Letter to the Editor: Bob Morley

February 1, 2024

FREEDOM!

To Denman Works, Director Daniel Arbour, CVRD Manager Doug Demarzo: If you wish to be leaders, you will be frustrated, for very few people wish to be led. If you aim to be servants for your communities, you will never be frustrated!

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. (Gandhi) It is time to get out of the self-imposed cul-de-sac down which the ideas and inspirations of TIG have been lured and then quietly strangled! As censors, you make it apparent that you know more than you think we ought to know. And in your silence, the argument is carried on by other means.

This manipulation of our freedom has got to change. For as Kingsley Amis says, ‘If you can’t annoy somebody, there is little point in writing’! I have always enjoyed the publications of small Island papers like the Gulf Islands Driftwood and in my Thurs walk to the post box, eagerly look forward to the varied views expressed in The Islands Grapevine. I am no prophet, but if you continue to deprive publicly funded dollars from our community paper, you will open a pandora’s box that has no end. You have the opportunity to quietly and publicly sow the seeds of freedom by restoring the public funding of our press.

A concerned resident,

Bob Morley

Date set for Denman Island’s 2024 Charity Auction

February 1, 2024

istockphoto-183316675-612x612 — "Word spelled out in letterpress letters. Note that these letters are over 100 years old and are dirty, dusty and grimy :)"

2024 CHARITY AUCTION

The biennial charity auction will be held on

Sunday, October 20,2024, at 10 am!

THE DATE IN IN THE FEBRUARY FLAGSTONE WAS WRONG. THE CORRECT DATE IS OCTOBER 20. OUR APOLOGIES.

The Live Auction with a real auctioneer will be in the community hall, and the Giant Garage Sale will be in the Activity Centre for the entire weekend under the able hand of Major-domo Evan Penner once again.

The auction relies entirely on the generosity of the Denman community contributing its unwanted items and buying these amazing bargains.

What we want* are items too big for the free store, items your neighbours need or just covet and you are so done with, but there they sit glowering in the corner and taking up space.

LET THEM GO! All proceeds to island charities (more on this later).

We will pick up large items by arrangement closer to the date. For more (but not much more) information you can call Roxanna at 2576 or Stirling at 1009.

*Furniture, tools, appliances, tools, sporting goods, bikes, boats, kayaks, oddities, collectables, toys. Sorry but no books, helmets, child car seats, or treadmills.

Respecting International Law

February 1, 2024

Canada has always prided itself on its adherence to international law. Canada has supported the last 3 cases against genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the world’s highest court of law. These cases involved Bosnia vs. Syria (1993), The Gambia vs. Myanmar (2020), and Ukraine vs. Russia (2023). We are on record in each of those cases as strongly opposing genocide and advocating for respect for the international rule of law as expressed through the ICJ.

We are a States Party to the Genocide Convention (1948) along with Israel and 151 other countries. Adherence is so widespread it is considered “international customary law”, binding on all states, whether they have ratified it or not. Canada’s response needs to be consistent, supporting the Provisional Measures Order made by the ICJ on January 26, 2024, against Israel, with respect to South Africa’s complaint of Israeli genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

The order does not call for a ceasefire as the more than 2,000 organizations supporting South Africa’s complaint had hoped. Those organizations represent ½ billion people from nearly 100 countries. (Marjorie Cohn, former head of US National Lawyer’s Guild, Codepink, 16 January, 2024.)

But the order does require Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent:

killing members of the group (Palestinians);
causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; and
imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; Further, Israel must:
take all measures to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to genocide; and
implement immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza; and
report to the ICJ in one month on its compliance with the Order.

The ICJ also called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages still held in Gaza.

Michael Lynk, Law Prof at Western, former UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinians, said that in his view, there is no way Israel can comply with the terms of the Order without a ceasefire. (Canadian Foreign Policy Institute Press Conference January 26, 2024.)

Every country who is party to the Genocide Convention will be impacted by this decision, as the convention requires all States Parties to participate in the prevention and punishment of genocide. The ICJ said that South Africa has made the required “plausible case” of genocide by Israel vs. Gaza, so that is why they made the Provisional Measures Order. The decision “on the merits” respecting the claim of genocide will take several years, and all States Parties are invited to send legal arguments to inform the Court.

