Just the facts. Two days ago I received a letter from the Maryland State Police informing me that I was a suspected terrorist. I have since learned that two other employees of Chesapeake Climate Action Network received similar letters, and that all of us were put under surveillance from the period of March 2005 – May 2006. The letter informed me that the police “have no evidence whatsoever” that I am a risk of violent crimes and are removing me from this database. What a relief.
I went public this morning, along side Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and members of the American Civil Liberties Union. I am too upset at the moment to share any insights, but I recorded this video last night to capture my emotions. And check out Andrew Revkin’s blog post on the New York Times.
I just read this in the NYT—this is unbelievable stuff. Please keep us updated.
third, we need to smash the patriot act!
many of us are living day to day under obvious police surveillance, most of us having never participated in a violent act, nor would ever have the intention of doing so. you are lucky to have been removed from the suspected terrorist list, many of your comrades are facing some scary realities right now.
we are in the green scare days right now, big time.
Josh – thank you for speaking publicly about this and not being intimidated.
I love the line “we need to be supported, not suspected.” Keep us updated.
thanks for your work josh.
surveillance, harassment, and even false imprisonment of activists in the US is an longstanding and ongoing issue that gets little attention, and if folks want more information on how Cointelpro type tactics are still used today against the environmental movement, check out http://www.greenisthenewred.com (meaning green = the new red scare).
There is a lot that activists today can learn from the social movements that have come before us and how they have faced similar (and often far more serious and deadly) challenges, and how they have overcome them. The cointelpro link above is a great start.
This response from the government should be an abuse of citizen surveillance. It’s certainly no irony, Josh, that you were working on building power to address an issue contrary to the wishes of the political administration. If climate activists are being lumped into the terrorist category, then they are being deemed a force to be reckoned with.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” — Gandhi
If the climate movement is being fought by the powers that be, then we are that much closer to winning!
Thanks, Josh, for speaking out against this and addressing this with your valuable time.
I just want to thank CCAN for all of their work. I don’t know what Towson or Maryland would do without being in a partnership with CCAN. Thanks for speaking out! Long live the 4th Amendment!
Wow Josh, that’s absurd. I never knew that you were a terrorist. Do you remember when Professor Irish made Lynn Cheney’s list of un-patriotic Americans and lots of other professors called to congratulate him? Did you get any similar calls? Did you ever find strange dudes going through your garbage or hear any clicking sounds on the phone?
Hope all is well with you despite your terroristy ways. Keep up the good fight.
Thanks for all your great and continuing work, Josh. And thanks for speaking out on this important issue. It’s one thing for all of us to be out fighting to make a better work possible by trying to stop global warming, but it’s another to be faced with intimidation by the state for doing it and speaking out and going public regardless. It takes real courage.
Things like this remind me of the words of Gandhi- “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
Venceremos, Scott
Posted on Daily Kos – Wanted to spread the word a little wider:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/24/10850/355/959/640786
Climate Activism is not Terrorism
Non-action on climate change is ecological and social terrorism! Economic terrorism, too, because there is no healthy economy without a healthy, thriving environment.
“Civil disobedience” with respect to climate change is ecological and social obedience! The economic growth model is a failure so we’ll continue to live in a failed system until we change it according to the REAL bottom line.