Comments on: Risking Arrest: a mother’s path

By: The Gulf Coast fight continues « Maria Sevastaki's Weblog

The Gulf Coast fight continues « Maria Sevastaki's Weblog — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:44:49 +0000

[...] According to Vanessa Rule, a climate activist and mother from Somerville, Mass.: We pushed our way through the doors, passed through the guards and quickly sat down on the cold marble floor and locked arms. The guards and staff looked stunned. The shouts and chants were deafening. Seventy angry but peaceful and loving humans, calling for the end of mountaintop removal, tar sands pipelines, natural gas fracking and deep oil drilling, asked to speak to Secretary Salazar–two days after President Obama told a group of students to push him. We’re pushing, Mr. President! [...]

By: The Wasilla Whiner « flyinureye view

The Wasilla Whiner « flyinureye view — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:55:04 +0000

[...] passed through the guards and quickly sat down on the cold marble floor and locked arms,” writes Vanessa Rule, a climate activist and mother from Somerville, Massachusetts. “The guards and staff looked [...]

By: Vanessa Rule

Vanessa Rule — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:36:29 +0000

Thanks John. I agree we all need to bring as much as we can of our true selves to this movement. I think if everybody did this, we’d have a good shot at turning this thing around. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and moving ahead by doing the best you can and knowing everyone one else is doing the same, is what gives me hope. That happened at PowerShift. It was magical.
Keep up the good fight. — Vanessa

By: kelly

kelly — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:43:11 +0000

those are my videos–this essay really gets at one of my biggest concerns, and yes, it’s about race issues.
i left moments before arrests as well, because i had already paid a round-trip ticket and couldn’t afford to get myself back to chicago. my bus was leaving at 4 from the glenmont metro station. i ran to the nearest train station, and there was a high school girl running too. she had been inside, and left because she didn’t believe her parents would come from michigan to get her out of jail. we both felt remorse, some cowardice for leaving.
two of my friends that were inside for a good amount of time left earlier–they were two of the “chicago 6″ that climbed a mountain of coal with a banner that said “close chicago’s toxic coal plants.” that was wednesday. thursday, a circus of a hearing happened–and what could have been a committee vote on a “clean power ordinance” was tabled. despite having enough “committed” aldermen, there were hardly enough to call a vote. a real downer, coming out of powershift and these direct actions.

i don’t know the point of this comment. just that maybe, in some places, it really must get to the point where federal troops might be sent in. (dechristopher’s point) today, mayor daley is going to celebrate his green legacy–his big ole greenwash legacy. and i am going to stay at home and let my throat recover. i have been yelling too much lately.

By: Matt Osborne

Matt Osborne — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 04:27:13 +0000

Did anyone capture this moment on camera? Because the greatest thing you *might* have done is not to get arrested, but to capture your friends *being* arrested. I’ve covered two civil disobedience actions in DC, and just watching the video now STILL moves me to tears.

By: John Deans

John Deans — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:56:14 +0000

Vanessa,

Thank you so much for sharing your story. You were incredibly brave and committed and I hope you never feel bad again about doing what you think is right for this movement and for your family. Your decision to get up after several warnings is just as admirable as those that stayed and were arrested. It was the right decision because it was the right decision for you and what you thought was right for your kids. This movement will not flourish and win the victories we need if people feel for a second ashamed even as they are demonstrating courage in the face of injustice. I can also tell from your writing that you are going to do all you can going forward.

We need you, whatever you can give. Some will risk arrest, but just as important are those who are there to support, or there to communicate the issues to the wider world, those who will organize, those who will communicate with decision makers, those who will tell their skeptical family that this is about justice, those who will be inspired to take their first step in this movement – no matter how small.

Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story and I hope that you never feel ashamed again for doing what is right.

John

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:46:48 +0000

I was there too. Thank you for doing what you could.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:45:56 +0000

Thank you for doing what you could.
I was there too. We were there. We didn’t know where we were going either, nor what specifically the Department of the Interior was being stormed for (everything, really). Several students from St. Lawrence University, where I attend, stayed as long as they could. But obviously we had to leave– no one had the transportation, money or resources to be arrested, and I think they felt the same shame and regret as you. But as one of our leading organizers put it, “You have to do what’s best for you as an individual in that moment for the movement.”

I think we still proved to them what democracy looks like. Thank you so much, I’m proud to have shared this experience with you.

By: christine

christine — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:21:32 +0000

Nothing to be ashamed of – THANK YOU for doing what you could – what you can. I was not even THERE <3 We each can do what we can and do it with LOVE is the most important way otherwise we need not do it at all. THANK YOU AGAIN