“So if I punch a cop at a child slavery protest, that cause is somehow no longer just? You have some flawed logic...” – WhyKay (CBC commentator handle) Oh, thank you, thank you ‘WhyKay’: I was about to impale myself on the nearest sharp object when you pointed out this obtuseness. Ashleigh Brilliant once remarked, "I have abandoned the search for truth, and am now looking for a good fantasy." This quote came back to me time and time again as I read through the 3481 (and growing) comments to the CBC story and some of the comments on my Facebook page. It is absolutely essential that we, as a society, intellectually and emotionally understand that reality isn't the way we wish it to be, or the way it appears to be, but the way it actually is. History shows us that those individuals and societies who have remained blind to this distinction have found it virtually impossible to make decisions that led to positive results. Then, and more so now, I believe that many of us inhabit a world of delusions, which obscures reality and creates dangers for ourselves, and others. When I observe the actions and beliefs of those around me and those in the news, what I see and hear reveals to me that many of us are living in a state of waking dreams. At every turn in history human beings have been called upon to act in order to save or protect themselves. The only difference today is that ‘Joe public court’ seems to determine, at least in part, whether these human beings will tip the scales of what is right or wrong, and find supporters to protect or save what they fear is threatened. "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius This is my perspective: About the whole peaceful versus violence versus what laws have been broken: A principle is synonymous with a law of nature, not a law of man. Many of our so-called ‘laws’ are nothing more than manmade (yes, “man”made), legalized aggression against the sovereignty of peaceful individuals, and rarely bear any relationship to natural law, reality, or a moral code shared by all Canadians. [And no, I’m not referring to the whole life/murder thing here…let’s please stray away from that ‘No logic la-la land] Reality is that the legal system adopted in Canada was not adopted by women, or by aboriginals; it was adopted by white, so-called ‘land-owning’ men. I only have to look as far as my family tree to see the evidence of ‘systems’ that were adopted and enacted to try to exterminate my blood line. So, excuse me, if I’m somewhat skeptical of “the law”. But back to the current situation: Reality check take 1: Clearly, there is a perceived (I’m not a scientist) serious danger posed by hydraulic fracturing development. Reality check take 2: In reality, we don’t know what the outcome would have been, but the New Brunswick government’s decision to disallow public consultation begs the question: could this outcome have been different? Reality check 3: Citizen protest and activism is not breaking moral law when fascist governments don’t listen; it’s our duty. Long live civil disobedience! How did the RCMP think they were going to look to people around the world when they started pointing sniper rifles and machine guns at women, children and old people? Social media was the end of their media control. Suck on that Irving,…” - Fred Flintstone (CBC commentator handle) About fracking: I have no immediate vested interest here. I don’t have children, nor will I have grandchildren. And so, I will try to speak for those women who might feel like me, but find themselves too busy raising their children to take this on. Until we have a true measure of performance of the practice of fracking over a reasonable amount of time and the ability to have independent testing of existing wells, this practice should be put in moratorium. To ignore this fundamental underpinning of self-preservation of our species is reckless. I may not have been there when the standoff happened, but I fully understand the protesters' frustration. I share in their frustration. Where is the law to protect our future generations from absurd, short-sighted (hair-brained) schemes?? I personally don’t condone violence in the service of goals except as a measure of self defense. Our right to defend ourselves is ethical. I don’t consider the vandalism in this case as an act of violence. And as one CBC commentator accurately pointed out, the fact that violence is never warranted is false anyway. Reality check 4: The Warsaw Uprising. Those Jews lived longer than the ones who went willingly into the concentration camps. Sometimes violence is justified. A final note about “these people” or “those people” coming up again & again in the comments I read. That just screams racism. I would like to thank ‘caring canuck’ for pointing out the list of organizations calling for either a ban or a moratorium on fracking. “These people” include:
No one who believes in a peaceful and dignified world for the future of all children can take any position alluding to “those people” seriously. I will restate my position on this: Our greatest failure has been and continues to be our repeated dismissal as a society of every child's right to grow up in dignity in an equitable world - a world safe from war and fear. Conversely, our greatest accomplishments are those times we've chosen to uphold and protect those fundamental rights, in creating communities where children can play, and laugh, and learn and grow into their full potential. Those children grow up. All we have to do is look closely at the adults that surround us to see the complex manifestations of these failures and successes. These complex manifestations of our shared failures and successes were all evidenced during yesterday’s standoff. But, that doesn’t change the difference between right and wrong. I’ll give the last word to one of the CBC commentators: “Violence does not work, but neither does anything else when dealing with opinionated self-righteous thugs who have all the power. So if it were me, I'd go down swinging.” – nbuf (CBC commentator handle)
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1. My family & friends. My family & friends ROCK! Seriously… I think I may have been born to the most generous & loving parents & met the coolest people ever as friends. EVER. And, that includes my oldest friends (Tanya!), my newest friends & neighbours, and my supportive Wired Monk friends (my writers' group)! Even the ones that aren’t really friends anymore… they have all contributed to my life in such positive ways. 2. Being told to dream big. Every kid needs to hear those words. Merci Papape!!! 3. Pete. I could write an entire blog on why, but it's for all the reasons I wrote down & stuck in those red balloons I filled our room with for Valentine's Day. 4. '13' & 'Froofie Girl', our kitty cats. Sharing life with '13' has added immeasurable joy to my life, and adding 'Froofie' to the mix has taught me nothing if not patience:) This next very important one was added since I celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving: 5. My literary agent!! The fact that Carolyn believes in my 2nd novel Papillon…why that's just AWESOME POSSUM!! 6. My creative expression. I would have said my brain, but I'm still on the fence about that one. Some days I love how much joy I get from the places my brain takes me to, but then there are the other days when the old brain drives me bat shit crazy. What I do LOVE is the fact that my brain has provided me with countless hours of unadulterated joy in creative expression. 7. Books, Music and Art. The delectable dishes for # 6. 8. My failures. Really just blessings in disguise, right? So I guess they aren’t really failures. 9. That fact that your still reading this:) I'm very grateful to all of you who take time to read my blog. THANK YOU!! 10. The realization that "I Am Enough". Okay, it comes and goes, but intellectually anyways, I do realize this fact. I may not be the perfect mate, the perfect friend, the perfect sister, or the perfect anything, but I am trying to be the best me that I can, and I've developed more compassion towards myself in the face of my failures. After all, we can't control where we came from or the struggles we've faced on our way to where we are at, but what we CAN control is how we react to those opportunities for growth that life throws at us. Happy Thanksgiving to one & all! -Dina P.S. So because I added Pete & our pets as separate entries & really they're all family, I get to add 2 more: MY HEALTH & MOTHER NATURE!!!! My Mom is the map of my life, the geography of my heart and the best of every heroine I've ever written about. She is with me every day of my life, especially here in our tree house on the lake, I feel her around me with every rustling of the wind in the trees. Mom would love it here - she'd love watching the birds flocking to the feeder every morning! She is still the most beautiful woman I've ever had the privilege of knowing & loving. With ardent love and my deepest respect & admiration, La P'tite (Dina:) An excerpt of the obituary I wrote for my extraordinary Mom |
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December 2015
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