via treehugger.com
via treehugger.com
“I left with a smile. I knew that I was a convicted criminal, but I was proud of my crime.” -Martin Luther King, 1956
Today after a four hour jury deliberation, climate activist Tim DeChristopher was found guilty on two felony counts for derailing a Bureau of Land Management auction in December 2008.
Sentencing will most likely be a month or two away.
DeChristopher acted to stop the oil and gas industry from drilling in pristine Utah wilderness near Arches and Canyonlands national parks and to prevent the release of climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions.
Since his act of civil disobedience, DeChristopher has built a strong community and activist group, Peaceful Uprising, in the greater Salt Lake City area which has organized support events, marches, rallies and sing-a-longs in solidarity with him.
The federal government’s strategy has been to single Tim out with a harsh prosecution to intimidate climate activists from taking similar action. The strategy is about to backfire. Tim’s act of civil disobedience has energized the climate movements and will bring more direct action and civil disobedience, not less. We’re just getting started. See you in the streets.
Dear “Sparki”:
What did these troglodytes find Tim actually guilty of,
disrupting a meeting? By golly, you may SEE this
old activist IN the streets if this wave of mindless
repression continues….
Best Wishes, A.
From a progressive Theological perspective what we have read here is a description of the Lords Prayer in action as espoused by Jesus in practice.
Read it with an open mind and see how it fits.
Shortly afterwards the Powers That Be drove nails through his hands and crucified him and no one in the crowd understood what was really going on.
Hopefully the crowds of the twenty first century will not be so blind.
As the movement grows the sentencing Judges will realise that the Jury was backing the wrong team and they will have to modify the punishment to suit the circumstances.
Great work Tim whether you follow the principles espoused by Jesus or not you are definately part of the solution, not the problem.
Here’s from Mean Joe Green – http://joemohrtoons.com/2011/03/04/a-special-thanks-to-tim-dechristopher/
And here’s from me – http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5497860846_053928297e.jpg