tim dechristopher: 2 years caged for courage

Photograph: Douglas C. Pizac/AP, stolen

A handful of us observed Tim DeChristopher Day on Tuesday, 26 July 2011. What does an act of activism cost? What can be gained? These are the questions entertained. Today, Tim DeChristopher was ordered to spend the next 2 years in prison.

Who is Tim DeChristopher? You can read The Guardian’s explanation if you want, but the gist of the story is that Tim placed a bunch of bids in an auction for which he didn’t really intend on paying. A bunch… $1.8 million dollars’ worth. And, dog, did he ever raise the hair on the back of some oily necks.

Tim was making a point. He was tying-up land in an oil and gas industry auction.

Why?

          Guess what?! According to the judge, it doesn’t matter. That’s right… it just doesn’t matter. The judge refused to hear about the greater reasons that compelled Tim to act.

So, that’s what being bold costs: About two million bucks, and reason. But what can be gained?

The short answer: attention. What’s wrong with that? Nothing. That’s exactly what this movement needs. What movement? The movement.

The movement… The movement of people who will say, like Tim DeChristopher, “I do not want mercy, I want you to join me.” (Read Tim’s full statement here.)

You see, there really is a growing group of  humans who honestly believe it’s possible that humans’ need for energy doesn’t have to trump their need for a planet to live on…