We get cranky when young folk ignore our Earth

We get cranky when young folk ignore our Earth

The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Saturday, May 05, 2007

Re: Grampa Simpson for the environment, May 2.

Columnist Dan Gardner should know better than to criticize us old folks. I am a 60-something sometimes cranky lady who also gets annoyed at people who don't listen.

Yes, David Suzuki is cranky and worried and rude. He does not have much time for political agendas and economic predictions that blur the reality of environmental pollution.

 

Gaile Williamson objects to Dan Gardner's calling David Suzuki a cranky old man, saying the environment is an important issue that's making a lot of people cranky.

Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen

Yes, he pulls out the worst case statistical scenarios. One has to, in order to get attention. And he is rude to silly people. The world's environment is in serious trouble and mankind is contributing to it. It doesn't matter about percentages and quotas and economic predictions. It's there and we have to deal with it for your sake and the sake of future generations.

Yes, he uses anecdotal references to warn the world about reality, and he swears. We old people love to tell stories and sometimes embellish them to get our point across. We also swear a lot at the silliness and ignorance and out-of-touch-with-reality that the next generations are demonstrating. Heck, even sweet Jesus Mr. Gardner referred to in his column got a little ticked off at the money changers in the temple.

As for the kids: they will be fine if our generation and Mr. Gardner's teach them the lessons of life and give them the tools to work with.

And cranky old people like David Suzuki and me want to see that happen. So Mr. Gardner, it's not nice to criticize we older folk. Yer gonna be one of us one day.

Gaile Williamson,

Kanata

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