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<DIV><FONT size=2>Henry Johnson writes:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>"Because what happens at the end of the line
cannot and should not be regulated by people who are not directly impacted by
the results of what happens at the end of the line. "</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>The is obviously one of the major roots of disagreement
between those espousing the pro--megaloads and the anti-megaloads
positions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>This is basically a question of values, when and how to
act in accordance with those values, and the strategy to use to try to
achieve promoting a world consistent with those values.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I will not repeat past posts on this issues except to say that
the oil sand projects, still basically very little yet developed, have caused a
2000% increase in cancer rates among First Nations peoples downstream, have
already significantly polluted water and air resources, are being promoted by
China, our greatest and most unfair global competitor, who directly or
indirectly hold the controlling interests in the oil sands projects, and the
expansion of the oil sands projects is likely to be the greatest environmental
disaster in the history of North America.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What should one do if one is walking through a strange
neighborhood on a windy day and sees a three year old in a dry grassy
field with a can of gasoline it is about to pour out, and holding some
matches? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Go over and remove the child from danger and save the
neighborhood from the danger of a raging field fire or say "It is not my
business, I don't live here" and do nothing?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>The Henry Johnsons and people of similar ilk who say of the
oil sands projects "It is not my business, I don't live there" and do nothing
are not much different from those who would ignore a child with gasoline and
matches. Due to the blasé ignorance and arrogance of the pro-megaloaders,
the eminent danger of the oil sands projects is not so temporally and
visibly near as a field fire, but in the long run the oil sands projects
are much more likely to have long range, wide spread, extremely adverse impacts
than a child dying and a neighborhood being destroyed in a field
fire.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>The "It is not my business, I don't live there" proponents are
the same ones that ignore genocide in other parts of the world, including
Mexico, because it does not appear to them that such actions will affect
them. I think they are wrong about genocide and a host of other
similar things because [1] sooner or later such things will affect them,
and when it lands on their doorstep they will blame others, not themselves, for
that, and [2] such an attitude shows almost unconscionable selfishness and
disregard for humankind, and such an attitude is likely to be contagious and
will eventually be to the extreme detriment of almost all humankind. Think
John Donne's:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>"If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is
the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's
or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in
mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for
thee."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>One of the present consequences of the oil sands projects is
the undeniable genocide of First Nations peoples that has already occurred and
has been carefully documented. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I understand that the government of China and other big
investors don't care about First Nations people or the environment --
they are far removed from seeing or being immediately affected by such things,
but I would hope most of the rest of us would care enough about others and
ourselves to do whatever is within our practical range to try to stop this
ill-conceived project. It is not the "It is not my business, I don't live
there" proponents who would have made earth a better place to live, but their
opposition.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>If big investors want a good return on their money, let them
invest in clean, renewable energy resources -- energy production that does
not kill many people and does not do great, irreparable environmental
damage.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>We all are residents of this planet. Those of us who do
not believe "It is not my business, I don't live there" think we should act to
make it as habitable at least cost in human suffering to live here. The
"It is not my business, I don't live there" people obviously do not. That
is the root of this dispute.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=2>
<DIV><BR>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow, ID
83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR>208
882-7975<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=hearseboy85@gmail.com href="mailto:hearseboy85@gmail.com">Henry D.
"Hank" Johnston</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, June 08, 2011 7:29
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] My Column /
Megaloads & Hippies</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Viz Peeps -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>First with an apology of sorts - I wasn't trying
to be defensive in my original email - its just that the last time people
started asking about where I lived and where I worked in regards to a
column my workplace was incorporated into it and it didn't end
well. Despite what I may had written for my closing column last
time, I was basically told to give up my column or quit my job.
Since writing for the Daily News pays beer money and my job at RadioShack paid
career money, I think its obvious why I had to choose. Which is why I
must stress that my column and the opinions expressed therein are separate
from my job duties at my present employer. I am able to keep my
private/opinion self separate from my work self.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I'm also glad to know that there won't be an
angry mob outside my home or workplace with pitchforks and patchouli
oil.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Second, I think you really need to know me as a
person to get my style of humor. It seems that the crux of everyone's
hatred of me is the "hippie" comment. I'm not going to apologize for it
because its humor. Moscow has hippies - anyone who denies it either
lives under a rock or is one and can't admit it. I think its groovy and
its why I've stayed in Moscow long after my stay at the UI was over. It
is what makes Moscow unique and, sometimes to my chagrin, flavors the
political climate much different than the rest of the state.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>And seriously folks, does a gay guy really have a
finger to point at a hippie? No. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Please, just shrug off that
particular paragraph and laugh a little. I don't dislike
hippies anymore than I dislike my mother-in-law. :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The DNews has a 650 word limit and trying to put
enough background information for readers who might not know the issue you're
speaking of and interjecting your own opinion/positions to form a cohesive
column that is readable is tough. I would encourage you to try it
sometime and see if you could fit everything you wanted to say within the word
limit without sounding like a poorly edited radio commercial. I do the
best I can with the space given and sometimes am forced to oversimplify
things, sometimes with a kick of humor, in an effort to conserve
space.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I'm not certain what Roger Falen meant when he
called me a maverick. I've seen the term used both ways to portray Sarah
Palin as either good or bad so I'm still scratching my head at that. I
guess the only way I can confirm what he said is yes, I left the Republican
party after it was decimated in the primary by the Gresham Bouma/Ike Young Tea
Partiers. The party took a severe swing to the right and pushed out
moderates like myself and the Schroeders. Perhaps it was a good thing
because it caused me to give up my party label (other than
independent) but as I've grown I've learned to look at every issue
independently and form my opinions based on the information I take
in.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Now, to the core of the issue at hand.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Sunil had asked if I felt that the environmental
impacts of the Kearl Oil Sands were the same as a single earth burial.
No, I don't. But my personal opinions on the Kearl Oil Sands are
irrelevant to the megaload issue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Why?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Because what happens at the end of the line
cannot and should not be regulated by people who are not directly impacted by
the results of what happens at the end of the line. </FONT><FONT size=2
face=Arial>If anyone paid attention to my column I said that I was sympathetic
to the issues surrounding the oil sands - who can't be - the whole thing is
disgraceful. But the fact remains that Highway 95 is just that - a
state/federal highway - regulated by the Idaho Transportation Department under
whatever permitting process is established for larger loads.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>If you don't like the permitting process then
work to change the law - not stop the loads. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As far as the action of the council goes - it is
what it is. Walter made a political statement more than anything and the
council agreed with him. It wasn't a resolution - if you watch the video
the language was changed to make it a positional statement. And does
anyone really think that public input would have changed anyone's mind on the
dais? I doubt it and would suggest that anyone who thinks it would is
just as delusional as thinking the right amount of pro-Wal Mart public
input would cause Aaron Ament to become a fan of Big Blue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Overall I don't think that the folks on this
forum discussing this topic are too far apart from me. If you want to
get to know me I'm more than game - I love making friends and a good
debate. I'll buy the coffee if you ask (when I have spare time from
work, of course).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Take Care -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Henry</FONT></DIV>
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