Arbutus, recently cut, Eagleridge Bluffs

This is going to be a stand-0ff. And it's time. It's way past time. Citizens have been traumatized by the way Gordon Campbell's government has cut and burned a swath through what's left of our eco-systems like Atilla the Hun. And that was their intent from the beginning ,their attitude toward citizens was to hit'em hard, below the belt, stun'um and while they're still reeling from all of the eliminations of environmental controls over everything that grows, swims, flies, breathes and moves, close in for the kill. But first give'em something, like a promise to protect part of the Great Bear Rainforest, a promise that can be taken back later and logged like the provincial parks are now open for logging. But the promise will shut the buggers up and they in turn will shut up the other loud yappers by splitting and demoralizing the rest of the environmental community. Oh, so
clever! Because it works!

Last evening I listened to a lecture by Terry Glavan who is a renowned writer and conservationist and I couldn't believe my ears. After citing all of the profound ecological disasters taking place (one of the names of his lecture was IS THIS THE SIXTH GREATEST EXTINCTION?) in the discussion following he put down, way, way, down, any suggestion of considering peaceful civil disobedience, saying that writing letters was the way to go. Writing letters! He seemed to equate anything else with revolution. He was very opposed to revolution. In fact, I think it would be accurate to say that Mr. Glavin was revolted by any suggestion of any kind of action that might be construed as revolutionary. And he wasn't pleased that I kept trying to bring up the history of peaceful civil disobedience. And that a revolution in participatory democracy is, in my opinion, exactly what we need.

Perhaps it isn't quite time for a big revolution, but smaller ones seem to be breaking out. Revolutions in democracy, in participatory democracy. So let's all journey to Eagleridge Bluff on Eater Monday at five pm for a celebration of participatory democracy. We'll stand by the fallen Arbutus trees that are now cut, trashed, discarded, devalued, only in the way of a provincial premier whose only need of the area is to facilitate the Olympics, this man who promised "the greenest games ever!" If you can't make Monday, perhaps you can Tuesday. The celebration will start again at noon. And go on indefinitely. Join us!
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