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# Santa Monica Shades of protests to come
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-shades-of-protests-to-come-editor/
- Published: 2007-06-05T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:58:21.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Caroline Jacobs*

I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a ficus tree (“Shedding light,” May 22, page 1).

How do I love thee? Let me count all the ways. Your leaves. An endless source of precious shade. Because of you, I won’t get skin cancer. I plan my walks according to where the shade is. If I walk down Arizona by the post office, I don’t anymore. I take my car because there’s no shade. I love shade. I think it’s very friendly. And inviting.

Are you serious? You think tourists are going to flock to Second and Fourth (streets) because the trees are cut down? I hold my head in astonishment. Et tu, Brutus?

I really don’t blame the arborist/forester. The higher-ups give him the orders to slash away. No, no, no. I will chain myself to my beloved ficus trees. Let’s all do it together!

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 5, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/060507.pdf?ref=smdp.com)