Past the hypocrisy of Mr. Harper, the peonage of the Senate, the C-311 debate that never was, and was never intended to be, past the snap-trickster vote, past one of the most undemocratic acts our House has seen, past the words unprecedented, irresponsible, past this trespass, languishes our trodden earth.
The earth, we Christians say, is a gift requiring stewardship. Obviously for our current political custodians and this (Christian) leader, this means something like: plunder now, the resources we can, because there’s no use polishing the railings of a sinking ship.
This once sea-worthy earth that engenders, feeds, sustains, breathes into us; this earth to which we are inextricably bound, body and spirit, groans louder, travails. And we who call ourselves believers content ourselves that this is some kind of eschatological sign.
We, to our sentient earth, are the impossible-to-potty-train two-year olds, habitually soiling our soil and tossing our diapered waste into rivers and seas. And to those who come after, we bequeath a diseased earth. Somehow in our infantile dotage we have accepted environmental demise and have attained to some privileged spiritualized place beyond the stars.
It’s time we shake ourselves, and grow up; it’s time to make our voices heard. Yes liberalism is dead, but perhaps a new burgeoning compassion (without label)—that is occasionally evident—can stem and turn old attitudes and habits; for the sake of our good earth, for the sake of ourselves—which is saying the same thing.
Great image of the “impossible-to- potty-train two-year old”! It catches the imagination and shows forth the childish way we treat the earth around us.
Thank you Lucy.
I am sorry that you have to share the same first name with such a douche!
Stephen, from the Greek “stephanos” = crown. You have a good name, my brother.
Regarding the other Stephen, the defeat of this bill in the Senate was a non-event contrary to NDP fumations (how’s that for a word, Steve?). Were the Liberals really caught flat-footed or were some of them away on purpose?
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” – Shakespeare
To paraphrase, the fault lies not in our leaders but in ourselves. Politics is the art of the possible and this leader has shown himself quite capable of acting contrary to his (perceived) idealogical stance when required. What we have ahead of us is the task of educating enough of us that this really is a problem. But I’m afraid I’m guilty too – as long as my toilet still flushes and my car runs, I’ll continue to wish that the price of gas was less…..
Kyle, I share all good things:) and thank you for recalling for me the spelling of douche.
Sam, thanks as always for your insight. My response: I’m not sure what you mean by non-event unless you’re simply confirming the death of liberalism and that all political speech to the contrary, regardless of stripe, is mere posturing. It may be, and that is a deep sadness.
Yes, we are the problem, but we are the problem in concert with a government that is a problem. In your humility you too quickly dismiss a Conservative administration that is seemingly in league with corporate oil and that continually frustrates the many people and the growing movements that, given the chance and some equitable subsidies, would flourish–and the earth would be thankful. Fortunately there are those that go on despite hindrance.
Thank you for these strong and true words. In my anger I feel that I can only fume and not formulate a clear headed way forward. I don’t know about your generation but it seems that all around me students are constantly vacillating between anger and apathy. We want to do something but feel powerless. The anger sparks and then burns out when our efforts to participate in democracy are defeated or demeaned. What we need is real progress, real leaders that care about our future. And hopefully some of us will rise to be those leaders or to recognize and support them.
Speaking of faulty democracies, some happy news from Burma if you have not heard: Aung San Suu Kyi has finally been released! Although she was conveniently kept under house arrest just a week past the sham elections… But still this is a positive note in the fight for democracy in that country and around the world I think.
I might have too easily dismissed the Conservatives-in-league with-corporate-oil regime. But I don’t see a solution in a Liberal-in-league-with-corporate-automakers either, or an NDP-in-league-with-big-labour for that matter. The malaise is systemic. An election won’t fix it. We need voices in places where they can be heard. I know some conservatives so that’s where I occasionally get to speak. But we need the angry voices too – when Teryl speaks I fell hope. And yes, that was good news from Burma!
Teryl, your anger is well placed…my hope is in your anger, and others who like you continue to care, dispite the setbacks. You are one of those leaders.
Sam, you’re no doubt too right, an election is more like a rearrangement. My hope is in voices like Teryl’s.