If the US embassy is built on 10 acres in Husebyskogen, it will be the largest single reduction of public park space in Oslo since World War II. The USA has demanded to build in Husebyskogen, claiming that it is "the only location the US Congress can accept." The embassy has turned down approximately 40 locations for security reasons.
«Dear President Obama,We address you because our politicians follow you. They do not follow their hearts or their voters, they follow you.
You have been president only for a little over five months. We, in this community, have for five years tried to stop a project that was started - not by you, but by George W. Bush.
Like other projects started by the Bush administration, this one destroys the environment, it is driven by fear, and it defies good values of freedom and equality that Americans and Norwegians share.
If the US embassy in Oslo is built as planned, you will raise a monument over the fear policy of George Bush in Oslo. We hope that you will stop that.
The Bush plan is to occupy 10 acres, or 40 000 square meters of the beautiful Huseby forest. For the last sixty years the forest has been a public park where kids and grownups play, train, walk their dogs, ski and pick berries and wildflowers. You will fence in the park, and build a stronghold, protected by a tall steel fence, half a mile long. The US diplomats need protection from terrorists.
We do not understand why the leader of the free world needs to hide inside a prison-like fortress, in a peaceful place like Norway. We do not understand why America need twice as much security space here as in London, or even more space than in Kabul, Afghanistan. Norway is an open and peaceful country. We have never had attacks by terrorists.
The fright of George Bush had no limits. If we are to be that frightened, we have to move away from here when the embassy moves in. We will have to close down the sports halls that lie across the street. The embassy is built to survive a giant bomb. Our houses or sports facilities are not. It is, in fact, civilians, not diplomats that get killed when embassies are attacked.
Saving the Huseby forest may seem like a small environmental issue. But to us it is of huge importance in our everyday lives. And when it comes to taking care of our environment, it is the sum of small destructions that makes the large impact.
Some people have said that we are a "not in my back yard movement" That is not true. We hoped that the new embassy could be raised half a mile west of the chosen lot.
It is not true that we do not want USA diplomats in our neighbourhood. We welcome US diplomats, not only in our back yard, but also in our front yard. We welcome all Americans, diplomats or not. You are welcome to walk on our streets, to ride our trains, to study in our schools, to play Frisbee in our park and to sing in our churches. You are welcome to visit our homes, stay over for dinner or for the night.
But you are not welcome to destroy a public park though dictating our politicians. You are not welcome to construct a palace of panic in a community based on trust, openness and caring. And you are not welcome to put up a monument saying; "Hey terrorists, this way! We are really scared, and we are hiding here!", next door to a sports hall, where 2000 Norwegian children train every week.
We understand that the new US administration wants change. Change from the politics of fear. This is an opportunity to demonstrate change that we can believe in. It is an opportunity to stop a project that has George W. Bush written all over it and that will stay in our city for at least one hundred years.
Please show some common sense. Find a civilized solution for the new US embassy in Oslo.
We dont want any more George Bush attitude in Oslo. We want to get back the America that we know, love and admire.
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first comment after the thingy happened
dodoboy1212 6 months ago
@3xtob i agree
Da9L16 10 months ago
This lady has serious reality issue's, You can't blame Bush for that you can blame your own gov't
CRISHOOKER2010 1 year ago
From the Video.. it looks like only about 50 people where there...and now that Obama is in office.. you still want to blame it on BUSH...... So is it still going to be built.. I guess that's ok if Obama wants it there too then right?
intwtf 1 year ago
Is this ladie's english so damn good that you cannot tell she's a norwegian or is she an immigrant?
TargetGuy2245 2 years ago
wow what a bad case of bush derangement syndrome you have . I wish you well and hope ou will have a speedy recovery . does the child in the video understand or is he simply an other usefull idiot of the left?
gamagoat666 2 years ago
Steph: There may be other alternatives - but this case is considered - matured by extended deliberative thought by the city council - so I think you should respect it's verdict. That is my opinion. Why they want so much space I don't know, but the embassy shall stand for decades to come, and it's not the american way to settle with a little.
I think we shall give them what they want - and I think it is a bit egocentric of you westenders to keep whining on forever. That's all I have to say.:o)
3xtob 2 years ago
no, we have been punk'd!
yawroN3000 2 years ago
I use this "overgrown area", or forest as it is also called, several times a week, and i usually see lots of people there. Huseby school uses it frequently, training groups from Njård use it, and dog owners walk there and children play there. As the speaker said: America is welcome to build their embassy on the other side of the same forest, where an almost empty building is sited. Why can't you see that there are alternatives?why do you need 40 acres in a city with 0,6 million people?
stephaniekul90 2 years ago 2