We’ve all belonged to groups – even me. I am a reluctant joiner of anything, I’ve never joined a political party but I’ve been a member of two very rewarding writers groups, and now a ukulele group which is mostly about having fun, although we do play and sing in between talking and laughing,
Lately I’ve been wondering when a group stops being a group and becomes a monster.
What started me off was the Greenpeace protesters getting arrested in Russia. What purpose do they think they’re serving? From the outside it looks like publicity at any price. If a group tried to land or stop one of our ships we’d want them locked up too.
Oh, you say, but they have a cause?
Oh right.
So a cause excuses everything?
Oh but it’s a good cause.
Yeah right.
Greenpeace is a large, very large, extremely wealthy corporation, no doubt with a lot of money in the bank so it can afford to mount campaigns against this or that, but what, apart from publicity, does it achieve?
Now we have the Sea Shepherd chasing the Japanese whaling ships again. Japan is a sovereign state, they eat whale meat, they claim they are within the law fishing for whales. Does the captain and crew of Sea Shepherd consider themselves above the law? If the Japanese fishermen and boats are breaking the law then the law is the best way to deal with it. Does belonging to a wealthy group that can pay for a ship and crew and PR staff who know how to attract the world media make it above the law?
But whales are an endangered species.
So are poor children – I don’t notice Greenpeace or Sea Shepherd doing anything to help that particular endangered species.
Why?
Because there’s no publicity in the day to day business of making sure every child has a decent, clean, safe, warm bed and good food. Its not sexy. It doesn’t make the headlines. Its just hard work and there’s no let-up.
When I worked in North Dunedin (not exactly a wealthy area) I discovered a woman who bought good bread,made good fillings, and then good sandwiches. She made sandwiches every day of the week. She wrapped them in lunch paper in fours and took them to a local school for kids who had no lunch. She didn’t make a fuss about it, I only found out by accident. She did it every schoolday of the year. Now there’s a hero. She didn’t ask for any help from anyone, she saw a need and did what she could to make it better.
There are so many examples of groups claiming they acted for a good cause – it’s a matter of historical record that the settlers came here to bring civilisation to the natives – and we all know how that went, don’t we? Tuhoi, Parihaka, don’t get me started. Christian, Jew, Muslim, Chinese, all have groups within them who pile up money for the few select ones, and to hell with the rest. I come in the name of Christ, or Jehovah, or Allah, or Mao, so I’m going to do what I want because I’ve got the power and the money? Have they saved any children?
Children matter. They matter more than whales. They are the future. They are the now. Not just our children, not just the well-fed and well-looked after ones, not the ones who got presents this christmas but the ones who didn’t. We’re building up a whole lot of future trouble by ignoring this large mass at the bottom who could’t give a stuff about whales, all they want is some food for breakfast. Do I blame them? Like hell I do.
Clearly Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd have other priorities. They care about whales – they also care about proving who’s got the biggest media draw. See? My media draw is bigger than yours – I got on the evening news and you didn’t.
Question for all the people aboard Sea Shepherd and all the people who support Greenpeace – how many hungry kids have you fed today?
Answer: Sorry, can’t stand around talking, there’s a photo opportunity I just can’t miss. See ya.
Grrr.
