The Power of Non Violent Protest

It is easy to become frustrated with government and/or power authorities of all types. They usually hold all of the cards, They have the tools and means to control people and many times, we as a society, want them to have that power and control. But then things happen - things like injustice, threats to the environment or our way of life. Admittedly there are judgement calls involved about who, what, when, civility and how society acts in general. Belief systems and values end up playing essential roles in all of this. In the end however, most people can understand acts of conscience for what they are.

The power of non violent protest has a long and awesome history. Many people have suffered injustice and violent reaction to non violent protest over the years so this is not to say it doesn't come without challenges and pain. The reality though is that it works. Its results may not be immediate and there may be pain and suffering brought about by its use but it works and is one of the most successful ways of bringing about change.

I've written here before about the protests that have been going on at the proposed LPGas storage facility in salt caverns in and around Seneca Lake. Some 200 people have been arrested over the course of the past year blockading the main gates at this site. These protests have always been non violent and the people involved are all committed to the principles of non violent protest. They obviously feel strongly about the environment and the safety of the water supply for over 100,000 people. All of them are acting as a matter of conscience. They are doing what people of conscience have done for centuries, standing up to authority and the powers that be and confronting decisions that have been made about other people's lives.

The legal system tried a variety of things with these outlaws and lawbreakers, from throwing the book at them for simple trespass charges to having them stand in the cold awaiting their day in court. Some went to jail, some paid substantial fines but in the end, they also kept coming. Their numbers seemed to grow with every arrest and it looks like they have the numbers and support to continue.

Last night in the Town of Reading Court, something interesting and significant took place. Charges against 42 of the people who have been called Seneca Lake Defenders were dismissed and the Court indicated openness to dismissing charges against others. So here we have another example of the power of nonviolent action and its ability to change minds and actions by authorities. The protests will go on I'm sure but there is a new sense of civility and respect for all involved. Here is a statement that was issued by We Are Seneca Lake, the group that has organized these protests:

"In three speedy hearings on Wednesday night in the Town of Reading court, Judge Raymond Berry granted a motion to dismiss all charges “in the interests of justice” brought by 42 Seneca Lake protesters. All had been arrested as part of a sustained civil disobedience campaign at the gates of Crestwood Midstream.

The campaign, We Are Seneca Lake, opposes the expansion of gas storage in abandoned lakeside salt caverns owned by Crestwood.

Further, attorneys for the defendants announced that an agreement had been reached with the Schuyler County district attorney’s office to accept identical dismissal motions from the roughly 100 other civil disobedients also charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct relating to protests at Seneca Lake and whose cases are still pending. At least 20 cases have been transferred to other area courts in Schuyler County.

Ithaca attorney Ray Schlather, member of the legal defense team advising the protesters, negotiated the mass dismissal agreement.

Individually and in groups, the defendants who appeared before Judge Berry on Wednesday night submitted an oral motion asking for dismissal of their charges. They read from a statement that said,

We only have this planet. We must safeguard it for those who follow. Would that it not be necessary, but sometimes citizens of good conscience must engage in non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protect that sacred trust. As long as Crestwood Midstream Partners, or any other corporate or public or private entity, continues to threaten our way of life by the proven dangerous storage of highly compressed gas in the crumbling caverns at the Salt Point facility, I reserve the right to act as my conscience dictates in order to protect Seneca Lake, its citizens, and the surrounding environment. I reserve all rights to protest further at the Crestwood facility, although it is not my intent at this time to break the law in doing so.

After each recitation, assistant district attorney John Tunney expressed his willingness to accept a motion to dismiss. In each case, Judge Berry granted the motion and dismissed the charges “with prejudice.”

The proceedings were remarkable for the commendation offered to the protesters by Judge Berry, who has not always been fulsome in his praise for their actions during the five-month-long campaign that has seen maximum fines and jail sentences.

To one group of defendants, Berry said, “I’m very proud of you. You had a cause and you fought for it to the best of your ability. Congratulations.”

To another, he said, “I’ve grown to admire you people.”

Defense attorney, Sujata Gibson, who has worked closely with protesters since December, said, “This is a big moment in history to have this many cases dismissed in the interests of justice. It affirms the importance of this cause and the ethical motivations of the protesters. I’m sure the court and district attorney’s office were in a very difficult position, and they should be applauded for the thought they put into looking for outcomes that promote justice.”

Gibson continued, “We’ve seen a sea change in the way the court and the prosecutors have reacted to our cases—from maximum sentences for jail terms for trespassing violations to large-scale offers to support dismissals in the interests of justice. This is a testament to the sincerity and passion of the protesters. They are single mothers, wine makers, business owners and teachers. Their stories are deeply affecting. I’ve watched Judge Berry and the D.A. become very moved by the willingness of these human beings to make enormous sacrifices. I myself have been deeply moved.”

Protester Michael Dineen, who had previously been sentenced to jail by Berry for a protest-related act of trespassing and had a similar charge dismissed on Wednesday, said, “I am extremely proud to be part of a community that is willing to be arrested in such numbers to prevent Crestwood’s plan to industrialize our region and threaten our lake. And I’m thankful that the Schuyler County DA’s office has recognized that ‘we all have an obligation to protect our environment,’ and that justice is therefore best served by dismissing all charges.”

Cancer Survival, Transitions, Anxiety and Depression

As I sit listening to Irish music on another St. Patrick's Day I realize that is the way many things are measured as a Cancer survivor - another St. Patrick's Day, another this or another that. There is always a gnawing that makes you wonder, is this the last or the contiuonce of many? Now I need to say up front that I certainly don't speak for all Cancer survivors. Perhaps I speak for a few or perhaps just myself but I do think it's important to share these thoughts. It certainly helps me and maybe someone else out there struggling with their own mortality issues.

