A speech delivered at the THE LOGGING of TWIN ISLANDS COUNCIL Feb. 5, 1998
TWIN ISLANDS
I am-a member of the Cortes Forest Committee, and have been involved in the demonstrations against the rape of Twin Islands. Why, some might ask, am I driven to spend many hours of my time confronting lawfully employed workmen who are merely struggling to make ends meet? What business have I to interfere with the plans of Mike Jenks (or Mac Blo) to make the maximum possible profit from their private land? Are they not entitled to do whatever they please to their own property? They bought it, didn~t they, with their own money? --- or did they?.. Making a profit from one's own property, by whatever means one chooses, is nobody else's business - - or is it?
There are, alas! some people who abuse and rape their own children, and even sell them into prostitution for profit. Society could never justify such foul behaviour; apart from any other consideration it is ill~gal! On the other hand, the rape of forests on private land is legal, and that makes all the difference! --- or does it?
I came to this coast in 1919, and grew up amongst some of the loveliest islands in BC. Even then scars were appearing and the rape had begun. I was away from BC for nearly 50 years and was shocked at the appalling carnage I saw on my return just over ten years ago. My most striking sadness was caused by the loss of the springtime dawn chorus of birds. For every bird that greets the sunrise today, there must have been a thousand when I was a child!
I sincerely believe that all life is interdependent, and that the human race is in no way superior to other forms. We are still privileged to live in a very beautiful world; but with every privilege goes a corresponding respons ibility. We cannot alter any part of the environment without affecting the whole. If we continue our present madness, we shall leave little for future generations, and the fortunes we make in the process will be useless to us or to our successors.
My protests at Cortes Bay and at Twin Islands were in no way directed against the machine operators or fallers trying to do their jobs, but at the whole idea of "cashing in" on the priceless capital of what remains of our forests. Its time we learned to live off the interest.
If we had our wits about us, we would realise that properly managed eco-forestry under community tenures, with local value-added secondary and tertiary industries would generate far more long-term jobs for workers in the BC forest industry.
We who are fortunate enough to own land must realise that it is an integral part of the whole environment, and we cannot be entitled to rape it any more than we can legally rape our own children. It is for this reason that I, who hate to be bossed about by any level of government, am in favour of sensible legislation of a genuine forest practices code for all land, both Crown and private. If only we could legislate and enforce "Thou shalt love and respect thy neighbour, the community and life in its widest concept".
Sedley Sweeny
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