NationStates Jolt Archive

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Very much agreed, but that is because most people are baising thier nations on thier ideal goverment, so therefore they forget this is a game and limit those who don't feel a game's goverment should be perfect. And in any case many resolutions blantently oppose any ideal of good goverment (ex. world heritage list and equality for all) which destroy any semblance of good goverment.

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Wait... so just because you oppose slavery you're a leftist treehugging pot smoking hippie?

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Wait... so just because you oppose slavery you're a leftist treehugging pot smoking hippie?
These resolutions are odviously garnered towards the libitarian liberals. In this game dictorships are legitimate nations too, and thus should be protected.

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Wow, you know a lot of creative names for a liberal...

But how about backing your arguement with some REASONS next time?

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Wait... so just because you oppose slavery you're a leftist treehugging pot smoking hippie?
These resolutions are odviously garnered towards the libitarian liberals. In this game dictorships are legitimate nations too, and thus should be protected.

1) That's the worst spelling of "Libertarian" I've ever seen.
2) I tried to pass some real Libertarian resolutions; they didn't work. And things like the AIDS resolution are hardly libertarian. I think you mean this game is garnered towards leftist ideals.

it's time the un allow dictatorships within its ranks. Do they not know how increasingly difficult it has become to run a democracy?

it's time the un allow dictatorships within its ranks. Do they not know how increasingly difficult it has become to run a democracy?

Governments are SUPPOSED to be hard to run. Otherwise, they abuse their power.

My government is easy to run. I tell them what to do. They do it. Or they die. ?

My government is easy to run. I tell them what to do. They do it. Or they die. ?

That's called 'oppressive government'. Eventually your people will stockpile money away in Swiss banks and use it to overthrow you with Ak-47s.

My government is easy to run. I tell them what to do. They do it. Or they die. ?

That's called 'oppressive government'. Eventually your people will stockpile money away in Swiss banks and use it to overthrow you with Ak-47s.


ahh the cycle of life... you know it too?

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Wait... so just because you oppose slavery you're a leftist treehugging pot smoking hippie?
These resolutions are odviously garnered towards the libitarian liberals. In this game dictorships are legitimate nations too, and thus should be protected.
1) That's the worst spelling of "Libertarian" I've ever seen.
2) I tried to pass some real Libertarian resolutions; they didn't work. And things like the AIDS resolution are hardly libertarian. I think you mean this game is garnered towards leftist ideals.
1. Thank you for the spelling correction, I've always been a poor speller :oops:
2. This game should not be specifically geared towards any ideal. You should be able to create any type of nation you want.

In my life, I have only seen one photograph of a grown man actually, literally hugging a tree. It was Charles Lindbergh.

So if I'm a tree-hugger, I'm in pretty damn good company.

:lol:
*gasp*
:lol:
I try to run my country to the best of my ability and basing legislation based on my conscience... and what do I become? A corrupt dictatorship. Hehehehe.

However, Campanama... remember, people in general don't support dictatorships because some form of the golden rule dictates most people's lives. Nobody wants to live under a dictatorship, so they won't pass anything resembling a dictatorial resolution in the UN... though it might be fun to try and see if it works :D

The wording is intentional and correct Please visit the following forums page for understanding.

http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88365

Respectfully,
Emperor Dalith

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

It is exactly because of this that we NEED more evil dictators in the UN to balance things out, therefore if your nation is evil, plz come join and fight the hippies! :twisted:

My own nation is pretty compassionate about civil rights, but even I am sickened to death by these resolutions myself. A change would be really welcoming.

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

You poor thing.

Maybe we should take your feelings and ideals into consideration, and try to find a solution that suits everyone's needs in the best way possible.

...

No wait, that would be too liberal. :wink:

The UN is increasingly being pushed towards the idea of leftist agenda, and it's pathetic. I'm not sure why the liberals think that they should rule the world.
An allience of conservative nations needs to work on pushing for better use of the UN. That would be hard, though, because most people using this sight are idealists, not realists, and therefore ruin things for everyone.

An alliance of conservatives would be futile. I have successfully changed the minds of a hundred nations.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mliêstôlkakûmek(Love all as you love yourself)
Racism-the other stupid ideology
Peace, love, and girls with small waists and really big butts!
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg

The UN is increasingly being pushed towards the idea of leftist agenda, and it's pathetic. I'm not sure why the liberals think that they should rule the world.

I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world

...Come on, you know the song!

