For Those Who Think I'm "Too Negative" — A Guest Post

As mentioned recently, I find it impossible to write a blog post every Sunday these days. Sorry about that. It's just too, well, negative. (I sometimes laugh that I once lost a friend because, as she put it, I was too positive!)

Today, I'll share with you (with his permission) the words of an activist friend who agreed with my take on the tagline ("subtitle") of a new climate change group's proposed banner. I was glad to discover that I'm not alone in thinking we have got to stop candy-coating what's happening to this precious planet and its 8 million species of inhabitants (not including viruses and bacteria).

Here's the original tagline: "Fighting for Our Children's Future"

Here are the complaints about it, paraphrased: 

• a bit negative 
• the word "fighting" has negative connotations
• it can conjure up battling, arguing, combating
• am similarly uncomfortable with "fighting"
• is not our strength that we were not fighting, but rather leading, standing up, organizing, etc.?
• what about "Standing up for our children's future"?
• how about a positive word with similar strength (working? acting? leading? organizing? marching?)
• if we see ourselves working with other stakeholders, saying "we are fighting" might not be helpful
• the language of “fighting” will alienate a lot of folks, especially if our intent is to reach out and engage, motivate and inspire others to participate and get active
• if you are fighting, it is a fight against someone
• many folks who work in the resource extraction business care about their kids; let's not fight against them, let's offer a vision of the future that they can get behind 
• just drop the "fighting" and have "For Our Children’s Future" ... it's more inclusive

I was fascinated (if a little alarmed) and responded: "It's a fight. A fight not unlike a world war. A fight to safeguard the future for all living things, especially your children. It's a fight. Be proud warriors." 

My friend privately said (paraphrasing), "Well put, Julie! I wish folks would stop soft-pedalling human and species extinction. Perhaps to get Canadians on the same page, they need to see more graphically that children around the world are suffering NOW."

But then proud papa and climate change activist extraordinaire, Howard Breen, chimed in (printed here with his permission):

Such truly good gentle beings we all are. We are loving parents who would do almost anything for our dearest. I am unequivocally convinced of that.

But things have seriously fundamentally changed. The science couldn't be clearer. There is nothing that is even remotely existentially the same in the history of humankind, except the prospect of nuclear winter or a bioterror pandemic. There are more 65 MILLION displaced in refugee camps around the world TODAY (and by 2030 my hunch is that this will at least triple), and North America and Europe are building walls.

President Bill Clinton once was asked how can the environmental movement win? He said that first and foremost, environmentalists are "far too polite," which is why we routinely get out-maneuvered by the corporate world.

Canada and the world are currently on a trajectory to exceed the non-binding Paris Climate Accord (meaning 3ºC or much much higher by 2050). To be honest (in adult company only), I think it's truly over for the next generation. Unless we fight. And with every ounce of courage we can muster.

Given the first responsibility of being a parent is to protect my children and grandchildren, I'm going to risk being arrested in an Extinction Rebellion NVDA [non-violent direct action].... I believe there's no longer any other choice — if I am to do everything moral and non-violently possible.

If anyone is not up for a fight against the worst corporate evil humanity has ever faced, fine, I understand (I may be the only one on this list that has been in a couple of different war zones or ever seen a lot of dead people close up).

But please, good folks, move aside, for those stepping up to fight the good fight for their kids — and feel we need to call it what it is. It is a climate necessity now to use the militaristic metaphors, as it was to go from "climate change" to "climate emergency" at the school district meeting.

That said, and I say this without reservation but with much heartache for everyone on the list that truly means well and feels nauseated by militarism and violence, when things get obviously desperate for everyone's children, those who are not actively "fighting for them" will increasingly be seen as enemy sympathizers.

In the meantime, my animal icon is a mother grizzly with threatened cubs.

T**** [and other leaders whose actions are increasingly planet-destroying and unprecedentedly evil], take note: The Extinction Rebellion "pitchforks" (as the right has taken to calling us of late) are amassing for the children.

With passionately fierce love,

Howard
 "To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."  — Sun Tzu

Howard, cher camarade, thank you for your fierce and passionate love for the children ... of all species!