"I was here before you, and I'll be here when you're gone"

If you build a viaduct over old stomping grounds, the animals will come. Above, elk crossing at the turnoff from Banff to the #1 highway to Calgary, with thanks to local animal watcher Judie Dyer, who emails:

They had to build the animals (especially the elk) their own crossing because that was where the natural crossing was and after the highway was built there were far too many accidents. I understand it didn't take the animals long to learn that this was their "road."

The elkway called to mind the totally awesome Saudi Arabian (we think) camelway we blogged here nearly three years back. "I like camels," wrote camelblogger Almamedi, The Religious Policeman [who has subsequently quit blogging to write a book] back then. "They have a look that says 'I was here before you, and I'll be here when you're gone.'" Alhamedi's words from July of 2004 resonate now more than ever:

The media is losing credibility among audience and this is happening so fast and it is a huge mistake. I want to say to the media: by continuing like this you’re taking the dictators' and terrorists’ side and you’re feeding their arrogance when you say "We were wrong when we went to Iraq" or "Iraq was better off before the war and Iraqis and the world are suffering because of the war" and you’re using the failure to find the Iraqi WMDs and the casualties among Iraqi civilians as a weapon in this media war.

We always support the free media as they watch the authorities, criticize them and expose their faults and corruption but it seems that the media's role has increased considerably lately and about to become more like a first authority rather than the fourth one as its role in affecting governments' decisions and policies has expanded and this great expansion in power has given the opportunity for corruption to creep in, which gives rise for the need of another power to watch the media while they perform their honorable job; a power that has less interest in disfiguring realities and hiding facts and a power that is more attached to events on the ground. Here where the internet and fast communications among people can do a great job to put the "power of people" into action.

I want to say to the media: keep watching them and we’ll keep watching you.

Interesting and not at all surprising how the most heart-stoppingly true commentaries on the way of the world come out of the deserts -- both literally as from Almamedi in Saudi Arabia and metaphorically as from our old favorite, Natan Sharansky, the Soviet dissident -- veterans of fear societies whose huddled masses are yearning to breathe free.

Update: All animals all the time at Modulator's Friday Ark #129.

Comments

[goomp]

It looks as if most animals learn what they need to know. Too bad the fourth estate cannot.

[jameshigham]

This is one exceedingly cool post, Sissy and it's going to lead the Blogfocus this evening.

[Sissy Willis]

Looking forward to it, James. :-)

[jameshigham]

Dear Sissy, you might like to check out:

http://nourishingobscurity.blogspot.com/2007/03/blogfocus-saturday-across-pond.html

Yours, James

[Sissy Willis]

Thanks so much for the mention and links, James. As I commented at your site, I'm "glad to do my part to win hearts and minds over to this shining city upon a hill. :-)"