As everyone who reads the blog is familiar, I have a stance on the oilsands. The stance is this: Piss off. It's our damn oilsands and if we want to run them, or shut them down, or keep them open for the sole purpose of wearing bitumen on our heads like some sort of T-zone ruining crown, that's our damn right. I rankle every time someone from America shows up with a little sign and a song in their heart. I clench my fists every time some big shot director schedules in time away from making Pocahontas rip-offs to come down here and tell us 'hicks' what's-what. What is worst is every time I have to read some news article about how mean and bad we are for continuing to use resources that are well within out rights to use, as if anyone on the planet, ever, has deliberately NOT taken advantage of an extremely lucrative situation.
Alright, now that I have that out of the way, I'll admit, since the use of the oilsands causes environmental issues we should probably consider other people's opinions, but on our time, not when forced down our throats from the parliament lawn. Or so the media would like us to believe.
The CBC, who I had previously trusted, wrote this article about a protest on parliament hill that sounds formidable. Phrases like, "Several hundred people flocked to the Hill" and "The event featured more than 20 environmental and indigenous organizations and boasts the support of a dozen Canadian celebrities." descriptions of protesters jumping barricades and pictures of a large crowd of security (police, RCMP, etc.) were interspersed with sound bites like, "Protest organizer and Greenpeace Canada spokesman Peter McHugh promoted the event as 'a historic mass act of civil disobedience over the tarsands,' ."
Did you get that? Historic.
Sounds like shit just got real.
However, since I was unable to wander over to Ottawa for the day, I checked out the webcam. (Well, to be precise, stole the screenshot from Small Dead Animals.)
The 'massive crowds' must have stepped away for a quick brunch, I guess. Just in case you think this was before or after the 'protest', this is Sept. 26th - 12:43pm, two and three quarter hours after the protest started. We had bigger crowds on Canada day. Keep in mind, of course, this includes reporters, security, and people off getting their lunches.
It seems we cannot even trust our own media to tell us the real story regarding the oilsands and the public support thereof.
Alright, now that I have that out of the way, I'll admit, since the use of the oilsands causes environmental issues we should probably consider other people's opinions, but on our time, not when forced down our throats from the parliament lawn. Or so the media would like us to believe.
The CBC, who I had previously trusted, wrote this article about a protest on parliament hill that sounds formidable. Phrases like, "Several hundred people flocked to the Hill" and "The event featured more than 20 environmental and indigenous organizations and boasts the support of a dozen Canadian celebrities." descriptions of protesters jumping barricades and pictures of a large crowd of security (police, RCMP, etc.) were interspersed with sound bites like, "Protest organizer and Greenpeace Canada spokesman Peter McHugh promoted the event as 'a historic mass act of civil disobedience over the tarsands,' ."
Did you get that? Historic.
Sounds like shit just got real.
However, since I was unable to wander over to Ottawa for the day, I checked out the webcam. (Well, to be precise, stole the screenshot from Small Dead Animals.)
The 'massive crowds' must have stepped away for a quick brunch, I guess. Just in case you think this was before or after the 'protest', this is Sept. 26th - 12:43pm, two and three quarter hours after the protest started. We had bigger crowds on Canada day. Keep in mind, of course, this includes reporters, security, and people off getting their lunches.
It seems we cannot even trust our own media to tell us the real story regarding the oilsands and the public support thereof.
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