Why do libs think they should rule the world? BECAUSE THEY CAN. And the conservatives would do the same....if their ideas weren't so wrong that it drove all support into the liberal camp. :D

An allience of conservative nations needs to work on pushing for better use of the UN. That would be hard, though, because most people using this sight are idealists, not realists, and therefore ruin things for everyone

Realists shouldn't run pretend nations. I conduct my business in my nation and in the UN exactly as I would if I ran a real country. And if that ensures that those unfortunate enough to live in conservative nations get a few drops of correct government, so be it.

"This game should not be specifically geared towards any ideal."

The game isn't. The UN is. Feel free to leave it if you don't like the resolutions that are being passed.

I like swords!
Welcome to Corneria!
I like swords!
Welcome to Corneria!
I like swords!
Welcome to Corneria!

:lol:

You are now my favorite UN-forum nation. XD

I take it you oppose the EFA proposal. Good. We must be allowed to eat.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mliêstôlkakûmek(Love all as you love yourself)
Racism-the other stupid ideology
Peace, love, and girls with small waists and really big butts!
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg

I thought this topic was about the insane amount of help the environment issues. My Nation has a good environment but my economy keeps hitting the wall because of all these environment expense to industry issues.

Please make only good proposals on the environment everyone.

The un has practically outlawed the dictatorship and encourages democracy to much. I am tired of these hippys deciding the fate of every nation. They have made it very clear with gay rights and this new EQUALITY FOR ALL crap. I dont ever see any resolutions for outlawing paying for jobs but i see tons outlawing Slavery. If the current resolution passes every country that isnt a leftist treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation should leave the un.

Conclusions from above messages:
1. Conservatives are sore losers that put all nations that dont agree with them under ridiculus unbrellas like "treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation"
2. No wonder so many right-wing nations are leaving the UN, they just dont know how to deal with other people having opinions different from their own.

We like to be called treehugglers

Conclusions from above messages:
1. Conservatives are sore losers that put all nations that dont agree with them under ridiculus unbrellas like "treehugging, pot smoking, hippy nation"
2. No wonder so many right-wing nations are leaving the UN, they just dont know how to deal with other people having opinions different from their own.

See "UN is too liberal" thread. I could make the same conclusions about liberal posts. That liberals are all condescending labellers who call anyone that disagrees with them an anti-[insert issue here], that they are against human rights, that they are fascist, and that they are religious fanatics that deserved to be locked up. It goes both ways, let's watch the labelling. I do not condone it from the right... but I also think that the left is full of hypocrites who say that labelling is wrong and then go do it themselves. I'm not saying all, I'm just saying they exist.

There's a word xylophile, which means "one who is sexually excited by wood". I suspect it is a handy insult to a treehugger.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mliêstôlkakûmek(Love all as you love yourself)
Racism-the other stupid ideology
Peace, love, and girls with small waists and really big butts!
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg

My government is easy to run. I tell them what to do. They do it. Or they die. ?

That's called 'oppressive government'. Eventually your people will stockpile money away in Swiss banks and use it to overthrow you with Ak-47s.

Ahhh but they then overthrow my puppet and i take control of the next leader and he acts as my puppet until he gets overthrown and the cycle continues

if you want to be a dictatorship, get the hell out of the un! i dont think you understand the point of the un.

That's the worst spelling of "Libertarian" I've ever seen.

I've seen worse ones. A lot of people think "libertarians" are custodians of books.

if you want to be a dictatorship, get the hell out of the un! i dont think you understand the point of the un.

That just says it all.

The UN is increasingly being pushed towards the idea of leftist agenda, and it's pathetic. I'm not sure why the liberals think that they should rule the world.

I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world

...Come on, you know the song!

Why do libs think they should rule the world? BECAUSE THEY CAN. And the conservatives would do the same....if their ideas weren't so wrong that it drove all support into the liberal camp. :D

An allience of conservative nations needs to work on pushing for better use of the UN. That would be hard, though, because most people using this sight are idealists, not realists, and therefore ruin things for everyone

Realists shouldn't run pretend nations. I conduct my business in my nation and in the UN exactly as I would if I ran a real country. And if that ensures that those unfortunate enough to live in conservative nations get a few drops of correct government, so be it.

"This game should not be specifically geared towards any ideal."

The game isn't. The UN is. Feel free to leave it if you don't like the resolutions that are being passed.

Wow. A little full of yourselves in Corneria, aren't you.

Would "xylophiles!" be a flame?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mliêstôlkakûmek(Love all as you love yourself)
Racism-the other stupid ideology
Peace, love, and girls with small waists and really big butts!
http://www.sulucas.com/images/steatopygia.jpg
They say, "Just say no to EFA.
Even plants will be off-limits."

