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Letters: Don't be sidetracked by protesters' funding

A Richmond News reader believes we are being distracted by the source of protesters' funding, rather than looking at the issue at hand
save-old-growth-massey
Save Old Growth protesters at trhe Massey Tunnel earlier this year

Dear Editor,

Re: “Please dig deeper into

protesters’ finances,” and “Protesters risked the safety of everyone,” Letters, Aug. 18.

What’s interesting is how both writers imply that protesters who may receive funding are somehow nefarious or their lack of transparency around this is.

This topic of funding is commonly used to distract from the real issues like, that most of us don’t appreciate being inconvenienced from our daily routines or aren’t comfortable thinking about how we are part of the very systems that propagate inaction on global issues like climate, poverty, inequality, etc.

We live in a democracy where critical thinking, protests, and challenging perspectives are essential to engagement in finding solutions to societal problems.

Alternatively, Russia is an example where little or none of this is permitted. Where would you like to live?

Transparency of funding is a concern but not just for protesters, as some governments limit information, some politicians fail to disclose conflicts of interest, and some businesses fail to disclose their own climate impacts.

Transparency should be a value we hold dearly in our democracy. Just like the Richmond News and journalism overall supports transparency by sharing differing and often conflicting perspectives, increased transparency is a good thing.

Jerome Dickey

RICHMOND