--- Carl Pope <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 18:01:56 -0800 > From: Carl Pope <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Our Role in a Time of War > To: [log in to unmask] > > ***************************GlobalMessage************************************* > THIS MESSAGE IS AN INFORMATIONAL MESSAGE BEING SENT > TO ALL SIERRA CLUB STAFF, > THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ALL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEES, > CHAPTER CHAIRS, CHAPTER > CONSERVATION CHAIRS, GROUP CHAIRS, CCL DELEGATES, > SIERRACLUB-BROADCAST, AND > SIERRACLUB-ACTION. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO SENDER OR > FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO > LISTS WHO HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU > DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE > THESE MESSAGES IN THE FUTURE, CONTACT > [log in to unmask] > ***************************************************************************** > > To: Sierra Club leaders and staff > Fr: Carl Pope, Executive Director > > > We are at war, and Americans will be paying > attention to little else for > at least the next two weeks. It is a serious time > for our nation. > Americans > are putting their lives on the line, and nightly > news will reveal the daily > destruction and death toll on both sides. These > tragic events will > preoccupy the hearts > and minds of the American people. > > But as this war proceeds, the rest of the world will > not stand still. > The Congress and state legislatures will still meet > and cast votes on > critical environmental issues. Corporations, > federal and state officials, > and judges will still make decisions that will > impact the environment. > Some > will cynically use the distraction of the war as an > excuse to step up > efforts to reduce environmental protection. And the > American people have a > job > to do on the home front -- taking care of America > the Beautiful. > > Our communications work will need to be reflective > of this complicated set > of circumstances. We will monitor the situation > daily and make necessary > adjustments along the way. But for the remainder of > March, we will: > > Speak out on the need for peace. We have released > the Sierra Club's > statement opposing the war; we continue to respond > to press inquiries. We > will also participate in appropriate anti-war > activities and statements > that reflect the policy and tone of respectful > dissent set by the Board. > > Stand up for what we believe. The environmental > agenda, like the rest of > the domestic agenda, is important. Those who would > dash our dreams and > lower our expectations will try to take advantage > the window of war, as the > Administration and the Alaska Congressional > delegation did this week in > trying to sneak through authorization to turn the > Arctic National Wildife > Refuge over to the oil industry. We must speak out > respectfully, but > firmly. We must not let them profiteer > environmentally during this war. > > Lobby -- Congress and state legislatures are still > in session and > continuing to work. We need to remain fully engaged > as key decisions are > being made. Because it will be difficult to reach > the general public > through the > media, it will be more important than ever that our > members and supporters > let our leaders and decision makers know that we > need to move forward with > protecting the environment of this land we love. > > > Reach the public at the local level -- While we > believe the national news > coverage will be dominated by war coverage, there's > been a real uptick in > local coverage in the past two week -- perhaps > because, the more global is > at threat, the more dear the local, the near become. > > Look further into the future, lengthen our time > horizons. Use this time to > talk to magazines, newsletters, communications > outlets with longer lead > times. This lays the groundwork for coming back even > stronger when the > media again begin paying more attention to domestic > issues and messages. > > Be sensitive. Be respectful of each other's > opinions and fears. Now is > not the time for harsh partisan or personal > critiques. Avoid the use of > war metaphors and rhetoric. Indeed, now is the time > for messages of hope, > for vision, for inspiration. However dark the > threat our response should > be couched in high moral purpose and infused with > deep human compassion. > The anti-war messages delivered in the past few > months by Wendell Berry and > Senator Robert Byrd can serve as message models for > us. > > > Be proud. We are working for environmental justice, > freedom from > pollution, and the protection of the wild lands we > all love. > > Remind people of the healing power, spiritual > renewal and comfort nature > provides in these troubled times. In that spirit, > we share these words > from Wendell Berry: > > "In the Peace of Wild Things" > > When despair for the world grows in me > and I wake in the night at the least sound > in fear of what my life and my children's lives may > be, > I go and lie down where the wood drake > rests in his beauty on the water, and the great > heron feeds. > I come into the peace of wild things > who do not take their lives with forethought > of grief. I come into the presence of still water. > And I feel above me the day-blind stars > waiting with their light. For a time > I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. > > See the hyperlink to Senator Byrd's latest comments > at > http://alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15432 > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - - - - - - > To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, > see: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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