In my life, I have only seen one photograph of a grown man actually, literally hugging a tree. It was Charles Lindbergh.

So if I'm a tree-hugger, I'm in pretty damn good company.
Speak for yourself. Charles Lindbergh was a member of the Nazi party and an enthusiastic supporter of Adolf Hitler. We prefer to avoid that kind of company.

we in the kotlers are stauch conservatives who hold freedom of speach, civil order, and national sovreignty dear. however we stongly belive that what is needed in the UN is not nesissarily a conservitive block, rather the pragmatists must work together to do what is best for all of us and to do the best we can to stay out of each others buisness unless it becomes nessisary to do otherwise.
we would much rather deal with a pragmatic socialist than with a nut of any wing .

Are you saying you're expecting liberals to work with others to find a common good?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I think that most pot smoking nations of the world don't fit in with the "treehugger" mentality. My government certainly doesn't agree with most of the horse crap being passed by the UN these days... every time I convene the Parliament we are being slapped on the wrist by the Ministry of Compliance's goons.

Sleezak :roll:

The Holy Empire of Ustasha opposes pro-hippie legislation. I, Emperor Jim, believe that all hippies must be hunted down and eradicated. They are a threat to ALL countries, and ALL governments. The Holy Empire of Ustasha is a conservative nation whose citizens believe that the UN has been hijacked by Leftists, Socialists, Communists, Anarchists, Druggies, and other losers. We hope everyone will vote on our "Death to Hippies" Resolution, which we shall introduce next week. See you then!

-His Most Holy and Badass Excellency Emperor Jim

Hay, long time trawler first time poster!
We need a Conservative right-wing alternate to the UN something like the Confederate Nations (CN). I'm not right wing but I’m fed up with all these right-wingers constantly complaining!

A Region of purely conservative nations could accomplish such a goal. If it became large enough, every nation could endorse eachother to make sure things are pretty much balanced and all of those nations would wield a LOT of power in the UN. Enough control it, probably.
Our brother nation, Philmont, would quickly join such a region.

A Region of purely conservative nations could accomplish such a goal. If it became large enough, every nation could endorse eachother to make sure things are pretty much balanced and all of those nations would wield a LOT of power in the UN. Enough control it, probably.
Our brother nation, Philmont, would quickly join such a region.

1) Philmont doesn't exist.

2) An alliance of that sort does exist, but you're going to have to find it on your own.

A Region of purely conservative nations could accomplish such a goal. If it became large enough, every nation could endorse eachother to make sure things are pretty much balanced and all of those nations would wield a LOT of power in the UN. Enough control it, probably.
Our brother nation, Philmont, would quickly join such a region.
Such a region does exist, and I'm in it (it's Maine). For that matter, it's the founding region of the New Conservative Alliance. We may not be well-liked, but we could care less. If you want to join us, Griffindon, you're welcome to telegram Fantasan for the password. All you need to do otherwise is sign up at the alliance forum (you can find the URL at the region).

2) An alliance of that sort does exist, but you're going to have to find it on your own.

<something about the NCA>

Phooey.

I still prefer the Confederate Nations it would be fun to have a full scale UN vs. CN war.

A Region of purely conservative nations could accomplish such a goal. If it became large enough, every nation could endorse eachother to make sure things are pretty much balanced and all of those nations would wield a LOT of power in the UN. Enough control it, probably.
Our brother nation, Philmont, would quickly join such a region.
Such a region does exist, and I'm in it (it's Maine). For that matter, it's the founding region of the New Conservative Alliance. We may not be well-liked, but we could care less. If you want to join us, Griffindon, you're welcome to telegram Fantasan for the password. All you need to do otherwise is sign up at the alliance forum (you can find the URL at the region).
We just want to know that this alliance is built on UN power. In otherwords, every nation gives an endorsement to every other nation, so that things are (mostly) equal to avoid backstabbing, and also makes every nation as powerful and influential as possible.
I also don't think this place should be so hidden. It should be exclusive as far as allowing only conservatives, but we want as many members as possible so as to have the most power.

A Region of purely conservative nations could accomplish such a goal. If it became large enough, every nation could endorse eachother to make sure things are pretty much balanced and all of those nations would wield a LOT of power in the UN. Enough control it, probably.
Our brother nation, Philmont, would quickly join such a region.
Such a region does exist, and I'm in it (it's Maine). For that matter, it's the founding region of the New Conservative Alliance. We may not be well-liked, but we could care less. If you want to join us, Griffindon, you're welcome to telegram Fantasan for the password. All you need to do otherwise is sign up at the alliance forum (you can find the URL at the region).

