{"id":474,"date":"2022-12-13T11:41:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T16:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/?post_type=chapter&p=474"},"modified":"2023-03-29T19:51:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T23:51:24","slug":"frontlines-5","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/chapter\/frontlines-5\/","title":{"raw":"Frontlines","rendered":"Frontlines"},"content":{"raw":"We have a lot of problems. The whole system is going sideways. The town is struggling. The economy, health care, and the costs of living are all putting more and more stress on everybody. As one of the four physicians left standing in town George felt a lot of responsibility to try and keep things going. There is only so much tweaking of a collapsing system that you can do and he was wearing down. There weren\u2019t enough docs left to cover the core services let alone provide time for rest or getting away. Things needed to change fundamentally. Maybe after his clinic was over he would take a walk through the cedars that the town was named after and see if he could centre himself. The next patient was Mrs Jones. She was always a tough patient; a heart sink patient, if there ever was one.<\/span>\r\n\r\nJust need to keep going<\/em>, he thought.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u2026<\/span>\r\n\r\nIt was Tuesday and the committee was back at the Clay Pigeon. Almost everyone that had met last week was able to make it, with the exception of Amy. Before the meeting, Pat offered them a tray of day-old muffins.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cNormally I would sell these at half price,\u201d he said, colour flushing to face. \u201cBut I just wanted to show my support in some way. What you\u2019re doing here is\u2026Well it\u2019s quite admirable and I\u2019m very happy to host you. Oh, and there's almonds in these. I just want to be mindful of folks with allergies.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nAs he returned to the counter, Carmen hastily scooped up a muffin and the others followed suit. She spoke first, telling the others about what she saw in the forest.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cOh, I know what you\u2019re talking about!\u201d Aaron replied.\u00a0 \u201cI think my coworker was writing a piece for the newspaper on this. At least, I heard her talking about it. Let me send her a quick message and see what she says.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s great, thank you Aaron,\u201d George said. \u201cWell, Carmen, what do you think we should do about this?\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nCarmen shifted in her seat , shrugging her shoulders. She looked over at Macy with widened eyes. \u201cUh, well, what do you think we can do?\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cWe could protest.\u201d Macy said, nonchalantly.<\/span>\r\n\r\nProtest?<\/em> Carmen thought. What good will that do?<\/em><\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cAren\u2019t those dangerous?\u201d Carmen asked. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of one happening here.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cI don\u2019t believe one ever has.\u201d Sarah replied, brushing muffin crumbs off her shirt. \u201cAt least, not in the forty or so years that I\u2019ve lived here. I think it would make quite the spectacle, to say the least. But, then again, I know next to nothing about how these things happen.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, it won\u2019t be dangerous, I\u2019ve been involved in a few back in my day,\u201d George said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s rather simple, we spread the word to the people we can trust. Then maybe make some signs and just let the people know that things like tree clearing won\u2019t go unnoticed. We can start by the old fountain and make our way through the town to the city hall. We\u2019ll just make a small commotion, just to have our voices heard.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cShe replied!\u201d Aaron interrupted. \u201cThe clearing is set to happen on the seventeenth.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cI think we should meet before that day then,\u201d Macy said. \u201cMaybe like a week before? We could do it on Sunday, maybe, though I think it\u2019s supposed to rain.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cI think that would work the best,\u201d George replied. \u201cDoes everyone agree?\u201d He asked, looking around the room.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWithout opposition, the date was set.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cWonderful,\u201d George said. \u201cNow we just need someone to volunteer to bring the coffee.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u2026<\/span>\r\n\r\nOn the day of the protest, George was the first to show up to the fountain. He was feeling a lot more positive about how things were going. Realistically, nothing had actually happened yet as far as making actual changes but he was hopeful that collective energy would build. It was so heartening to be working with some of the youth in the community to move forward together.<\/span>\r\n\r\nCarmen and Macy arrived together with Macy\u2019s uncle, who dropped off some iced coffee for everyone.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cPat insisted I bring a box of donuts,\u201d Pete said, placing the box on the rim of the dried up fountain. \u201c\u2018Trying a new recipe\u2019 Pat said. So we\u2019re the guinea pigs, I guess. Try if you dare.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cSo\u2026 Do we just stand here?\u201d Macy asked.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell, we\u2019re pretty early, so let\u2019s just wait for others to join and we can start the march,\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nGeorge said, eagerly grabbing a honey glaze. \u201cIt will only take us about an hour to walk down Main, and traffic should be minimal on a Sunday so we needn\u2019t worry about that too much.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\nCarmen and Macy shared glances. Their nervous excitement began to build as more people began showing up. After half an hour, twenty-six people had arrived and the sky began to drizzle.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAs they walked down the Main Street of Cedar Grove, they were met with a colourful round of looks from spectators. It would be untrue to say that the reception they received was entirely positive, but they managed to recruit a few passersby along the way. Overall, there were only about thirty people who marched through Cedar Grove on that day. If nothing else, it was a start. They received more scrutiny than they did support, but success was not always measured in numbers.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAs they neared their destination, water had begun to pour from the sky. It had only been a couple hours since they first gathered at the fountain, but Carmen felt like the entire event had gone by in the blink of an eye.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThen, as if out of the abyss, one of the reporters from the local station walked up to the group. Winning the luck of the draw, Carmen was singled out and put on the spot in front of a camera. With no time to object, and her energy building from the chaos around her, she agreed to speak.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cHi, this is Julie from Channel 5 News, and we\u2019re speaking with one of the youth from this climate march trying to stop the logging in Coombs Forest. Can you tell me your name and how old you are?\u201d The reporter asked.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cYeah, uh, I\u2019m Carmen,\u201d she began, trying to gain her composure as rain dripped down her face. \u201cAnd I\u2019m sixteen.\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s great to see youth getting off the sidelines, especially at events like this. Now, Carmen, can you tell me why you\u2019re doing this? Was this the turnout you expected? And why march through the streets now?\u201d<\/span>\r\n\r\n\u201cWell,\u201d she began. \u201cI mean, we were hoping for a few more people but to answer your question, why not now? Is there a better time, or should we wait until things get worse? The earth is scorching and this is the first rain we\u2019ve received in weeks. No one\u2019s allowed to know their own fate; the answers can\u2019t be found in the bottom of your teacup, or in the palm of someone\u2019s hand. We can turn the trees to ash and leave the rest up to the Gods, or we can do what we can with our time to make the world easier for the ones who come after us. We don\u2019t own this world, but we own the responsibility for it. If I can empower just one other person during my time, I know I will have succeeded.\u201d<\/span>","rendered":"

