Original Post Date
2012-06-07 01:34 PM
Original Body
FLAGSTAFF, AZ – Two young Flagstaffians announced the beginning of a hunger strike to call attention to human rights violations sanctioned by the US Forest Service and perpetrated by Arizona Snowbowl and the City of Flagstaff on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at a Flagstaff City Council meeting. The announcement was made to current council members and mayor as well as incoming council members.
“We will begin our hunger strike today and continue until we have justice,” stated Jessica Beasley. “We are calling for community members to join us in our struggle for freedom and equality. We will be attending Flagstaff City Council meetings and encourage others to attend as well, until our voices are meaningfully heard. We hope that other concerned individuals will also join us on the lawn at Flagstaff City Hall to publicly protest the aforementioned human rights violations.”
The hunger strikers are also urging everyone who cares about the desecration and destruction of the San Francisco Peaks to call or write Flagstaff City Officials and the US Forest Service to make their complaints known.
The statement read at the city council meeting is presented below in its entirety:
Until Snowbowl and the City of Flagstaff put the red-hot iron into our sides we were normal people leading normal lives. The aforementioned parties either do not know, or do not care how much misery, strife and terror they are causing for a significant portion of the community.
As there has been a massive, decades-long outpouring of opposition, from a remarkably diverse cross-section of the community, to the expansion of Snowbowl and their plans to make artificial snow, it seems absurd that the aforementioned parties could actually be unaware of the devastating effects their decisions have had on certain members of our community’s ability to pursue life, liberty and happiness. This is what causes us to believe that they do not care.
There are signs on the side of the roads as you enter Flagstaff stating, “We are building an inclusive community”. There are signs downtown urging us to use every drop of water “wisely”. There is nothing “wise” about using our already perilously limited water supply to pollute a pristine ecosystem in honor of lining Eric Borowsky’s pockets. There is nothing inclusive about defiling a place held sacred by the indigenous peoples of this area to make more room for a European leisure activity. The cultural callousness of Snowbowl’s plans, and your allowance of their continuation is appalling. We believe this to be a dereliction of your responsibility to serve the community as a whole.
We are sick and tired of elected officials the world over acting as though profiteering psychopaths like Eric Borowsky have some sovereign right to destroy what others cherish; to terrorize others simply because they control vast amounts of money and desire more. There is no question in our minds about whether or not those who hoard money should be allowed to dominate the culture of a place or people. We are fighting for equality and freedom. Eric Borowsky is fighting against us. What does this tell you about Eric Borowsky?
In closing, we are here to announce the beginning of a hunger strike for the San Francisco Peaks, the cessation of which is dependent upon the appeasement of three requests:
1. The cancellation of the wastewater contract with Snowbowl.
2. Snowbowl’s removal of the pipeline and remediation of areas damaged by their expansion.
3. The creation of an agreement with the city of Flagstaff that there will be no further destruction of the San Francisco Peaks by Arizona Snowbowl, or any others.