FW: Letter to the Green Party of Canada - re. the seal massacre

[Guest guest]

-

Anthony Marr

Anthony-Marr

10/4/2006 11:58:44 AM

Letter to the Green Party of Canada - re. the

seal massacre

 

 

Ms. Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of

Canada

 

Dear Ms. May:

 

It is with dismay that I read the article below

regarding the federal Green Party’s plan to soften its

opposition to the Canadian commercial seal massacre.

 

While I’m writing this, I am conducting my 4th

Compassion for Animals Road Expedition (CARE-4)

through 35 American states in 5 months - as a

Canadian. This politically expedient but morally

regressive move on the part of the Canadian Green

Party has caused me to hang my head even lower in

apology on your behalf, as I walk amongst and speak to

American animal advocates from coast to coast. And

they too, are slumping in their seats in darkened and

deepened despair.

 

Back in 1996, I was the campaign director of Western

Canada Wilderness Committee leading the

Ban-Bear-Hunting-in-BC Referendum Initiative.

Resulting partly from my 50-cities-in-8-weeks road

tour throughout the BC interior, we generated a

province-wide volunteer force of 1,800. This may look

like a huge task-force on the scale of the movement,

but on the scale of the project, we needed some 4,000.

Thus, we asked the BC Green Party to endorse the

campaign and to offer local help from city to city.

The BC Green Party refused, citing possible damage to

party support in the pro-hunting districts.

 

The result is a failed campaign, and still zero votes

for the BC Green Party. If not for the tragic,

lose-lose nature of the situation, I would have

laughed out loud upon receipt of the refusal. I did my

level best to refrain from using the word " cowardice " .

About the most diplomatic statement I could make back

to the BC Greens was, " What do you have to lose? "

 

To me, and to millions of others, the Green Party is

not as much a political party than an icon of

compassion, courage, conscience, ethics, enlightenment

and progressive thinking in the political arena. Your

political move will not benefit you politically, but

it will tarnish you if not destroy you morally and

ethically.

 

What is the Green Party’s highest political aspiration

in this regard? That it will gain a seat in

Newfoundland? The Polar Ice Cap will stop melting

first. In Canada, the Green Party will always lose

politically, but it could always shine as a guiding

light for the entire Canadian civilization as long as

its leaders do not dim their own brilliance.

 

The forces of compassion around the world have rallied

to stop this most barbaric and largest marine mammal

slaughter in world history, thus cleaning the name of

Canada for us ashamed Canadians. Your self-defeating

move will set back the movement by years, and alienate

international support for your party for decades.

 

I hope that you will reconsider this matter with your

utmost seriousness and wisdom, bearing the big picture

very much in mind. There may be " other issues " within

Canada, but in the international arena, there is none

more prominent than the hugely despised Candian

commercial seal massacre.

 

Sincerely,

 

Anthony Marr, founder

Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)

415-686-8789

 

 

May softens Green view of seal hunt (CBC

news)

 

 

[contact info. for Green Party at end of this e-mail]

May softens Green view of seal hunt

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2006/10/03/greens-seals.htm\

l

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 3, 2006 | 9:13 AM NT

CBC News

The new leader of the federal Green party is adopting

a more conciliatory stance toward the Canadian seal

hunt.

Delegates to a Green convention last year called for

the abolition of the hunt, which triggered the

resignation of one Newfoundland and Labrador candidate

in this winter's election campaign, as well as that of

a key party organizer.

 

Green party leader Elizabeth May said she will appeal

to Green party members to endorse a different policy

on sealing.

(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

Elizabeth May, who was elected party leader in August,

said she supports a limited hunt.

" I'm probably the only leader of the Green Party of

Canada that has friends who are sealers, [so] I'm

going to take a very different view on this, " said

May, a native of Cape Breton.

" The party needs to do some work internally, to ensure

that our policy is understood, is respectful, and we

may have to change our policy a bit through that

dialogue as well. "

The party's stand on the seal hunt caused an uproar in

Newfoundland and Labrador, including within the party

ranks.

Jane McGillivray, who had won the party's nomination

in the riding of Labrador, resigned her candidacy over

the party's policy on sealing.

Lori-Ann Martino, who had been an organizer for the

Green party in Newfoundland and Labrador, said the

policy prompted her to abandon a plan to run in a St.

John's riding in January's federal election.

Martino said the Greens have to do more to restore

their credibility to win the favour of voters in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

" People were given a message that the Green party is

not interested in hearing the voices of Newfoundland,

and in fact they were willing to go so far as to label

Newfoundlanders as barbarians on national news, "

Martino said.

May said the seal hunt can be as emotionally divisive

as abortion.

" The position and the policy of the party [are] fairly

well-rooted. My position is that we need to be in a

more respectful dialogue, " she said.

" The seal hunt is an enormously complicated issue and

you can't start discussing it from the point of view

of arguing about the seal hunt. You need to start at a

higher level of principle, as [in] what is required to

ensure sustainability for the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador. "

May said the Green party needs to focus on other

issues, such as banning draggers and helping to

restore cod stocks.

May, who did not outline what exactly she would like

the party to adopt, will still need to bring a new

policy to the party for debate.

Contact info. for Green Party of Canada:

Information: info

jchenery (John Chenery, Director of

Communications)

Toll-free: 1-866-868-3447 (1-866-VOTE-4-GPC)

Telephone: (613) 562-4916 (Ottawa)

Fax: (613) 482-4632 (Ottawa)

 

PO Box 997, Station B, Ottawa ON K1P 5R1

_____________________

 

 

Anthony Marr, founder

Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)

Compassion for Animals Road Expeditions (CARE)

www.HOPE-CARE.org

Anthony-Marr

Anthony_Marr

cell while on tour: 415-686-8789

Vancouver # 604-222-1169

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

-

Anthony Marr

Anthony-Marr

10/4/2006 11:58:44 AM

Letter to the Green Party of Canada - re. the

seal massacre

 

 

Ms. Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of

Canada

 

Dear Ms. May:

 

It is with dismay that I read the article below

regarding the federal Green Party’s plan to soften its

opposition to the Canadian commercial seal massacre.