In the mid 90's I had a malignant tumor removed along with the upper lobe of my right lung. I didn't need or have any radiation or chemotherapy. Last May I was diagnosed with colon Cancer and operated on in June to have the bad part of the colon removed. I've had three month followups since and have been deemed ok, again with no need for radiation or chemotherapy. All great news you would think and so did I. But then there is the transition that occurs with each follow up visit. The gratefulness turns fairly quickly to fear and anxiety. Silly to some I guess but there it is. When everyone thinks you should be happy and celebrating life, you find yourself questioning everything.

Some of this questioning if gone unchecked or without support can and does lead to bouts of depression. Somehow we've figured out how to heal the body, or try to heal the body, without much thought about the mind. Most Cancer survivors find support from other survivors. Their experiences are helpful and there's a shared understanding of the ups and downs of life with Cancer.

This week I have another one of my three month follow ups. It requires a blood test to help find and identify specific markers. My appointment date has been changed three times due to my Dr.'s schedule. Hopefully my lab work will catch up with the schedule. So with an appointment scheduled this month my anxiety started to kick in at full speed about a month ago. An odd toothache, the swelling in my ankle on my trip to Selma, symptoms of a sore throat and real or imagined swollen glands all help to add to my diagnosis that things are bad, real bad. That's how the mind and the body work, at least my mind and body.

Healthcare Providers try hard to deal with all of this but again, their main focus is the body and what's real or what they can find. Survivors deal with both the mind and the body and many times don't know what's right or wrong. In addition there's always the apprehension that you'll be viewed as a hypochondriac or the boy crying wolf and of course none of us can afford that.

I think about others with Cancer during these times too. Those who have been lucky like myself and those not so lucky - young and old, females and males, friends and strangers. I think about their lives, what they've done and hopefully what they'll continue to do. Those we lost are missed.

So I say, thank God for Irish music, Irish stories and another St. Patrick's Day.  On top of that Easter is right around the corner!

Back Home From Selma

I got back from Selma, Al. late on Monday, March, 9th. My youngest son, a friend and I had traveled and met on Thursday of the previous week. We drove from Atlanta, Ga. into Montgomery, Al. and spent time visiting the Civil Rights Memorial and Museum and the Rosa Parks Museum. We also visited a photo display of the Selma civil rights demonstrations and march at the Alabama Archives and Records by Spider Martin, photographer. We visited Selma, listened to President Obama, shared memories and eventually walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with thousands of others. They (or as the President said, 'We") were young, old, straight, gay and of various races and colors. My foot acted up and got worse as we walked and stood in awe. Now we're home, tired but full of emotions and new memories. Rest is in order for a while. Below is another story that was published about my re-visit. Hopefully it provides focus on the real heroes, the people of Selma.

           Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY article

Selma - Here We Come 50 Years Later

We all know that we can't go back in history. We can't go back to those days when we were younger, healthier, perhaps a bit less cautious and probably a little crazier and of course prettier or handsome. On the other hand that's what makes the human mind so wonderful and exciting. It does allow us to take those trips back in time when things were different for better or for worse. But here I am getting ready for the real trip. My actual trip back to Selma, Al. to celebrate and memorialize those few brief days 50 years ago when I along with hundreds and then thousands of people went to assist and help protect the citizens of Selma as they fought in the streets for their right to vote.

The thought was that if the federal courts and the federal government wouldn't protect these citizens, perhaps the presence of people from the north would. How sad it is that Martin Luther King, Jr. and his colleagues had to depend on the fact that the sight of Whites and clergy from the north being beaten would be less tolerable than the beatings of Blacks in Selma. But so it was....and that was an important strategy at the time.

Personally I dislike travel. The thought of it sometimes gets my stomach in knots and as the days get closer, the knots get bigger and more uncomfortable. It's the planning and the preparation, making sure nothing's forgotten and nothing goes wrong that cause the anxiety, really nothing more. Especially this winter. The temperatures, the thaw, the freeze, the house prep, all of it becomes a  chore and a half. Then there's the poor old Beagle who has to be left at the kennel, probably for the last time because she's going down hill pretty fast. Having to figure out plane tickets, meet up times, cars and all the rest take a toll on nerves that are already a bit frayed from years of impatience and pressure. That's the downside and I guess if that's all there is, it's really pretty good.

So the prep is about finished and now its time to get a good night's sleep and catch a jet tomorrow, meet my youngest son in Atlanta and drive to Montgomery, Al. As I said at the beginning, we can't go back in time but we can and sometimes should go back physically to memorialize both the good and the bad about Selma and the rest of our country.

The Department of Justice released its report on Ferguson, Mo. today and it's telling. The institutional racism that's identified is backed up by factual data. Anyone asking why Selma should be remembered should read the report. We should also all think really hard about the attacks on voting rights that are occurring in many states around the country. Remember Iraq? Remember the people in Iraq voting for the first time and how proud people were? Remember their voter id? It was a purple thumb dipped in ink. Iraqis showed up at the State of the Union that year holding up their purple thumbs and all of Congress applauded. How times change.

Many elected officials will show up in Selma on Saturday and Sunday celebrating and experiencing the anniversary. I hope they get it. I hope we all get it. Voting is a right. Voting needs to be encouraged, not discouraged. We need to make it easier, not harder.

And here's a story from the Chronicle-Express in Penn Yan, NY about my trips old and new. Click Here