The next step is for the ruling to go to the UN Security Council for enforcement, where the US will no doubt veto any resolutions arising from it. Then the matter will go the UN General Assembly who can take action, including calling for sanctions against Israel. Israel will experience a “mobilization of shame” from the world community at the UN and “is very worried about it, because for Israel the narrative is everything”. (Marjorie Cohn, above)

Not surprisingly, the very day the ruling came down, Israel suddenly made allegations that 12 of 30,000 UNRWA employees were part of the October 7^th attack on Israel, providing no proof, so now the US, UK, a few European states and compliant Canada have “paused” financial support of UNRWA, the chief provider of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. This appalling move grabbed the headlines and shows the level of callousness operating here. Israel is ordered by the world’s highest court to enable humanitarian aid to a starving, 85% homeless people and the West responds by cutting off funding for that aid. What is going on here?

As Blinne Ni Granleigh, Irish lawyer on the South African legal team, stated in her argument to the ICJ January 11, 2024, this is “the first genocide in history where its victims are broadcasting their own destruction in real time in the desperate, so far vain hope that the world might do something”. (See her on YouTube.)

Canada did not express any support for the ICJ’s ruling and instead of putting pressure on Israel to comply with the Order to allow humanitarian aid, we cut our funding to the main supplier of that aid. According to UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, defunding UNRWA “overtly defies ICJ’s order to allow effective humanitarian assistance.”

We Canadians can do something. We can hold our government to account for its complicity in allowing this unprecedented human disaster, this huge moral failure, to continue. We can press them to reinstate, and in fact, increase UNRWA funding, call clearly for an immediate ceasefire and abide fully by the ICJ Provisional Measures Order. This is the true test of our humanity and our respect for international law.

Letter to the Editor – Elspeth Armstrong

February 1, 2024

I, and many in my family. wholeheartedly support all your efforts to stay in business. You and your staff have provided an excellent paper for both Denman and Hornby….so many interesting and informative articles whether one agrees with or not. It’s astounding that you are having to go through this process against a group who are paid by us taxpayers. It has the distinct odour of illegality and I am truly shocked that this has even got this far.

We and so many others, here on Hornby look forward to our paper and it will be missed….hopefully not that outcome. Although much of the paper focuses on Denman, activities and all, Denmanites will most certainly lose the most. Sincerely hope that somehow the light shineth on whoever can curtail such an injustice and TIG will be back in business asap.

Very best wishes for a positive outcome for this most welcome, informative newspaper.

Elspeth Armstrong, Hornby Island

Letter to the Editor: Dr Stephen Malthouse

February 1, 2024

Letter to the Grapevine, Jan 30, 2024

Submitted by Stephen Malthouse, MD

Dear editor,

The Grapevine has provided a community mirror by publishing dissenting opinions, so it is not surprising that some don’t like what they see. Censorship is a tool for hollow men and those would-be tyrants that lack the substance to defend their opinions.

Aren’t we tired of the fake names and avatars of Facebook and Twitter that allow us to censor, vilify and marginalize, without responsibility? The clever comeback. The intellectual snippet. God – give me a real newspaper! Then there are the ad hominem attacks and the false debating tactics that use consensus and expert authority, instead of evidence, to strike down an opponent. How tiresome! Combine this with gaslighting, lying and intellectual laziness and you could be describing a visit to the doctor after a Covid vaccine injury.

Yet, there are other methods to convince and coerce that do not require your frontal cortex. “Be kind, be calm, be safe” is a classic brainwashing slogan, almost certainly created by a psych team and aimed at your subconscious. How similar it is to “Build Back Better”, which requires destroying everything first, usually in the name of safety. Fifth generation warfare is a psyop that does not require bullets and, like the boiling frog, its insidious implementation leaves the enemy unaware that they are even in a war. Denman seems like that – oblivious to the coming calamities. Drinking tea and tending flowers while the cell door is closing. Who is there to warn us?

