Ben Manski wrote:
Hi everyone -
I received the following email, thought, "this is important," and marked it
for further action down the road. Then I received it a second time,
looked at it again, and saw the name of the activist facing prison time
(I have amended the subject header to include his name).
I met Ted Glick almost 15 years ago, when the Independent Progressive
Politics Network (IPPN) held its national meeting in Madison. I served
with him on the IPPN Steering Committee. Ted and I collaborated with a
handful of others in convening the first conference calls that formed
United We March for Peace and Justice, later, United for Peace and
Justice, the largest anti-war coalition in the country. I remember Ted's
run for U.S. Senate in New Jersey, as a Green, in which he really
pushed the envelope on key issues of political corruption and structural
racism. I've had differences with Ted over strategy. But I've always
known him as a warm, serious, and highly ethical political activist and
person.
For most of the past decade, Ted Glick has devoted himself to organizing
the climate justice movement in response to global warming. Please take a
few minutes to support Ted -- and to resist this heavy-handed
suppression of non-violent civil disobedience -- by responding to the
appeal below.
- Ben Manski
~ ~ ~ ~
Dear Friends,
Despite the Gulf disaster, no one from
BP has been arrested and sent to jail. Despite safety violations at coal
mines, no one from Massey Energy has been handcuffed. But today I write to
inform you that one of America's best global warming activists is probably
facing several months of jail.
He's been convicted by a D.C. jury, and now he awaits sentencing on July
6th. Why? Because he peacefully dropped two banners on Capitol Hill that
said: "GREEN JOBS NOW" and "GET TO WORK."
I'm not joking. Ted Glick of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network was
convicted by a jury May 13th of peacefully dropping the banners inside
the U.S. Senate Hart Office Building last September. The DC U.S.
Attorney's office clearly has decided to make an "example" of Ted
because of his previous two -- count 'em, two -- convictions related to
peaceful acts of climate civil disobedience. Can you believe it? You can
see a three-minute video of Ted's September "crime" right here. He's the
guy toward the end simply lowering the banners. Period.
Now Ted is facing up to three years in jail. Based on the judge's
comments last week, it really does appear that he will be incarcerated
for at least a month or two.
So here's what you can do:
First, please write a respectful but firm snail-mail letter to
Judge Frederick H. Weisberg telling him why you think Ted should not
go to jail. The judge's address is below. Just type something up, print it
and mail it off. Explain why only a suspended sentence is fair,
especially given all the real injustices out there on global warming.
There is reason to believe that that a large number of thoughtful,
well-reasoned letters to the judge could bring leniency.
Second, take an action right now that will help create a world where global
warming is no longer such a threat and people like
Ted won't have to drop banners and get arrested in the first place! Sign
the "Windmills, Not Oil Spills" petition to stop new offshore drilling
in America and promote clean energy alternatives instead.
Thanks for your support, your
activism, and your prayers as CCAN fights to keep a morally innocent
staff member out of jail during this time of great global crisis.
Sincerely,
Mike Tidwell
Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
---
Here's the judge's
address:
Judge Frederick H. Weisberg
DC Superior Court
500 Indiana Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
**Please keep in mind**
The
letters should be respectful. Suggested topics include:
* If you personally know Ted and have shared
experiences with him, tell the judge;
* Describe the urgency of the climate issue and the need to pressure our
government to take action on it;
* Give your views on what would be a
justice-based approach by the legal system toward nonviolent actions of
the kind Ted took part in.
Please let other people know about this campaign. And it would be
helpful if you could send us a copy of your letter to Judge Weisberg, or if
you could let us know that you have sent a letter. You can email Ted at
ted@chesapeakeclimate.org <ted%40chesapeakeclimate.org>, or you could send
by regular mail to Ted's attention at CCAN, P.O. Box
11138, Takoma Park, Md. 20912.
Mike Tidwell
Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
MTidwell@ChesapeakeClimate.org <MTidwell%40ChesapeakeClimate.org
cell:
240-460-5838
www.ChesapeakeClimate.org
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