Madam – Free to butcher me?
On Saturday afternoon, I returned to my home. In the vacant area across from the residential area, I could hear a chainsaw and three men hacking freely away at a huge live tree.
I went to see what was going on. I stopped at my neighbour to enquire if he knew anything. He informed me that he was scared to approach the men but had called our ward councillor to report it two hours back, yet nothing further occurred.
I decided to go to the men and ask them who had given them authority to cut down that tree.
Very rudely I was told that it is does not belong to anyone, so then free for them to cut down.
I walked back home and told my mum, who actually scolded me for even going to speak to them in the first place. What if they now mark me as the villain and know where I stay, so they can target our house?
Honestly, it is almost as if we have to live in fear for even standing up for justice because it is illegal for trees on government property to be just cut down and probably sold as firewood because that is what was being done.
After about half an hour, I watched the men, hastily packing up and running away, leaving that poor tree butchered.
Are we even scared to stand up for trees that provide us with oxygen?
Concerned Oxygen Inhaling Citizen
