Protesters fail to save potato field
October 17th, 2008 by James
Protesters gathered in Osaka yesterday in an attempt to block the government from destroying a potato field:
The field, which a local kindergarten had used for 20 years to grow potatoes and other vegetables, is part of the land that will be used for a highway being built between Osaka and Kyoto. A lawsuit has been filed trying to stop the government from destroying the potato field, but city workers began their work without waiting for a court ruling. Protesters, some of whom brought their children along, desperately tried to stop the destruction of the field, but the work proceeded and all the plants were removed. The area is now off-limits to the public.
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This news sounds like “horrible government crushes kindergarten under bureaucratic heel” at first but I think there’s more to it. I feel sorry for the kids, but I they’re probably just a convenient cover for the adults’ own agenda for opposing the construction of the highway.
I mean, the pylons are right there up to the field. They just didn’t magically appear overnight. It was decided back in March that they had to leave, and that was what they had filed the lawsuit for. They knew damn well for years it was coming.
The kindergarten was to be compensated for the land of course, so if they really meant it when they were screaming “think of the kids!”, they had no reason to be obstinate about using the field already slated to be bulldozed over, but could have gotten another field to plant the crops and saved the kids some chance of grief (which did turn out to be true in this case).
This reminds me of the lone house blocking the construction of the second runway of Narita Airport. These people may have their reasons (knowing the history, I do feel some sympathy for the people forced to leave their lands for the construction of the airport), but knowingly getting the kids invovled and teary-eyed (for the cameras) just destroyed any sympathy I might have had for the adults.
Dear little wilting potato plant kids:
GET OVER IT.
The lesson for today is… Big Highway > Stupid plants
Signed,
Life (and yes, I’m a bitch).
whatever your agenda, it is a shame that the kindergarten’s vegetable field had to be removed. 20 years is a good run I’d say. Maybe they could make use of any roof space to put a greenhouse up there (assuming some money gets thrown their way).
coooooold blooooded…
May be the things would be different if kindergarten was compensated BEFORE removing the potato field.Given a new(why not even bigger)field,they could spare the bad feelings for children.
“Protesters…… desperately tried to stop the destruction of the field, but the work proceeded and all the plants were removed. The area is now off-limits to the public.”
This, Ladies and Germs, is what we call a “Spud Dud”….!
*rimshot*
…..? Hmm…Tough crowd….
1. The kindergarten was told to move from March, that is, before they planted potatoes. They could already see the constructed viaduct right next to the farm back then. Granted, they were figting it over a court, but if they really cared about the children, they could just plant it somewhere safer. (As a matter of course, they would be compensated if they agreed to move.)
2. They say “We were told about the administrative subrogation just 10 days before, so we couldn’t put ahead harvesting.” However, they had a time to make placards. They had a time to take the poor children to the farm from 7:30 AM on that day, to directly show them the “cruel” destruction scene.
3. The owner of the kindergarten has avoided paying the accession tax (2.3 million yen) of the land, by legistering the land as a farm.
4. The owner belongs to the leftist group called Article 9 Association. The current governor of Osaka, on the other hand, is known to be a rightist.
5. The governor lost a score over his opponents by bulldozing in front of the crying children. But this kindergarten clearly doesn’t care about their children either.