 

While I’m writing this, I am conducting my 4th

Compassion for Animals Road Expedition (CARE-4)

through 35 American states in 5 months - as a

Canadian. This politically expedient but morally

regressive move on the part of the Canadian Green

Party has caused me to hang my head even lower in

apology on your behalf, as I walk amongst and speak to

American animal advocates from coast to coast. And

they too, are slumping in their seats in darkened and

deepened despair.

 

Back in 1996, I was the campaign director of Western

Canada Wilderness Committee leading the

Ban-Bear-Hunting-in-BC Referendum Initiative.

Resulting partly from my 50-cities-in-8-weeks road

tour throughout the BC interior, we generated a

province-wide volunteer force of 1,800. This may look

like a huge task-force on the scale of the movement,

but on the scale of the project, we needed some 4,000.

Thus, we asked the BC Green Party to endorse the

campaign and to offer local help from city to city.

The BC Green Party refused, citing possible damage to

party support in the pro-hunting districts.

 

The result is a failed campaign, and still zero votes

for the BC Green Party. If not for the tragic,

lose-lose nature of the situation, I would have

laughed out loud upon receipt of the refusal. I did my

level best to refrain from using the word " cowardice " .

About the most diplomatic statement I could make back

to the BC Greens was, " What do you have to lose? "

 

To me, and to millions of others, the Green Party is

not as much a political party than an icon of

compassion, courage, conscience, ethics, enlightenment

and progressive thinking in the political arena. Your

political move will not benefit you politically, but

it will tarnish you if not destroy you morally and

ethically.

 

What is the Green Party’s highest political aspiration

in this regard? That it will gain a seat in

Newfoundland? The Polar Ice Cap will stop melting

first. In Canada, the Green Party will always lose

politically, but it could always shine as a guiding

light for the entire Canadian civilization as long as

its leaders do not dim their own brilliance.

 

The forces of compassion around the world have rallied

to stop this most barbaric and largest marine mammal

slaughter in world history, thus cleaning the name of

Canada for us ashamed Canadians. Your self-defeating

move will set back the movement by years, and alienate

international support for your party for decades.

 

I hope that you will reconsider this matter with your

utmost seriousness and wisdom, bearing the big picture

very much in mind. There may be " other issues " within

Canada, but in the international arena, there is none

more prominent than the hugely despised Candian

commercial seal massacre.

 

Sincerely,

 

Anthony Marr, founder

Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)

415-686-8789

 

 

May softens Green view of seal hunt (CBC

news)

 

 

[contact info. for Green Party at end of this e-mail]

May softens Green view of seal hunt

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2006/10/03/greens-seals.htm\

l

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 3, 2006 | 9:13 AM NT

CBC News

The new leader of the federal Green party is adopting

a more conciliatory stance toward the Canadian seal

hunt.

Delegates to a Green convention last year called for

the abolition of the hunt, which triggered the

resignation of one Newfoundland and Labrador candidate

in this winter's election campaign, as well as that of

a key party organizer.

 

Green party leader Elizabeth May said she will appeal

to Green party members to endorse a different policy

on sealing.

(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

Elizabeth May, who was elected party leader in August,

said she supports a limited hunt.

" I'm probably the only leader of the Green Party of

Canada that has friends who are sealers, [so] I'm

going to take a very different view on this, " said

May, a native of Cape Breton.

" The party needs to do some work internally, to ensure

that our policy is understood, is respectful, and we

may have to change our policy a bit through that

dialogue as well. "

The party's stand on the seal hunt caused an uproar in

Newfoundland and Labrador, including within the party

ranks.

Jane McGillivray, who had won the party's nomination

in the riding of Labrador, resigned her candidacy over

the party's policy on sealing.

Lori-Ann Martino, who had been an organizer for the

Green party in Newfoundland and Labrador, said the

policy prompted her to abandon a plan to run in a St.

John's riding in January's federal election.

Martino said the Greens have to do more to restore

their credibility to win the favour of voters in

Newfoundland and Labrador.

" People were given a message that the Green party is

not interested in hearing the voices of Newfoundland,

and in fact they were willing to go so far as to label

Newfoundlanders as barbarians on national news, "

Martino said.

May said the seal hunt can be as emotionally divisive

as abortion.

" The position and the policy of the party [are] fairly

well-rooted. My position is that we need to be in a

more respectful dialogue, " she said.

" The seal hunt is an enormously complicated issue and

you can't start discussing it from the point of view

of arguing about the seal hunt. You need to start at a

higher level of principle, as [in] what is required to

ensure sustainability for the people of Newfoundland

and Labrador. "

May said the Green party needs to focus on other

issues, such as banning draggers and helping to

restore cod stocks.

May, who did not outline what exactly she would like

the party to adopt, will still need to bring a new

policy to the party for debate.

Contact info. for Green Party of Canada:

Information: info

jchenery (John Chenery, Director of

Communications)

Toll-free: 1-866-868-3447 (1-866-VOTE-4-GPC)

Telephone: (613) 562-4916 (Ottawa)

Fax: (613) 482-4632 (Ottawa)

 

PO Box 997, Station B, Ottawa ON K1P 5R1

_____________________

 

 

Anthony Marr, founder

Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)

Compassion for Animals Road Expeditions (CARE)

www.HOPE-CARE.org

Anthony-Marr

Anthony_Marr

cell while on tour: 415-686-8789

Vancouver # 604-222-1169