Under a regime of extreme censorship, it is almost impossible to find the truth. Politically motivated Google algorithms only bring up a one-sided narrative (who still uses Google anyway?). Our usual sources of information, the CBC, Global and CTV, have been turned into propaganda machines that receive huge payoffs from the Liberals, abetted by the NDP, Conservatives and Greens. Unless we know where to look, like The Highwire or Shadoe Davis, or subscribe to uncensored substack articles, we will be left with using common sense and reading the Grapevine. The former is one of the senses that disappeared with Covid, but we still have the Islands’ newspaper and an editor that believes in free speech. Our community cannot afford to lose either of them.

Freedom

February 1, 2024

April 9, 2007 10:34 AM

After getting so engrossed in my current read of ‘Watership Down,’ I turned in last night at about 1:00 am. I awoke after what felt to be a good sleep but the imagery of my dreams made me wonder if my sleep wasn’t more fitful.

It seems that I was out of jail. The impression was that my sentence was officially completed! I recall visiting with James and Bronwen and they told me that they had a good deal of money for me. All seemed good. I proceeded to the liquor store to purchase a six pack of beer but something compelled me to avoid purchasing my beloved Sleeman’s due to its prohibitive cost. Despite the understanding that my finances were healthy, I looked to buy a cheaper beer as though I was thoughtful of stretching my account money. Much as we are mindful of in placing a canteen order. I remember hemming and hawing in between the two displays of disparately priced ales. Suddenly, a man in a wheelchair slid alongside my indecisive self and rolled over the the outside of my foot. I suppose that helped me to decide on the cheaper beer and after purchasing it, I left. Free with beer. Ah, things were looking up indeed. It seemed to my mind that I was out and about in a town of little correlation to any I know but I was apparently familiar with it. In the midst of my roaming around a thought came to roost upon my mind, troubling me. Despite being free, I couldn’t seem to recollect the months between spring and what must have been mid-September if I were truly free. I’d drank a few beers and while I didn’t feel that I was A.W.O.L. from jail as in previous dreams, part of me was doubtful that September and my freedom had occurred so swiftly, and without remembrance of it. It worried me now that I had drank some beer if indeed I wasn’t supposed to be free yet. What if I had to go back? I needed to confirm the date so I returned to James and Bronwen to ask, but they told me that it was, indeed, September. Odd it was. So odd, as a matter of fact, that I awoke just in time for another jail house breakfast.

It’s amazing to me how my circumstance permeates my subconscious. To the point of not even being able to escape it in dreams. It just reveals exactly how heavy this all plays on my mind. From the very first, when I got caught, all the way till now, I’ve been smothered by this weight. My mood seldom light or truly unaffected in some way, even minutely, by this whole distressing reality. It makes me wonder how long after my actual release will my dreams hold imagery of this experience? Robbing me of peace of mind as it seems to so readily do now. One month? Two? One year? Maybe only a couple of days. Sloughing this burden will be aided by awaking in one’s own bed for sure. A few mornings of that might help to remove some of the soggy layers that help saturate my subconscious.

I’ve been living with the down of this whole experience for so long now that I fear I’ve lost my bearings completely. What will life feel like to not be hindered in any way further after it is all over and done? To be free. Will I prove capable of feeling that release? Will my dreams move on from this episode when my physical self does on September 15th?

Strange Groceries

February 1, 2024

Strange Groceries

What strange groceries that man is carrying

Odd shapes in two plastic bags

Dripping blood

They look like they weigh more than the world

Head bowed

Eyes screwed shut

Step after step, feet like lead

Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah

What are those strange groceries you carry, sir?

These are my children, he says through a clenched jaw

They have had a long and weary day

And it is time to put them to bed

His face is wet with tears

And his arms are shaking

He walks on

Heavy feet with a heavy burden

Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah

Oh Allah

My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece here are some options where you can toss some money into my tip jar if you want to. Go here to buy paperback editions of my writings from month to month. All my work is free to bootleg and use in any way, shape or form; republish it, translate it, use it on merchandise; whatever you want. The best way to make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. All works co-authored with my husband Tim Foley.

Bitcoin donations: 1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2

Green Wizardries: My Favourite Herbs

February 1, 2024

I have only been growing, preparing and using medicinal herbs for the last few years. I have been amazed at how effective they are. I believe anyone who wants to can reduce their reliance on expensive and dodgy pharmaceuticals by growing and preparing their own medicinal herbs.

