Dear Editor,December 30, 2012
I am at a loss for words, and still I write…
Two years ago, after living and working internationally for decades, I returned home to Northwest Wisconsin. I live in the Penokee Hills, in the heart of the Chequamagon-Nicolette National Forest and the Marengo Watershed.
I have been following the proposed mining in the Penokee Hills since my return to Northwest Wisconsin.
I am a senior member of the community now. I live simply, within modest means… And I usually go about my life quietly.
I say usually, because I am now compelled to voice my opinion, to he heard regarding a matter near and dear to my heart.
It is clear for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear that the proposed mining in The Penokee Hills would significantly and negatively impact the water, air and soil quality of a vast region for an undeterminable period of time… The quality of life for so many will be seriously and irreversibly depreciated… This is an issue that must not be thought of in terms of short-term dollars and cents… Or personal gratification and glory… This is a concern that must be handled thoughtfully and carefully, with the best interest of one and all.
What if… Every student in every classroom was to make a diorama of the effects that the mining will have on our precious resources… The effects that this mining will have on the air, the water, the soil, the plants, the animals, the people, all of what is… And also dioramas demonstrating what we presently have and perhaps take for granted and now risk losing… What if… Our children researched the effects of such mining in other places… And presented all of their findings far and wide… To family, neighbors, friends… To our leaders in politics and industry… To the media… To the world… To our world… What if…
What if… Some bright young man or woman came up with a new way to recycle the stores of metal that lie in waste worldwide… Or, what if… An already existing and sound solution to the matter at hand was exposed and embraced… What if… An environmentally sound method of extracting the ore was developed and employed… What if…
It seems to me that we, as adults, can’t get this thing sorted out. And my concern is that we will sort it out with devastating consequences for generations to come. Our present and the future of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren ad infinitum is at stake… And the future of all the plants and animals, the water, the wind and the terra firma too… Perhaps it’s time to enlist the aid of our most valuable resource, our children…
What if… My child or grandchild spoke with the children and grandchildren of Chris Cline and Scott Walker? What if your children, your grandchildren spoke with them? What if… What if the children intervened along with consciously motivated individuals and groups, most notably the Ojibwa and other Native American Bands … What if…
So, there you go… Well, if I do say so myself, I didn’t do too bad for an older woman at a loss for words… I am so grateful for this opportunity to voice my opinion and concerns… Thank you for listening… And I thank all of us for taking action for the benefit of one and all…
Sincerely,
Deborah Healy
deborahhealy1@hotmail.com