I'm kind of interested in that...

First off (sort of), I do not see why the term "tree hugging, pot smoking hippie nation" or however that was stated is not legitiment statement. For instance, My nation is not a tree hugging, pot smoking, hippie nation... (although there are no drug laws... but that's beside the point) Second, there's nothing wrong with liberalism. My nation is liberal, which I feel is better than being conservative (no offense to those conservative nations out there) because everything needs a little change sometime.... and I don't remember what exactly I was going to put for my third point but it was something about rights and WHEN I remember... I shall post it.

~Krizith

Hey, I'm not a tree-hugging hippy!

Or wait...

*touches dread locks, smells some nag champa, and remembers the "Replanting Trees" resolution*

Ha! Well I guess you could be right! Carry on!

---------------------------
http://www.neilswaab.com/comics/images/wiggles_thumb.gif
The Jovial Nihilistic Democracy of Jacobstalia
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT

Oh wait... I messed that up.. I meant to say I do not see why the term "tree hugging, pot smoking hippie nation" or however that was stated is used. It is not (always) a legitiment statement.

............. Sorry It posted twice whilst I was Previewing it ...............

The UN is as in life a democratic organisation therefore those who endorse it by their own membership are likely to be of that frame of mind.

I do feel that it is a shame that their is no 'Axis of Evil' for the self proclaimed Evil gits to join, there they could pass bill outlawing free life should they wish. However within the UN, majority rules, if lefty treehugging bills are being passed, that is right! As they wouldn't be passed without a majority vote if you can't or won't abide by the mandates of the UN you are free to leave.

I do understand that this is a game and as such try to build a utopia such as I would wish to live, a utopia impossible in the real world due to self interest and corruption at all levels of life.

Behind the insulting epithet of "treehugger" there are real people with real concerns.

