September 26th, 1998

Activism on the Front Lines
By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

I would like you to know
That we were not all like that.
That some of us spent our lives
Working for Peace
Speaking for animals
Tending the Earth.
And that when you find
The mass graves
And the abattoirs
And the laboratories
Please understand
That we were not all like that. --Mary de La Valette

Are you an "armchair activist?" I certainly am lately. Those of us who are have strong convictions, passionate beliefs, and powerful letter writing skills, but we do it, usually, from the comfort of our homes and, nowadays, in front of our computer. This is meaningful and important, to be sure, but we may not be spending enough time acknowledging, honoring and supporting those activists who make our comfortable mode of involvement possible.

Thousands of people every day are putting their careers, their standard of living, their relationships, and their very lives at risk every day. They truly "walk the talk." And some die for it.

Anti-war Protester arrested at the July 8, 1998 Peace Camp in Brussels (Photo from the For Mother Earth web site)

Many of you have read of the death of David Chain, 24, who was killed on September 17 when a lumber crew cut down a tree in an area of the Headwaters Forest that Earth First! activists were defending. The next day, California Governor Pete Wilson signed a plan authorizing the state to contribute to the purchase of a small portion of the ancient grove. Without these activists, this plan would never have come to be.

It is hard to become aware of these people. The mainstream media usually ignores their actions and protests completely. The companies and governments against whom they wage their war work closely with the criminal justice system and the media to keep quiet about the actions.

Five activists trying to draw the attention of delegates to last week's World Energy Council meeting in Houston, Texas hung a banner from a crane with a message to stop new petroleum exploration. Four of the five are in jail on $125,000 bail, the fifth must come up with $200,000 bail.

Sometimes overly harsh sentences are imposed to "make an example" of an activist, particularly if the person acted alone. When large numbers of people are arrested at protest rallies, they are often held for a few hours and released with out charges or with minor violations. The larger the group, the better the chance of being released - the courts usually do not want to strain their already overbooked system.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society patrols the high seas. (Photo from the Sea Shepherd website )

How far would you go to defend what you believe in? Are you prepared to be arrested, ridiculed, deprived of your job and your ability to earn a living? Would you reduce your standard of living to below the poverty level and get what support you could from handouts from friends? Would you live for months at a time in strange surroundings, often deprived of television, telephone, and other creature comforts? Would you stop eating for even a day to take a stand for what you thought important?

Most of us would answer no to most of those questions. And that is OK - there are many acceptable modes for activism, ranging from simple awareness and teaching to letter writing and boycotting. But we must remember that those people who answer "yes" to those questions are on the front lines in our battles.

The day that war was declared on Iraq during the Bush Administration, I remember watching the CNN anchor ask the reporter, standing in front of the White House after war was declared what the noise was in the background. The reporter said it was nothing, that a few demonstrators had gathered, but there was nationwide support for this war. He was lying. Down the street, over half a million people had gathered in the largest anti-war demonstration since the Vietnam era. Estimates are that the crowd swelled to a million the next day. You cannot wait for the TV news to tell you of the front lines.

Near the town of Volgodonsk in Russia, five activists protesting a nuclear power plant suffered brain damage when employees of the power plant bashed their heads in. Anti-war and anti-nuclear activists suffer greatly, since their actions often take place on federally owned land and they are threatening the highest levels of our corporate culture. This means that any arrests and convictions are for federal felony crimes.

Conviction of a federal felony in the U.S. carries severe penalties. You probably won't be hired again by anyone - for the rest of your life. You also loose your right to vote - an ironic loss for activists fighting for the health and well-being of you and your children.

There is an entire underground of activists who can no longer work or support themselves or vote because of their non-violent actions and vision of the future. Many activists, once they are released from unfairly long prison terms, are cared for by other activists, and some get occasional income from speaking engagements.

Feeding the needy in the snow (Photo from the Utah Food Not Bombs website)

I remember reading of an imprisoned anti-nuclear activist whose mail was censored. During an interview with the Nuclear Resister newspaper, he asked readers to please contact his family and his children and explain to them what he had done and why.

So please keep writing and thinking and caring. Please keep working hard to reduce your consumption and re-examine your behaviors. But each day, please send thoughts to those who have thrown all caution to the wind, who have given up all comfort to sit on the front lines, chained to fences, shivering on the high seas, sitting in trees, or languishing in prison. Say a silent prayer for them and thank them for the comforts you have.

And then go write a letter.

RESOURCES

1. 20/20 Vision will help keep you informed of issues at http://www.2020vision.org/

2. Learn what to buy and what not to buy through the Boycott Action News at http://www.coopamerica.org/mban.htm

3. The Witness to the Future web site at http://www.macronet.org/ is a support for the video of the same name. This is a powerful tool for anyone, particularly educators. Get the video and CDROM from the Video Project at http://www.videoproject.org/videoproject/WITNESS_TO_THE_FUTURE...html

4. The Earth First! group that the late David Chain was a part of is desperate for resources. They can be reached at Earth First! Media Center, P.O. Box 324, Redway, CA 95560, 707/923-2114 or 707/923-4949. Learn more at the extensive Earth First! web site at http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/9901/

5. Read the story of the beating of the activists in Russia at http://flag.blackened.net/agony/rainbow.html#rk

6. Attend the War Resister's League 75th conference in Maryland in October. Read the details at http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl/conf75th.htm and join them for a protest at the Pentagon in Washington. Read details at http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl/conf75th.htm

7. Find out where your federal income tax money really goes at http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl/piechart.htm

8. Whale slaughter begins again in the U.S in October. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society at http://www.SeaShepherd.org/ will keep you informed.

9. For international activism information, visit http://flag.blackened.net/agony/links.html for a listing of worldwide sites.

10. Keep an eye on the School of the Americas at http://www.soaw.org/ where the U.S. government trains international political leaders who will become the human rights violators of tomorrow. See their rogues gallery at http://www.soaw.org/grads/

11. Visit the American Friends Service Committee and see their worldwide programs for peace at http://www.afsc.org/

12. An amazing array of anti-nuclear links can be found at http://www.prop1.org/prop1/azantink.htm

13. Many activist resources can be found at http://artitude.com/links.htm. This list is old, but you will find some interesting items.

14. Keep your eye on corporations through Corporate Watch at http://www.corpwatch.org/

15. Visit The Macrocosm page for great activist links at http://www.macronet.org/

16. Find out who your Congressional representatives are and e-mail them about your issue. If you know your Zip code, you can find them at http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ziptoit.html or you can search by state at http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

17. Learn about the issues. Seek out books on the subject. A good source for used (and new) books is Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, Oregon at http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/associate?assoc_id=212 where you will find a wonderful alternative to the massive chain bookstores taking over the market.

18. Bookmark this website. Visit it often for ways we can all Heal Our World.