To the Editor:

We traveled to Clayton, Ga., last week to attend a presentation featuring “The Transition Movement.” This movement started in Ireland, spread to the U.K. and is now being discussed in the U.S.  

Transition towns are those that promote reduced energy consumption and less outside dependence on goods such as food and clothing. Victor Harris of Long Creek, S.C., was the presenter. He showed excerpts from the movie “The End of Suburbia” and then led a discussion on weaning ourselves from oil. There is consensus that oil has “peaked.” He asked for suggestions on what we as concerned citizens should do to facilitate a more sustainable community.  

Two men in the audience took exception to the idea that oil has peaked, claiming that there is plenty of oil and that there is a United Nations conspiracy called Agenda 21 which has been pushing this sustainability idea. Look “Agenda 21” up on your computer. It doesn’t sound much like a conspiracy to me. They then pulled out their slick flyers about this Agenda 21 and proceeded to hand them out those in attendance.

I looked at the fine print to discover it was literature from the John Birch Society, a.k.a., the Koch brothers! I was furious and declined their propaganda. Of course the Koch brothers do not want us to live locally. It’s Big Business who has the “Agenda.” That is, to control us, the middle class.

Needless to say these men hijacked the meeting. It was a total disgrace to question the veracity of Mr. Harris and the people who gathered to talk about sustainable living. If anything it will push “we the people” to embrace a transitions movement!

Those men should go back under the rock they slithered out from and take the John Birch Society’s money with them.

Joan Palmroos

Macon County