Eric,
I appreciate your compliment, and, at the same time, want to clarify where
I'm coming from. You said, "...it does not seem that you read George's
post." I not only read George's post, I read it twice. So it wasn't a lack
of attention on my part. It was a conscious disagreement with his position.
As I see it, there IS a "morally, environmentally sustainable justifiable
position with respect to the issue." It's to protect the environment and
find safer, more sustainable ways to source energy than violent and
precarious hydrofracking.
Likewise, I disagree with your assessment of this thread: "The debate seems
to not be about a diverse community that governs itself (as impossible as
that may be). The debate seems to be about winning control in a particular
way, with parties on both extremes being willing to say almost anything to
win." Neither George nor I have demonstrated that we are "willing to say
almost anything to win." (Nor did I hear any of that from the protesters
last night.) We are simply being frank, without slamming each other in a
personal way. Democracy requires this kind of open engagement and
willingness to disagree. The more we can tolerate conversations with those
who differ from us, the better off we'll be. Unfortunately, the usual
pattern is for humans to shy away from disagreement. I think it's more
courageous to voice our differences as they arise, especially for something
as important as this. Moreover, unlike you, I think this debate IS about how
a diverse community governs itself. I'm not trying to control anybody, and I
don't think it's "extreme" for any of us to try to defend our land against
unprecedented pollution.
Jan Quarles
----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Marcellus NIABYism
Jan,
I applaud all of your efforts, and the self-sacrifice you and your family
are making for the integrity of your position.
From reading your post, though, it does not seem that you read George's
post. What I take from his post is that there is no single morally,
environmentally sustainable justifiable position with respect to the
issue.
I imagine other people will make different choices than you would or than
I
would that they believe, based on evidence that they find credible.
Those positions may and do differ dramatically from either of ours.
We will all be neighbors, living with the consequences, for decades to
come, whether drilling does or does not proceed, whether lots or little.
The debate seems to not be about a diverse community that governs itself
(as impossible as that may be). The debate seems to be about winning
control in a particular way, with parties on both extremes being willing
to say
almost anything to win.
In the middle of such conflict, we lose sight of how to govern ourselves,
as a community.
Eric
Eric Clay, M.Div., Ph.D.
Community Coach
Shared Journeys, Inc.
832 North Aurora Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-592-6874
[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])
sharedjourneys.net (under construction)
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