stone soup democracy

May 10th is mothers day. We know that. Did you also know that May 10 is Stone Soup Day? East Vancouver's Britannia Community Centre is holding its 13th annual Stone Soup Festival. Inanna Herbs will have a booth there this year, for the first time. We're excited.

I love the concept of Stone Soup. Here's my abbreviated version of the old European folk tale.

Some soldiers came to town, just passing through. As usual, the villagers hid their daughters...and their food. They'd had such visitors before, and been eaten out of house and home for their generosity. They had little to eat as it was, and none, they thought, to share.

The soldiers started a cooking fire and filled a big cauldron with water. As the water came to a boil, they added a big stone. Curious, the villagers strolled by, one by one, to ask what they were cooking. "Stone soup", came the reply, "It's delicious. We'll be happy to share it with you...only..."

"Only what?" "Only...it could use a little seasoning. Do you have an onion we could add?" Of course, it's not so hard to find one onion, if pressed, or a bunch of parsley, or a potato. Each of the passing villagers asked about the soup and, when invited, added what they had to spare, a bit of cabbage or beet or salt or herbs. Before long the smell of delicious soup filled the air, and they all sat down to a lovely meal.

The moral of the story, of course, is that the sum of all the parts of a community add up to something much greater than what each individual could create alone. I do believe that's true. And I'm happy to be involved with a Stone Soup festival that celebrates our coming together in community. But it also reminds me of a different kind of stone soup. The democratic kind.

In the last few days, I've received 5 or 6 emails warning about Bill C-51, proposed Canadian legislation that will seriously impede the ability to market alternative remedies, herbs and supplements, playing into the hands of Big Pharmacies. This bill is being rushed through to second reading, giving dissenters little chance to react. Anyone in Canada with an interest in alternative medicine needs to sit up and take notice. More than that, we all need to spread the word, and to write letters to our members of parliament and the health minister, stating our views.

This is the new democracy: immediate, individual, accountable. It's powerful and exciting. Each of us now, through the internet, has the opportunity to become informed and to react in a timely fashion to effect change. Each of us may think: 'I don't have much to add. What's the point?' But, boy, put it into that magic cauldron, with all the other bits, and it soon adds up. Here's the key: it must be done quickly, before the legislation in question actually goes to the vote.

I've seen it work before. In the past, we were part of email campaigns to legalize gay marriage, and to save the CBC, and other issues we found important. It feels good to speak out, make a contribution, voice a point of view.

I know, I know, we all hate spam, and feel inundated with campaigns. But if we stop, and find out what's up, it really doesn't take long to weigh in and express ourselves. And make a difference. It really is democracy in action. Great stuff.

And that's my 2 cents.