Here is the story behind the words, by David Albert who first wrote about it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaura Devi Saves the Trees is based on an actual event which took place in the village of Reni in India near the Tibetan border on March 26, 1974 (the one change being that Gaura Devi was the name of the little girl’s mother – I was never able to track down the name of the little girl.) It is part of a much larger story of the Chipko (“Hugging Trees”) Movement in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand in northern India, of village men, women, and children stopping big lumber companies from clearcutting mountain slopes by issuing a call to “hug the trees”. The Movement grew as people began to collectively realize that deforestation was instrumental in causing devastating floods and landslides, as well as destroying the trees that people depended on for the material of their daily lives: fodder, fruit, and fuel; flowers and medicinal plants, even water and soil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 2
Stories become history, and history becomes folk history, and sometimes it is difficult to unravel the threads. By 1980, although anthropologists universally disagree, the people of the Chipko Movement had adopted a group of villagers from Rajasthan, 800 or so miles to the southwest, as their literal ancestors, because they had become aware of another story. * * * * * September 12, 1731: Maharajah Ajit Singh of Jodhpur, a princely kingdom in what is now Rajasthan, the westernmost state of modern India, decided to build a new palace. His ministers sent an army of men into the desert reaches to bring back wood for burning lime, necessary for construction. Included in the Maharajah’s domain was Khejare, a small village among several in the desert, surrounded by a small forest. The villagers, members of a reform Hindu sect known as the Bishnois, included in the 29 tenets of their faith the protection of trees and wildlife, and thus had been able to nurture the forest for generations. The Bishnois consider the black buck antelope and the chinkara (Indian gazelle) sacred, and the latter to this day is generally found around Bishnoi settlements. Community-accepted legend has it that Bishnoi women would suckle the young of a chinkara if its mother deserted it or was killed. When the Maharajah’s men approached, an elderly woman named Amrita Devi (not to be confused with Gaura Devi who lived 250 years later) pleaded with him that the felling of trees was not only against the Bishnois faith, but that trees provided the village with food and fodder and were the protectors of the villagers’ water supply, vital to their desert existence. Seeing the axeman unmoved, Amrita Devi grabbed the tree in her outstretched arms and hugged it. The axeman threw her to the ground. She got up and hugged the tree once more, begging the axeman to chop her down first before destroying the tree. The axeman hacked through her body, only to have Amrita Devi’s three daughters come forward to hug the tree and meet the same fate. On September 12, 1731, 363 people went to their death hugging trees. After hearing of the incident, the Maharajah, seeking to make amends, declared a permanent injunction against the felling of trees or the killing of wildlife in the area, and permanently exempted the villages from all land taxes. To the day the villages around Amrita Devi’s home remain a green and wildlife-filled preserve amidst the sandy isolation of the Rajasthan desert, and Amrita Devi’s village itself has now been declared India’s first national environmental memorial. * * * * * On my first visit with participants in the Chipko Movement in 1977, I collected folksongs by a (then) young folksinger named Ghyanshyam Sailani. It was a laborious process, as the songs had to be translated first from Garhwali into Hindi, and then from Hindi into English. Well before publishing them, I circulated the songs to friends involved in budding ecological movements in the U.S. They were picked up a young folksinger and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 3
storyteller in New England named Sarah Pirtle
June 5, 1981: From the tiny hamlet of Bemru, 5,600 feet high and only 100 very treacherous miles from the Tibetan border, it is easy to see why the Chipko Movement has to be a women’s movement. During the week I spent with the 39 families of Bemru, where I helped prepare the ground for the planting of young mulberry and walnut saplings, I met exactly one male villager between the ages of 16 and 35. “They’re all down on the plains or in the military,” said the village headwoman, proudly surveying her small terraced vegetable garden below her sturdily built stone and slate house. “They pull rickshaws or wash dishes or haul rocks or do whatever they get paid for. There’s no work for them here.” And it was indeed clear that the fate of their families, culture, traditions, domestic economy, and natural environment were totally in the hands of these rugged and beautiful women. Living five miles from the nearest road and from the mighty Alaknanda River (all, the memory in my legs and lungs reminds me, uphill!), their lot is a hard one. Each square yard of terraced farmland represents the work of generations, and had to be lovingly preserved and cultivated. Young children scramble about on the dangerous rock-strewn slopes, looked after by barely older children removed from school for that purpose and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 4
also to tend the miniature mountain cattle. The nearest medical station is a tough three-and-a-half hour journey away. Bemru is lucky: it is one of the villages in the sub-district closest to the only road, and has a school to which young children trek from more than five miles away. The women of Bemru are fortunate in another way. They have to spend only four or five hours daily scouring the woods for fuel for cooking, fodder for the cattle, for the little heat which helps take the edge off the chill brought by the stiff Himalayan winds. In some areas to the south and west, women are not so fortunate. Fuel and fodder is so scarce on the mountain slopes that women travel for two whole days, sleeping out in the open on the intervening night, in order to collect wood and fodder to sustain the family for the next three days. This pattern of two days of foraging followed by one day at home cooking, farming, and caring for the children, the elderly, and the animals, wreaks havoc on what is left of a culture once built around a strong family life, but already virtually bereft of able-bodied men.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 5
The forest department had marked the trees to be felled, but every time the contractor and his men approached the forests with axes, the local people ran up to hug the trees, forcing them to return empty-handed. Weeks earlier, the women had marched on the same forest, singing, pulling out the iron blades used by the forest department in resin tapping. The bandaged the wounded pines, and tired “sacred threads” around the trees. These sacred threads marked the trees as their children, and signified the women’s pledge to se the trees even, if need be, at the cost of their own lives. This time, district officials agreed to send an armed constabulary force to assist in the felling. A hundred men, armed with rifles and bayonets, arrived a day in advance and paraded publicly up and down the road leading to the forest, hoping to instill fear in the women. After consultations with the police, the contractor beckoned to the laborers to begin their operations. As they moved toward the forest, so did the villagers, now formed into groups of three or four and including young children. They encircled each marked tree as the laborers approached, chanting, “If the axe falls on the trees, it will fall on our bodies first. As the laborers moved on, so did the tree huggers. The police could not possibly arrest the villagers; there was no place to put them, no way to transport them, and method short of physical violence to separate the villages from the trees they embraced. After several hours of fruitlessly seeking an unprotected marked tree, the contractor laborers, and police gave up, the contractor complaining about the growing undependability of doing business with the state government. * * * * * * * * * * Gaura Devi’s legacy lives on. Following a visit to environmental sanctuaries north of Dehradun, my then 11-year-old daughter Aliyah Shanti (which means “Pilgrimage of Peace”) wrote the following poem: The tree speak, But their language is hidden deep inside their bark, They must trust us, Before they reveal it. The wind speaks, But in so many different languages That it is hard to pick one out. The stars speak, But their fiery flares Make us afraid to know what they say. All things in the universe have a language. It is not they who must learn to speak, It is we who must learn to listen. I think the bedbugs should be very proud. And the trees are still smiling.