----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 7:30 PM
Subject: Fw: interesting story
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 19,
2002 7:52 PM
Subject: interesting story
> Criticize Cheney, Go
to Jail
> Two Days in the Life of an
Environmentalist
> By John Blair
> Story
From: www.counterpunch.org
>
> http://www.counterpunch.org/blair1.html
>
Day One
>
> Tonight I was arrested for nothing more than
exercising my rights as a
> citizen in what I thought was a free
country. Dick Cheney came to my town
to
> stump for one of the
Environmental Dirty Dozen, Indiana 8th District
Congressman
> John
Hostettler.
>
> I had made up a sign which stated,
"CHENEY-19th Century Energy Man." The
event
> was held at the
convention center across the street from Evansville's
government
>
center. I walked down the street with my sign in hand to a location that
I
> thought would at least be visible to the people entering the $100 to
$1000
> event.
>
> As I stood across the street
from the people who were entering the
event, I was approached by a plain
clothes policeman. The cop confronted me
saying that
> Protesters
were not allowed in that area. I asked why since it was
clear
that
> everyone but protesters were allowed in the area in
which I was standing.
In
> fact, the whole incident took place as the
public employees who worked at
the
> government complex walked by
without being accosted by the police at all.
>
> It was
clear that I was singled out only because I had a
sign.
>
> In the course of our conversation, several
other cops surrounded the
scene,
> more out of curiosity than anything
else. I surprised myself with my calm
> demeanor but I will admit to
asking several questions concerning the 1st
> Amendment and why others
were allowed in the area and I was not.
>
> The main cop
informed me that if I did not go more than a block away to
the
> area
he apparently had just arbitrarily decided was to be used
by
protesters,
> that I would be arrested. I complied and started to
walk away. When I
turned to ask if it was OK to go to the parking lot where
hundreds of people
were, either
> leaving work or arriving to
attend the event, he instructed his uniformed
men
> to arrest
me.
>
> They failed to read me my rights. They even
talked among themselves what
the
> charge should be. Finally they
decided to say it was "disorderly
conduct."
>
>
An 87-year old man who was standing there with me observed the
whole
thing
> and told the local media how shocked he was about the
whole thing. I was
> shocked too. I was not in the least
belligerent, although I did ask
questions of
> the officer who ordered
my arrest.
>
> What I was arrested for was exercising my
rights, not necessarily to
protest
> since I had done none of that. No,
this was a preemptive arrest to assure
that
> no one going to the event
would see any protesters let alone hear any
>
protesters.
>
> I have learned a lot about civil
liberties in my years as a
photojournalist
> and as an environmental
activist. I also understand the need for
security, especially for
people like the VP. However, I was singled out
simply because I
> was
carrying a sign that showed my disdain for Cheney. That is
something
that
> certainly falls within the realm of rights our
country's founders fought
to
> attain.
>
> If
you can be confronted by a cop simply because you are carrying a
sign,
then
> it won't be long before you will be subject to arrest for writing a
letter
to
> the editor or speaking out about injustice. If I had been
in an area that
was
> condoned off or otherwise secured, there may have
been reason to tell me
to
> leave, indeed I may have been subject
to arrest. But none of the people
passing
> by were confronted by any
authority. They did not have a sign stating
their
> views. They were
not exercising their free speech.
>
> Frankly, I felt as
if this must be akin to the silence that was mandated
by
> the Taliban
towards Afghani women. Events such as this will certainly
quell the
>
prospect of protest of all official actions. I fear, that we have
become
just what Osama Bin Laden wanted us to be when he ordered the attacks
on
9/11.
>
> I am going to plead, "NOT GUILTY" when I
am required to go to Court. I
will
> never say anything more accurate
in my life.
>
> Day Two
>
> It
was difficult sleeping last night. I stayed awake questioning
whether
this
> was all worthwhile. I awoke early to make my court
appearance on a
disorderly
> conduct charge. I got to court to find
that the prosecutor had decided
that my
> charges should be
increased to a Class A Misdemeanor called Resisting Law
>
Enforcement instead of the lesser charge. So now I am facing what
could
be a
> year in jail for my political crime of carrying a
sign to a political
event.
>
> Some people have
suggested that I was marked before I even got there. I
do not
> believe
that to be the case, but it is true that I am a very outspoken
member
of
> this rather compliant and docile community. It has also been
said that I
am
> courageous for what happened last night. I would beg
to differ since I had
no intention of getting arrested and took no pride in
being forced to be a
> spectacle in my home
town.
>
> I had some great advice on the possibility of
bringing a Civil Rights
action
> in Federal Court. I will consider that
path. However, I am trying to
remain
> focused on what is turning
out to be the battle of my life with Peabody
Energy
> and their plans
to build two 1500 MW power plants-one in Illinois and one
in
>
Kentucky. The one in KY is in the comment period until February 28.
The
comment
> period was supposed to end tomorrow. Am I ever glad it
was extended since
I have
> not been able to focus on that at all
today.
>
> Today has been a mixture of elation and
depression as people have called
and
> written their support. In fact,
I arrived at my office after court to find
my
> flag at half staff and
a Kleenex anonymously attached to my door. Very
>
metaphoric.
>
> Also on the positive front, a friendly
attorney, representing another
client showed up in court and offered me his
services pro bono for my
defense. I
> accepted. Then, too, a local TV
station has decided to do an in-depth (at
least
> for TV) analysis of
the things that I am involved in from the numerous
> environmental
fights to winning the Pulitzer for News Photography. No
doubt that
>
will be an ego boost but...
>
> It does not in
anyway make up for the trampling my civil liberties took
last
> night.
In court this morning, the Prosecutor tried to imply that I was
being
>
removed from the scene because I was some sort of threat to Cheney. I
guess
the
> pen is mightier than the sword.
>
> In the
affidavit, signed by the arresting officer, it was stated that
the
boss
> cop told me to leave or get arrested "at least five
times."
> In fact, I was told that only once and I then
complied. But of course,
they
> had to make something up in hopes that
I would come into court this
morning and
> bow to their injustice. I am
not sure how to counter the lie in the
affidavit since my only witness is an
87 year old man with hearing problems.
>
> That is what
has been depressing today. When the cops lie, what is
anyone to
> do to
defend himself.
>
> John Blair runs Valley Watch, an
environmental group in Evansville,
Indiana
> that battles against big
coal and the nuclear industry. In
> 1979, he won the Pulitzer
Prize for news photography.
> He can be reached at
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
--
>
>
> "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to
person." - Mother Teresa
>
>
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