Several NDP, co-op and NFU members met for a Christmas party held in Maidstone to hear guest speaker Gil Pedersen report on the Climate Change Citizens' Hearings held in Saskatoon in November, and to honour past member George Danychuk of Maidstone.
Joe Holden of Marshall first met George at a CCF meeting when Joe was 16 years old. Over the years he got to know George while working on issues of the day, usually trying to stop the federal government from watering down farmers' co-operative organizations, fighting the Crow Rate and working on the front line of issues.
The thing that sticks out in Joe's mind about George was his understanding of tolerance and respect. He had this saying about speaking out to look after your fellow man. It was a poem that started out, "First they came," a famous statement and provocative poem describing the dangers of political apathy, attributed to Martin Niemöller (1892-1984).
The poem is about the sloth of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and the subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Martin was a prominent German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor. The poem has multiple versions, depending on the audience.
"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me."
"Whenever I think about George this is what sticks out in my mind. It was a privilege to have known, talked and worked for co-operation with George," stated Joe.
Others who spoke out in praise of George and Rose were Wayne Byers of Lloydminster and Marcella Pedersen of Cut Knife. Everyone agreed you could always depend on George and Rose to help organize, phone, drive and then afterwards share a little of George's homemade wine.
With a slide presentation of graphs, Gil Pedersen showed why climate change was something to be concerned about. He stated there is a difference between weather and climate change. Weather is the day-to-day recording, whereas climate change is weather recordings over many years. He noted C02 levels have exceeded 400 parts per million in the atmosphere, which is the highest level it has been in over 800,000 years.
Following Gil's presentation, a discussion period and recognition of the Danychuks, a delicious potluck supper was served.
