🚀 go-pugleaf

pjc@aloha.net (Patrick J. Chicas) writes:

>In article <Cz35nD.Lo8@freenet.carleton.ca> at491@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Kim Goldberg) writes:
>> Citizens around the country have been 
>>intimidated, beaten, bombed, had their houses torched and pets 
>>killed, been shot at and even murdered because of their work for
>>a clean environment.

>Would you like to elaborate on these claims. Or, will I need to buy your disk 
>to review whatever substantiation you may have?

>Pat

Hello All, especially Kim.
  Vicious retaliation or intimidation is not unique to any group or
cause. It is often hard to believe that anything we do threatens some
one enough that they would want to hurt us, or that we can become a
target because of association with a group or belief. What injustice
would it take to turn you into a monster that would use any of the
above to _get_even_ or _stop_this_nonsense_now_? Loss of a job, loss
of a home, end of a dream? How about depersonalization, villification,
or just plain incarseration (phew! any other ...tions? :). I read about
a man in Florida who went to prison for 2 years because the Army Corp
of Engineers determined that sand this man put on his property caused
poluteants to drain off into a nearby watershed/wetland some distance
downstream from his property. Since it was a felony conviction, this
person can never vote, run for President, own a gun, or excercise any
other right or privalege that a felony conviction removes. 
 I suspect that this was not a bad man, bad neighbor, or an
anti-green person (at least not then). In fact the injustice of this
very case has gone a long way to convicing me that eco-freaks do exist,
they make rules and laws like this one. They re-elect those who make these
laws or support organizations that create, administer or enforce them.

  One only has to go back to the techniques used by the extreme groups
to see where fear can be expected. Look at those citizens who are labeled
inhuman because they decide that a green cause may not require more
attention than a problem that affects them personally.

  What level of compassion have you shown to those who will have major,
possibly disasterous disruptions to their lives if a particular idea
of yours becomes law? How often do you side with the extremists in your
organizations because you don't see anything happening unless you do?
How often have you played devils-advocate to prevent mob mentality?

How many strange bedfellows have you had to become to get the support
of other groups that distract you from your goals, but seem to give
you more attention from the powers-that-be?

  I believe that there is a backlash taking place. It is going to
accellerate, and much good is going to be undone along with the bad. How
long before extreme measures are going to look like the only method?
Think about the snail-darter. One tanker-load of gasoline or other
poison "accidentally" or "purposely" dumped upstream would have made
the whole discussion moot.  Destruction is always the simpler of the
choices. Since you want to preserve, the burden of convincing others
not to destroy falls disproportionately on your shoulders. The first
order of business is to reduce the fear that extremes on either side
generate. Find the common ground, not the high ground, otherwise you
will see the backlash and suffer the injustices caused by it, and
we all will risk the very catastrophies you envision.

							Be Happy
							davids
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