40 Days - First Blood in Canada: Has the War Begun?

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am so sorry to announce that the war has begun. Here in Canada, yesterday, in our capital city of Ottawa, in our house of parliament.

Around 200 young protesters started shouting in the gallery, "Pass Bill C-311" (in reference to the continual procrastination of the committee studying this bill, which would see Canada set some rigorous greenhouse gas reduction targets).

I always pictured that the war would be between rich and poor, the haves and have-nots. I never imagined that the war would erupt between generations, between young and old. But the old farts we call our elected officials apparently laughed when these young protesters were dragged out of the gallery. One of the young men then found himself in apartheid-era South Africa, having his face smashed into the floor of a stairwell by security guards.

Only a handful were "detained," which means that "they" wanted to create a chill effect amongst all the others. But I suspect this is the beginning of our new reality. Young people fighting — in any way they can — to be heard, to have their fears about the future listened to. And their elders scoffing at them, kicking sand in their faces, laughing at their concerns.

What has become of our peaceful nation — in the name of tar sands oil?

And what has become of my generation? What heartlessness. What hypocrisy. What shameful disregard for our young citizens who simply want what we had in spades — a future.

I cried and cried and felt sick after reading about this. No good end will come of it. The young people have nothing to lose. We've already taken it away from them. We had our chance to safeguard their future, and instead we've told our children and grandchildren to go take a hike, we're too busy watching our stocks and counting our money.

This is fascism at its very worst, because of what is at stake. Imagine putting profits before all life on the planet. We are insane.

My thanks and compassion go out to the young protesters. Whether it was courage or desperation, I'm glad they showed the rest of the country what kind of people we have running the country — a bunch of rude, inhumane bullies. I feel quite ashamed to be Canadian right now.