Positives and Negatives

Those who are not prepared to listen to fair comment and valid criticism often level the charge that one is being “negative”.

This question of being positive and/or negative is interesting. Obviously when dealing with children it is wise to be balanced and diplomatic lest one damages the confidence of the little sprats and nobody likes to experience sulks, tears and tantrums. So a fair way forward might be: “Hasn’t the handwriting improved since last time?” (meaning “ I can almost read some bits of it”), “Now all we need is spend a bit longer on the spelling and we’ll be really getting somewhere”.
But with adults and organisations? Should not a little more robustness be assumed?

This leads me to my news which is that I’m told SWT are putting it about that the comments from myself and others on what SWT are doing on Blacka Moor are “negative”. As such one has to assume that once so categorised this justifies the comments being ignored or dismissed. The logic is that you will only be taken seriously if you say what they want to hear even if privately you don’t believe what you’re saying. Which creates a bit of a dilemma but achieves their objective of ignoring all viewpoints except those of a clique of publicly salaried employees in the conservation industry – an industry rapidly being exposed as self-serving.

The context for this is the process by which the wildlife trust has carried out its consultation before finalising its management plan. Readers of this blog will already know that the Friends of Blacka Moor, regular users of the site were banned from attending meetings at which the management plan was being discussed. Nevertheless comments and criticism positive and negative were put forward. No reply has been received and only a second hand comment has been reported that the high handed reserve manager has dismissed the submission as being ‘negative’.

Riders in the pasture land on Friday afternoon.

Blacka Blogger believes firmly that it is SWT and Natural England and others who wish to pursue their brutal interventionist policies on places like Blacka who are the really negative ones. We are the positive element who value the place for what it is. They are the ones who claim it’s all out of condition and that it must submit to invasive surgery with chain saws, poison and barbed wire. Trusting nature is the positive option.