When you are making your own medicines, you will not be concerned with making a profit, only a good medicine. Big Pharma does not want to produce cures, they want to create repeat customers. There are a lot of articles out now stating that some European Governments are urging people to stock up on pharmaceuticals as they are expecting shortages.

I think the first herb for general usefulness must be comfrey. It is a deep-rooted perennial plant that has big, fuzzy leaves shaped like a mule’s ear. They grow a stalk of leaves and bell-shaped flowers in blues and pinks that bumblebees just love. Bumblebees have a long tongue but short tongued species of bee also drink the nectar by biting a hole in the top of the flower and drinking the rich nectar from there.

A couple of the common names for comfrey include ass’s ear and knitbone. This herb has been used by the Ancient Greeks since at least 400 BCE. The Ancient Romans and Greeks used the herb mostly for healing wounds and broken bones. Comfrey contains the chemicals allantoin and Rosemarinic acid. The allantoin accelerates the process of new tissue growth and the Rosemarinic acid relieves pain and inflammation. Comfrey is used topically as a compress, poultice, salve or ointment.

Some orchardists recommend making a salve with the crushed leaves of comfrey and putting that on injured areas of a tree and bandaging it on to speed healing. It certainly works on human flesh so why not a tree? You can also plant a circle of comfrey around trees to form a fence that will keep out encroaching weeds and grass.

Comfrey flowers from May to August so it is a great resource for pollinators and the plant and flowers are very pretty, a nice addition to the back of the flower border. The mature plants can be up to four feet tall.

I use comfrey-infused olive oil to make my face cream. A young Algerian man recently asked me how old I was and was surprised when I said, “Nearly sixty.” The allantoin has a very soothing effect on the skin and keeps it looking smooth and healthy. Besides that, commercially-prepared cosmetics and face creams contain synthetic scents and preservatives that upset the human endocrine system and are best avoided.

Comfrey can be picked, chopped and steeped in a barrel of cold water for a few weeks until you have a barrel of thick, dark tea. Dilute this natural fertilizer with ten times its volume in fresh water and water the hungry crops like pumpkins and peppers. Comfrey is often used as a chop and drop plant as it makes a good mulch and a good fertilizer. It acts as a compost accelerator and adds valuable nutrients and minerals to the compost. Cut the plants down after they have flowered and before they have set seed. The plants will regrow and flower again but do not cut them more than four times a year or you may kill the plants. Comfrey is best propagated through root cuttings early in the year or plant divisions in the autumn.

Another tough customer that is a great healer is the yarrow plant. It is a perennial and the best yarrows for medicinal use are the wild white-flowering Achillea millefolium. There are other coloured hybrids that will look very pretty in a flower garden. Yarrow flowers are especially attractive to butterflies, wasps, flies and bees.

Medicinally, the plant is best gathered while in flower as it has the richest concentration of medicinal oils while it is in flower. Both the leaves and the blossoms are used to make medicines. I love yarrow for its styptic properties which means it stops bleeding. It is also strongly antimicrobial which is nice. I make an ointment from olive oil infused with yarrow and comfrey and it is wonderful to clear the complexion of young people suffering from acne or pimples.

I make an aftershave with yarrow and spices and it smells great and stops bleeding from shaving cuts. I use this aftershave as a first aid treatment for any cut or scratch to clean it and stop it bleeding.

The recipe for the aftershave is very simple. Put two cups of vodka into a glass jar and add one sprig of fresh rosemary, one sprig of fresh mint, 1 cinnamon stick, 9 whole cloves, two strips of organic orange peel, two strips of organic lemon peel, ten drops of bitter orange essential oil, one tablespoon of finely-chopped fresh yarrow leaves and flowers and a pinch of blue vervain if you have it. Steep two weeks and enjoy. Yarrow has many other medicinal uses. It is propagated from seed.

Letter to the Editor: Elizabeth Chapman

February 1, 2024

Dear Mike,

Thank you for all of your efforts to keep the Islands Grapevine censorship free. Your commitment to free speech is very much appreciated, as is your courage in standing up to the bullies in this community. Keep up the great work!

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” George Orwell

Elizabeth Chapman