Comments on: Gore: Its Time for Direct Action http://priceofoil.org/2008/09/25/gore-its-time-for-direct-action/ Oil Change International campaigns to expose the true costs of oil and facilitate the coming transition towards clean energy. We are dedicated to identifying and overcoming political barriers to that transition. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:34:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Noah http://priceofoil.org/2008/09/25/gore-its-time-for-direct-action/#comment-623608 Noah Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:03:10 +0000 http://priceofoil.org/?p=3158#comment-623608 I agree with Steve about this, but, as a 30-something, you're talking about something scary. I protest, my name goes in a database, I'm blacklisted before you can blink, and sometime later, my passport triggers a DHS watch list at the airport. Or maybe a police database shows me graylisted when they pull me over because the light on my bike is out, and they want to issue a courtesy reminder. (I live in a good neighborhood) If they let me go with a ticket, I guess it's OK, but when an employer runs a background check on me, does my civil disobedience count me out of the job? Eh, well, who wants to work for jerks like that anyway. I agree with Steve about this, but, as a 30-something, you’re talking about something scary. I protest, my name goes in a database, I’m blacklisted before you can blink, and sometime later, my passport triggers a DHS watch list at the airport. Or maybe a police database shows me graylisted when they pull me over because the light on my bike is out, and they want to issue a courtesy reminder. (I live in a good neighborhood) If they let me go with a ticket, I guess it’s OK, but when an employer runs a background check on me, does my civil disobedience count me out of the job? Eh, well, who wants to work for jerks like that anyway.

]]> By: Steve Kretzmann http://priceofoil.org/2008/09/25/gore-its-time-for-direct-action/#comment-621411 Steve Kretzmann Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:19:50 +0000 http://priceofoil.org/?p=3158#comment-621411 This is really a great step - although Gore has said this before, in less public settings. But CD is not only for "young people" - witness Gandhi and King. If Gore wants to lead in this area - and I believe he does, and he is well positioned to do so - he needs lead by example here. If he does...many will surely follow. On the other hand, if civil disobedience is easily marginalized as "angry radical young people" (as was done in Seattle, portraying the very small number of protesters engaged in property destruction as somehow representative) then it really won't achieve what we need it to. CD is very warranted here. But we need the elders out front, and a united front in the movement. This is really a great step - although Gore has said this before, in less public settings. But CD is not only for “young people” - witness Gandhi and King.

If Gore wants to lead in this area - and I believe he does, and he is well positioned to do so - he needs lead by example here.

If he does…many will surely follow. On the other hand, if civil disobedience is easily marginalized as “angry radical young people” (as was done in Seattle, portraying the very small number of protesters engaged in property destruction as somehow representative) then it really won’t achieve what we need it to.

CD is very warranted here. But we need the elders out front, and a united front in the movement.

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