Editor: As March 31 approaches, and council prepares to vote on the Brookswood/Fernridge community plan, we must remember that, regardless of the outcome we are faced with the responsibility of protecting the Brookswood/Fernridge area for generations to come.
I am proud to belong to a community that will speak out against the state and corporate initiatives that threaten the environment and natural atmosphere of our Brookswood community. I want to remind all of the passionate citizens involved in this cause that our voices will not be silenced by the result of council’s vote. We will use direct action to have our voices heard.
We must recognize the interrelationship of all levels of government and capital interests. The historical development of our society is based on the enclosure and privatization of public land in order for businesses to thrive. Why would we expect anything different in the case of Brookswood?
I encourage everyone to show opposition of the development proposal by attending council’s vote on March 31. If the plan is passed, regardless of public disapproval, do not give up on our town. Although the democratic legislative process will have failed us, we can show our solidarity by attending development sites in powerful numbers to display our opposition and protect what is most important to us, a beautiful unified community.
We need to acknowledge direct action as a legitimate resource for speaking out against corporate and political power holders. It is not a radical measure. In a country of democratic free speech, the voices of the majority are too often silenced by political and corporate agendas. Let this not be the case for our Brookswood.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
Jamie Thomas,
Brookswood