As the young people say, protesting is ‘so yesterday’

Dear editor,
I was struck by two contrasting stories in your February issue. The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund’s AIDS campaign is flagging (Primate’s Fund tries to revive flagging AIDS campaign). With a goal of $1 million, it had reached only half that amount by December 2005. I spent several weeks in Lesotho in 2003 and I met and prayed with a group of dedicated volunteers in a small community who are sharing what little they have with AIDS sufferers. A few extra dollars here would do a great deal to alleviate great distress.

The other story, Anglican join protest of global warming, reflects the traditional middle class stance of making an issue so big and abstract that you can do nothing about it except protest. I noted that two of the protesters in the Montreal photo came from the diocese of New Westminster. Did they walk across Canada to join the protest?

The work of Sir Nicholas Shackleton, who died on Jan. 24, indicates that global warming may be the result of regular variations in the earth’s orbit. There is a need to separate global warming issues from those associated with the wasteful, energy-depleting habits of many middle class Canadians. Individuals can do something about that rather than simply protesting the sins of others. And they can dedicate the time, energy and resources devoted to protesting to collecting money for ventures like the Primate’s Fund.

As the young people say, protesting is “so yesterday.”

Jim Lotz
Halifax