Saluting the right to protest
Daily Bulldog, www.dailybulldog.com 22 June 2011
What do you do when the rules made by the group with the money, the governmental contacts, the lobbyist and the access to the media? All across Maine local residents have tried to get their voices heard. Every time an industrial wind operator comes in and submits a permit application nearby residents resist. Every time a permit is issued and construction begins locals object, protest, write letters to newspapers, all trying to get our voices heard. And none of it does any good.
These people did something that brought attention to the efforts of anti wind groups. It is not the way I choose to put my message out but it is completely legitimate, completely American, and something I’m very glad to see happening. Nonviolent opposition is what brought women the right to vote, what brought people of color all the rights we all expect to exercise and what brings attention to monster issues such as WAR and Industrial Pollution and political hanky panky.
Rather than making snap judgements about the people on trial please think about the subject they are highlighting. Our state government was bought and paid for by the industrial wind developers during the last administration. The dregs of that lobbyist conditioned acceptance still lingers today, but between local residents resistance and efforts like this one the new governor is noticing. The new congress had better notice!
I salute the right to protest! I salute the willingness of these people to do what they did, and their willingness to face the consequences if a jury forgets that we all have the ultimate right to peacefully DISOBEY. The government is just people, and it is as often wrong or misguided as it is right. In this case whether I agree with the idea of industrial wind complexes or not is irrelevant! I will forever support the right of non violent protest and non violent actions in defense of rights or viewpoints or areas that can’t defend themselves.
Check out how many applications for industrial wind complexes are being put together now! We will loose our entire mountainous region if no one has the courage to stand up and say “NO MORE!”
Lauri Sibulkin
Phillips, ME
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/23/saluting-the-right-to-protest/