It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … and it’s all happening right here in our own backyard.
Wisdom and foolishness, belief and incredulity, hope and despair – in true Dickensian fashion, they’re all living side by side on Burnaby Mountain with the ongoing pipeline protests.
The very presence of protesters seems to bring out both the worst and the best in people.
As far as the “worst” goes, you don’t have to look much further than the comments on our own Facebook page. “Losers” and “idiots” are two of the more printable labels that have been attached to the folks turning out to join the gatherings at the gate of the Trans Mountain terminal. We’ve also read “anarchist scum,” “punks” and a variety of other less flattering epithets.
As for the “best”? Well, you can’t help but feel a few warm fuzzies when you read about a Burnaby parent like Jayeon Choi, who stopped by to check out the protests last weekend with his 15-month-old son.
“I wanted to witness this together with my son,” he told the NOW. “He’s not going to remember anything, but still, I just wanted to tell him in the future I was here to participate.”
And what about little Ellie, the five-year-old who turned out with her aunt because she wanted to help save the dolphins?
Or there’s the letter writer in today’s paper, Betty Guan, who writes below about how the pipeline protests have been part of a new awakening towards Indigenous issues – and to the fact that the pipeline isn’t just an Indigenous issue at all.
Are there some bad seeds among the protesters?
More than likely. In any gathering of humanity, anywhere, anytime, you’re likely to find a large number of people with the best of intentions alongside a few who have no mission except to cause trouble.
But to label all the protesters as “punks” or “losers” or “insert-your-own-insult-here” is to miss the very best of humanity that’s revealing itself in the people who take time to care about the future.
Whether you agree with them or not, there’s an admirable nobility in having the courage of your convictions and in standing up for what you believe in.
Too bad our political leaders don’t all share that conviction.
If they did, we’d be farther down the path towards a sustainable future for our planet.
