Progress (?)
My neighbors down the block are furious, and I don't blame them one little bit. A week ago, this was the view from their front door across our street:
This is their view today:
A beautiful naturally-wooded area has been clear-cut to make room for another freaking strip mall. Seeing this, a song by Joni Mitchell immediately comes to my mind:
They took all the trees and put em in a tree museum
And charged the people a dollar and a half just to see em
Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Fortunately for me, this is at the other far end of my street, so I won't have to look at this eyesore. Here's the view across the street taken from my front porch:
Unless they decide to drain the lake and pave it over, I feel pretty safe. But I'm not taking any bets.
This is their view today:
A beautiful naturally-wooded area has been clear-cut to make room for another freaking strip mall. Seeing this, a song by Joni Mitchell immediately comes to my mind:
They took all the trees and put em in a tree museum
And charged the people a dollar and a half just to see em
Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Fortunately for me, this is at the other far end of my street, so I won't have to look at this eyesore. Here's the view across the street taken from my front porch:
Unless they decide to drain the lake and pave it over, I feel pretty safe. But I'm not taking any bets.
posted by Mr. Toast @ 6/26/2006 12:36:00 PM
Blogs I've been reading lately
2 Comments:
At 6/27/2006 02:20:00 PM,
Chandira said…
Bummer.
All in the name of "progress", huh? I'm so sorry.
I loved growong up in 80's/90's England some people would sit in trees for weeks to protest things like this. What happened, does nobody care any more? We just roll over and take it, it seems.
I have a similar scene (though not quite as many trees) taking place opposte my workplace, they've ripped out all manner of bushes and natural habitat, and planted a nice 'landscaped' space instead. The nesting spring birds weren't that pleased, nor were their chicks. They've all fled.
How is it that us humans get the last say? Who gave us the right?
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Thanks for your comment, Chandira. East Texas has never been known as a hotbed of liberal activism. In this part of the world, the forestry and lumber industries rule, and the opinions of "tree-huggers" don't get much respect. The developers feel like it's their land, and they can do whatever the hell they want to with it ... which may be legally correct, but still irresponsible. They could have left a "green belt" of trees between the development and the residential area behind it, but chose not to do so. To use one of my favorite British phrases, they're a bunch of bloody wankers.
At 6/28/2006 11:23:00 AM,
Janelle said…
That is so sad. Those trees were such a pretty view and now they are gone. Don't let anyone take your view Toast for a damn mall, fight 'em hard if it comes to it. Next thing you know they will decide to build around your lake and put a fountain in the middle of it like some sort of court and the government will make you move so they can put up their damn mall. Bastards! They are all bastards!
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