We have a lot of problems. The whole system is going sideways. The town is struggling. The economy, health care, and the costs of living are all putting more and more stress on everybody. As one of the four physicians left standing in town George felt a lot of responsibility to try and keep things going. There is only so much tweaking of a collapsing system that you can do and he was wearing down. There weren\u2019t enough docs left to cover the core services let alone provide time for rest or getting away. Things needed to change fundamentally. Maybe after his clinic was over he would take a walk through the cedars that the town was named after and see if he could centre himself. The next patient was Mrs Jones. She was always a tough patient; a heart sink patient, if there ever was one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just need to keep going<\/em>, he thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Tuesday and the committee was back at the Clay Pigeon. Almost everyone that had met last week was able to make it, with the exception of Amy. Before the meeting, Pat offered them a tray of day-old muffins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNormally I would sell these at half price,\u201d he said, colour flushing to face. \u201cBut I just wanted to show my support in some way. What you\u2019re doing here is\u2026Well it\u2019s quite admirable and I\u2019m very happy to host you. Oh, and there’s almonds in these. I just want to be mindful of folks with allergies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As he returned to the counter, Carmen hastily scooped up a muffin and the others followed suit. She spoke first, telling the others about what she saw in the forest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know what you\u2019re talking about!\u201d Aaron replied.\u00a0 \u201cI think my coworker was writing a piece for the newspaper on this. At least, I heard her talking about it. Let me send her a quick message and see what she says.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great, thank you Aaron,\u201d George said. \u201cWell, Carmen, what do you think we should do about this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmen shifted in her seat , shrugging her shoulders. She looked over at Macy with widened eyes. \u201cUh, well, what do you think we can do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe could protest.\u201d Macy said, nonchalantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Protest?<\/em> Carmen thought. What good will that do?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t those dangerous?\u201d Carmen asked. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of one happening here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe one ever has.\u201d Sarah replied, brushing muffin crumbs off her shirt. \u201cAt least, not in the forty or so years that I\u2019ve lived here. I think it would make quite the spectacle, to say the least. But, then again, I know next to nothing about how these things happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it won\u2019t be dangerous, I\u2019ve been involved in a few back in my day,\u201d George said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s rather simple, we spread the word to the people we can trust. Then maybe make some signs and just let the people know that things like tree clearing won\u2019t go unnoticed. We can start by the old fountain and make our way through the town to the city hall. We\u2019ll just make a small commotion, just to have our voices heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe replied!\u201d Aaron interrupted. \u201cThe clearing is set to happen on the seventeenth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we should meet before that day then,\u201d Macy said. \u201cMaybe like a week before? We could do it on Sunday, maybe, though I think it\u2019s supposed to rain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that would work the best,\u201d George replied. \u201cDoes everyone agree?\u201d He asked, looking around the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without opposition, the date was set.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful,\u201d George said. \u201cNow we just need someone to volunteer to bring the coffee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

