By Poli-Tick Chick

As I went about my business in Napier City yesterday, I heard a whole lot of caterwauling from down the street.

Intrigued to know what it was about, I stopped and waited… listened…

Hang on, did I hear that correctly?

‘No more no dairying,’ was screeched into a megaphone.

Followed by, ‘No more fossil fuels!’, ‘No coal mining!’, ‘No natural gas’ and that ‘We are unstoppable’ (the latter proved correct – as for all the yelling – stopping to listen or discuss their demands was off the table).

Apparently the planet, ‘wants justice’.

As the group passed by I casually asked the one with the mega phone – Do you realise where New Zealand’s income comes from?

Unstoppable indeed, she continued to screech into the microphone, eyes wild, with the zombie followers behind, frightening a small boy nearby.

I looked at what they were wearing – all  imported, Nike backpack, labeled shoes and sneakers, clutching their mobile devices.

I queried of the followers, how do you think you get to buy these things imported from overseas, if we have no dairying or farming and we have no exports ourselves?

There was no reply.

Just an aggressive older woman lurching my way and screaming at me, ‘You need to get educated about the environment, lady.’
I recognised her as a candidate running for the Taradale Ward for Council last election.

She didn’t recognise me as an environmental award winner though… funny, eh?

They crossed the road and carried on down the street – the girl from the sun glass hut silently munching on her piece of pizza, eyebrows raised before returning inside… she’d be jobless, if these protesters had their way.

Education is clearly failing in NZ if this, largely female screaming contingent, are an indication of its results.

I put it to those student protesters to try and live without all of the things they were calling for an end of and see what happens.

I put it to their educators, adults that should know better to deliver a history lesson – of times when there was a wait list to even buy a car in NZ…to explain how our economy works…or doesn’t work as the case may be.

To suggest to them their afternoon may have been better spent on the end of a shovel shifting silt to help those on the land here, that underwrite all that they were clothed in from head to toe and no doubt what fuelled their transportation to their march.

Despite their noise, the truth of this planet is that it will long outlast each of them, folding them gently beneath and within her when their time here is done.  Maybe they could use that time a little more wisely and strengthen their critical thinking, consider some balance… or failing that… demonstrate for at least 2 years their own eschewing of every item they were demanding an end of… then I might have been able to have taken them seriously.

I happily got into my car and drove home.

I suspect they all did the same once they’d rolled up their banners and Mum or Dad picked them up, without them giving it a thought.

Giving 16 year olds the right to vote?

No thanks.

Poli-Tick Chick can be found on Facebook here.