't fire a cattle guard.

"It's apocryphal," says Schroeder aide Dan Buck with a laugh. "In cowboy jargon, it's a stretcher. But the story's worked its way through several small newspapers."

And besides, I think cattle guards have a union.

(cite provided by snopes)


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