The Fox River’s history includes many centuries of harmonious human use, then a century of abuse, and in the past decades increasing work to protect and restore watershed health. Today, we face new threats from the recent executive orders, and dealing with them is new territory for us.
Who Is The FOX?
The Fox River has its own local legend from the early seventies. The FOX was Middle school teacher by day and environmental protector by night. Dead ducklings in a sudsy plume in the river provided the catalyst for his first caper as The FOX. Armour-Dial Corporation, which had a soap making facility in Oswego, was determined to be the source of the pollution that caused this tragedy. The FOX plugged their outfall pipe so that the effluent backed up into the plant. The FOX left his signature (the outline of a fox head) and a sign with a message for Armour-Dial. With local media coverage of the incident, the legend of The FOX was born. Many capers followed, utilizing the same pattern of treating polluters to their own medicine, with messages that the media shared. When things got too hot in the valley (Carpentersville down to Oswego), he took his tricks to Chicago’s Daily Plaza and US Steel in Indiana. He was never apprehended by the law enforcement and was heralded as a hero by thousands.
You can enjoy many more tales by reading his autobiography,
Raising Kane. You can get a copy of the book from
Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) by requesting it here
or leaving a message at 815-356-6605.
There are plans to schedule a discussion group for Raising Kane later in the year. FOTFR can also offer a presentation on The FOX with you organization or community group.
The Strategy of The FOX
The FOX turned his personal outrage into daring acts of defiance that got the attention of the polluters. But he also used the media as his messenger, by always providing vague hints to the local news media that something was going to happen. He went from a solo performer to the leader of a cadre of “kindred spirits.” Another local legend, Chicago columnist Mike Royko, became one of his biggest fans. Through these acts of rage, The FOX brought awareness to local residents, empowering them to raise their collective voices to protect the voiceless Fox River and its inhabitants. Today, with The FOX’s signature in our logo (see the fox head outline), FOTFR keeps The FOX’s legacy alive and works to be an ongoing voice for raising awareness for the Fox River.
Feeling Helpless?
The news media is sharing daily horror stories about current efforts to reverse 50 years of progress in environmental protection. Recent executive orders include deep and widespread cuts that threat our environment. Just relative to our rivers, proposed changes involve The Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and other strategies to stop wetlands protection. At the same time, executive orders promote mining, logging, sales of public lands and dismantling of the regulatory Environmental Protection Agency. Just as threatening is the assault upon the scientific community — the very foundation of sound decision-making. After decades of investment and work to protect our river, these proposals threaten to erase all the environmental progress we have made, for no clear gain. This apparently irrational behavior threatens what we strongly value as our watershed community. and our quality of life.
Currently, the only real opposition has come through the court system, and that also seems worrisome on the federal level. However, some states are successfully reversing various orders in the courts and enacting policies of protection.
Professionally, I don’t normally agitate folks publicly without recommending a clear action. But the current threat calls are more complicated than seeing litter, and our actions must be bigger than just picking it up. We may now need to act democratically. We may need to raise our voices so that legislation like the Clean Water Act can be enforced effectively for the good of our river.
So, what can you do? You can participate by speaking at city or county meetings, writing/calling state (Illinois House) (Illinois Senate) and federal representatives, and supporting the groups equipped to lobby effectively. Prairie Rivers Network and the Illinois Environmental Council have all been successful in getting legislation passed. We must do what we can where we can and resist the sense of helplessness on federal and global levels.
How Does Democracy Work?
We the People, which means that the public is theoretically in charge through the democratic system. We determine what is important to us as individuals, then we select legislators to represent our interests, from the local school board to the offices in the White House. That’s the set up, but what can we do when we feel unrepresented? Well, we have some good history lessons to follow.
In my youth, I recall the streets filled with protesters voicing their concerns over the lack of adequate civil rights and environmental protections. Those were acts of civil disobedience,. individuals collaborating as a unified voice to urge those who represent us to act differently. These tools were successful in creating change. Just as The FOX acted in disobedience to get attention, his actions were a rallying voice to protect what we value. Right here in the Fox River, we know that some of us differ on how to manage the river’s health, but few differ in their belief in protecting its health.
June 14th
Plans are in the works for celebrations in Washington DC and in thousands of other locations. What is being celebrated will however differ. When we are frustrated and feeling helpless it can be comforting to come together as a community. Knowing each other personally is not a requirement. Knowing that we are together with others in spirit is empowering. That was a strategy of The FOX when he organized a mock funeral for the Fox River in Montgomery.
What Would The FOX Do?
Are you feeling anxiety about the threats to environmental protection, feeling helpless, and lacking a voice? Sharing information with your social circles, speaking at city or county meetings, writing editorials, signing petitions, writing/calling state and federal representatives, and supporting groups that have staff that lobby are all important actions. These may be different times, but let’s ponder; what would The FOX do? I think he would feel his passion and rage and look for somewhere and way to express that. I know several opportunities to be with others who feel the same way are being planned for June 14th. Search out your folks and consider joining them in a unified voice as a message to our representatives.