On the day of the protest, George was the first to show up to the fountain. He was feeling a lot more positive about how things were going. Realistically, nothing had actually happened yet as far as making actual changes but he was hopeful that collective energy would build. It was so heartening to be working with some of the youth in the community to move forward together.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmen and Macy arrived together with Macy\u2019s uncle, who dropped off some iced coffee for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPat insisted I bring a box of donuts,\u201d Pete said, placing the box on the rim of the dried up fountain. \u201c\u2018Trying a new recipe\u2019 Pat said. So we\u2019re the guinea pigs, I guess. Try if you dare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026 Do we just stand here?\u201d Macy asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re pretty early, so let\u2019s just wait for others to join and we can start the march,\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

George said, eagerly grabbing a honey glaze. \u201cIt will only take us about an hour to walk down Main, and traffic should be minimal on a Sunday so we needn\u2019t worry about that too much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmen and Macy shared glances. Their nervous excitement began to build as more people began showing up. After half an hour, twenty-six people had arrived and the sky began to drizzle.<\/span><\/p>\n

As they walked down the Main Street of Cedar Grove, they were met with a colourful round of looks from spectators. It would be untrue to say that the reception they received was entirely positive, but they managed to recruit a few passersby along the way. Overall, there were only about thirty people who marched through Cedar Grove on that day. If nothing else, it was a start. They received more scrutiny than they did support, but success was not always measured in numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n

As they neared their destination, water had begun to pour from the sky. It had only been a couple hours since they first gathered at the fountain, but Carmen felt like the entire event had gone by in the blink of an eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, as if out of the abyss, one of the reporters from the local station walked up to the group. Winning the luck of the draw, Carmen was singled out and put on the spot in front of a camera. With no time to object, and her energy building from the chaos around her, she agreed to speak.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, this is Julie from Channel 5 News, and we\u2019re speaking with one of the youth from this climate march trying to stop the logging in Coombs Forest. Can you tell me your name and how old you are?\u201d The reporter asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, uh, I\u2019m Carmen,\u201d she began, trying to gain her composure as rain dripped down her face. \u201cAnd I\u2019m sixteen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to see youth getting off the sidelines, especially at events like this. Now, Carmen, can you tell me why you\u2019re doing this? Was this the turnout you expected? And why march through the streets now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d she began. \u201cI mean, we were hoping for a few more people but to answer your question, why not now? Is there a better time, or should we wait until things get worse? The earth is scorching and this is the first rain we\u2019ve received in weeks. No one\u2019s allowed to know their own fate; the answers can\u2019t be found in the bottom of your teacup, or in the palm of someone\u2019s hand. We can turn the trees to ash and leave the rest up to the Gods, or we can do what we can with our time to make the world easier for the ones who come after us. We don\u2019t own this world, but we own the responsibility for it. If I can empower just one other person during my time, I know I will have succeeded.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1756,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-474","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":471,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1756"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2879,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/474\/revisions\/2879"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/471"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/474\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=474"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=474"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/ccedarrproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}