Tim DeChrisopher was released on Earth Day! He bid on oil leases to save pristine wilderness.

[Are_grits_groceries]

Newly Released Tim DeChristopher Finds a Movement Transformed by His Courage

Tim DeChristopher, who was released from federal custody yesterday, is best known as the man who disrupted an auction of pristine public lands. But there’s more to his story than his role as “Bidder 70.”

Yesterday, after 21 months in federal custody, climate activist Tim DeChristopher approached the pulpit at his church in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a free man. The First Unitarian congregation rose in uproarious applause, tears streaming down more than a few faces.

This Earth Day, we thank Tim DeChristopher for steering our movement toward the path of courage.
“It’s good to be home,” DeChristopher told the crowd.

During his sermon, he said that he had never expected to change the oil and gas industry alone. “But I thought that I could change people like you, and I knew people like you have a lot of power.”

The story of how DeChristopher landed in prison is well known. On December 19, 2008, he walked into an oil and gas auction in Salt Lake City, where the Bureau of Land Management was auctioning off leases to drill on public lands.

When asked if he had come to bid, DeChristopher, somewhat startled, said yes. He took a paddle, labeled “Bidder 70,” and without any plan as to what he would do with it, entered the auction. But then, when he saw a friend across the room break down in tears over the potential loss of wild lands, an idea came to him. He began raising his paddle to bid. By the end, he’d amassed a total of 22,500 acres at a price of $1.8 million.
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http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/tim-dechristopher-peaceful-uprising-movement-transformed-courage

The PTB so wanted to put him in jail for the rest of his life.
When he was in prison, some Congressleach reached out to the Bureau of Prisons and somehow had him put in solitary.

The story behind his move to solitary confinement:
https://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/03/30-6

[Esse Quam Videri]

1. I wasn't aware of this story.

It is truly amazing and should be an inspiration to all of us who are conservationists.

[Octafish]

2. Meanwhile traitors, mass murderers, torturers and warmongers never spend a day in prison.

Why is that, Unka Dick?

[valerief]

7. No, they just build more and profit not only from the construction but also from the slave labor

in them they can use later.

[Are_grits_groceries]

3. I find the arbitrary move to solitary very disturbing.

I had no idea somebody in Congress could do tht.

[dotymed]

4. All of these official actions are easily

accomplished in a fascist police state. America has become an overt example of such a place. It seems "we" have become what we were told the former USSR was during the cold war.

Until real Americans realize that we are all in the same boat (except the 1%, the next 5% or so are sold the illusion that they too control their destinies) and unite (possibly a general strike, but in these jobless times that may backfire) to claim our country, it will only get worse.
We ALL have to become outspoken activists for equality in America. We can use some examples from OCCUPY but we need to refine them and have a central spokesperson. Bernie was made for this role.

UNITE, it may be too late, only by attempting will we know for sure.

[Luminous Animal]

5. I am so glad that he is out. K&R

[raouldukelives]

6. K&R nt

[mountain grammy]

8. A real American hero. This story got lost in all the big news of 2008,

but Tim is out! Our mainstream news media is about as worthless as, oh, I don't know, tits on a bull maybe?

[DinahMoeHum]

9. Link for the movie "Bidder 70"

currently showing in selected theaters and selected times:

http://www.bidder70film.com/


I saw the trailer a couple of days ago at NYC's Green Festival

http://www.greenfestivals.org