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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Even if it was in jest, such phrases are inappropriate for you as someone who has run for public office in the past


Well I must say it has been some time since a reporter, outside of the Kamloops area, has sought me out for comment.  It happened today however, and it had to do with seven Greenpeace protesters who took it upon themselves to hang from the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, and block a tanker which was legally about to head out to sea.  This demonstration of course to protest the ALSO LEGAL Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.

Seeking me out was David Ball, a reporter for the Star in Vancouver.  He emailed the following to me:

Good afternoon Mr. Forseth,

I am a reporter with The Star Vancouver newspaper and covering yesterday's illegal bridge protest and arrests.

I noted that hundreds of social media users have used phrases such as "cut their ropes," and that you used the phrase as well:

Alan Forseth, BC Reform Party MLA
candidate for Kamloops North
Thompson -- 1996 General Election
"Damn shame they couldn't have just cut the ropes if these moron protesters, and just let them fall in the river."

Do you stand by that sentiment?

Can you please comment on allegations that any reasonable person would interpret that as suggesting police should have caused people to fall to their death or serious injury?

And also criticisms that even if it was in jest, such phrases are inappropriate for you as someone who has run for public office in the past?


I thought, "Why not?", and so I sent him the reply which follows.  Maybe it will resonate with you as well:


I do not believe most people would take seriously, the comment I and others made.  Instead, it should show the frustration that a very large (and I would personally say a majority) of people in B.C. feel about eco / enviro radicals, who time and time again, hold the provinces resource and development industry hostage. 


I grew up in the interior (Cariboo) where this is some of the most beautiful country around ... filled with a multitude of lakes, high plateaus, and wilderness.  And where I now live, in Kamloops, is much the same.  

I also worked for a short time at Gibraltar, an open pit copper mine ('74 - '79) located at McLeese Lake.  Most of the workers there were outdoors people ... none of whom would have ever thought it a good idea to destroy the outdoors they loved to play in and enjoy. 

The same holds true today.  In fact, the people who work in the resource industry are some of the strongest environmentalists.

Big city protesters on the other hand live in concrete jungles ... surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of square miles of asphalt roads and parking lots ... enjoying all of the amenities, services, and products the resource industries provide.

Oh, I forget to mention many live in homes in the Abbotsford area (and other metro Vancouver areas) crowded into clear-cut hillsides, which had forests until recently.

Hypocrites!!

"Cut them (the Greenpeace protesters) down and let them fall in the river".  

Yah it's a little strong, but maybe those in the media who champion these eco radicals should instead ask if they actually realize how much their lives AND lifestyle would be negatively impacted if the resource sectors they protest, were to close.

I am proud to have once worked in the resource industry, and in fact to also have been a union Shop Steward and Bargaining Rep.  Friends and family I know ... and s tens of thousands of interior and northern residents, are also PROUD to work in the resource industry.

Maybe, its time some one stood up for then??


A short time later David emailed back to thank me for my reply.  He also indicated that he ... "will of course try to fairly represent the very valid frustrations you express, which are widely shared in this province."

His tag line on his email address states:  Investigate.  Report.  Effect Change.

IF he does indeed fairly represent the very valid frustration I and other express, then he will have lived up to that statement.

That's it for me.  In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth.  Have a comment to make about this?  Please feel free to express your thoughts below in the Comments section.
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Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 6, 2018 at 11:11 AM

    I like and respect David Ball, but he's still in an industry that competes for eyeballs.
    Your sentiment about cutting them down and let them drop is shared by many people and you did a good job of defending resource jobs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 6, 2018 at 4:28 PM

    Nicely done. You didn’t roll over. You clarified and stood by your frustrations.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 7, 2018 at 5:50 AM

    I have no respect for Self-serving Media types who think they are the “standard” in the context of “regulating” Freedom of Expression and Speech! So what if Alan ran for Public Office, he should be able to Express his Frustration’s(Freedom) on Social Media without the “legalistic” member of the Press trying to “Bait” him with nonsensical questions or their own form of twisted Morality! Alan and I and people in Resource Extraction Industries are sick and tired with Eco- Radicals trying to endanger our jobs and way of life- while Liberal and NDP governments “nickel and dime” us Carbon Taxes, Burdensome Environmental Regulation ( Green Communism) and Enviro Fee’s That do nothing for the Environment but are great for the Public Treasury but remove Spending Power from the Consumer- like why are we being charged .04$ for each refundable drinking container now(great way to diminish the incentive of refunding)-this type of Taxation has gone way to far now!
    Freedom of The Press- the Right to tell the Truth about whatever story that comes to Public’s/Media’s Attention in the appropriate context and based on supportable evidence and Fact based Research.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan ForsethJuly 7, 2018 at 11:00 AM

      I certainly agree with you 427 ... whether I ran for elected office in the past, should have NO bearing on whether I can or should not be allowed political comment. It seems, at least, those from the centre right are being more and more shouted down, accused of enviro-homicide ... racism and a host of other "ism's" ... while those on the center left are free to say, and do, whatever they want.

      I know this is a generalization, but it certainly seems to be the case.

      Delete
  4. garret seinenJuly 7, 2018 at 7:45 AM

    The protest movement has learned there are no consequences for impeding the legal actions of others. In other words, law enforcement is glaringly absent. That leads to the frustration we all have with the general unwillingness to take seriously, we need to use resources to live, a glaring fact ignored by all environmental activists.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan ForsethJuly 7, 2018 at 10:57 AM

      What will be interesting Garrett, is to see what comes of possible charges against the protesters. It seems since recent Tans Mountain Pipeline blockades, we are seeing stronger charges, and fines. Personally I believe there should be jail time as well even if it's only for 90 days, just to show the willingness of authority to finally show some spine.

      The RCMP say charges could be laid under the federal Shipping Act, against the 7 high flying bridge protesters, and so I'll be interested in seeing what comes of that

      Delete
  5. UnknownJuly 11, 2018 at 7:22 PM

    I have had it with attacks on our economy funded by Americans. Funny how offended they were at the hint of Russian interference in their election.

    ReplyDelete

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