Successful Bear Advocacy Through Positive Educational Outreach
From Brendan Garrett - 1 Mar 2008
My friends and friends of the bears,
I get the feeling that already this bear discussion cc
list has gotten off to a less than fantastic start as some of us have
already begun sending out some negative energy. There is nothing wrong
with informing others of the realities of bad things happening (which
there most certainly are all the time) as well there is nothing wrong
with venting our emotions about bad things that upset us; but as I have
not only known but have been completely foolishly ensnared by for far
too long is the reality that if you focus on the negative and reflect
negativity back, nothing good comes of it and you will only hurt
yourself and achieve nothing. I have been told this again and again by
several people who are much wiser and more experienced with things than
I.
The only way to bring a positive change is to be
positive. And so I will do so. Steve Stringham put it very well in the
email previous to this one and another close friend of mine, whose work
on encouraging bear-human coexistence around the Vancouver area has been
very effective, said it best, and even had a miraculous story to tell
me:
As I said in a previous email, I enjoy hearing from
you. What I do not enjoy nor accept anymore are emails with any negative
�go-after-them� points of view towards people who hunt or don�t yet
understand bears. I firmly have come to realize that those people are
only fuelled by that type of attack to hurt bears more.
The ONLY way to help our bears is to spread the word
about their true, wonderful natures, their intelligence and their
extreme patience with humans, while working towards legal ways to
improve situations that endanger bears.
I can no longer look at any pictures or videos of
bears being abused or hurt. I have seen it firsthand and have photos
that cannot be shown to any person because they are so disturbing. I
know firsthand what is happening to bears out there. Seeing more doesn�t
help me. All my energies are put into POSITIVE work and education of
people and getting people, companies and contractors, and city officials
to improve situations and make important changes so that people and
bears can live peacefully in close proximity.
Educating in positive ways does change people�s hearts
and when the majority of people understand then the government HAS to
listen. Small groups of people making demands and screaming of horrors
going on are classified as �bunny huggers� not only by government but by
people who are ignorant and in need of education.
For the past 3 years I had a man in Golden who had
hunted bears, who hated my work and attacked me all the time verbally
and once almost physically- through it all I just smiled at him and
shared my thoughts peacefully. (I did shed some tears in private but
never was I negative to him.) Last year that man came to me and said �I
owe you an apology. I was wrong and you were right. I will never again
hunt a bear. I hope you will accept my apology.� That is all he said. Of
course I accepted and the best part of all- he had his two young sons
with him. They had just learned something that will stay with them for
their lives. How many generations were changed by positive action right
there?
If I had been awful to him and tried to change him
using negative tactics I know he would not have changed. I hope you can
understand what I am saying and why I don�t want any more emails from
people who attack those who they deem as the �enemy�. They aren�t. They
just don�t yet understand. Look at the group who have helped the polar
bears gain recognition for their plight. Not a single negative action-
just persistence and education.
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