Daily Archives: August 22, 2011

Day 3

The people from the first day got released from jail today, without charge. They weren’t even given the expected $100 fine, though they did suffer the discomfort of a long span in a hot police van, followed by two days of detention. My photos of newly released people will be appearing soon on the Tar Sands Action Flickr feed.

Tonight’s training is nearly done and there is another big batch of activists planning to get arrested tomorrow morning.

I am unusually disconnected here, both because I don’t have a functional cell phone and because I have been busy all day every day with photography and other volunteering tasks.

The activists are impressive in their dedication and ability to maintain good spirits despite hot hours in the sun and uncomfortable hours in jail. I have also had the privilege of working with some great organizers. I hope the number of participants and level of media attention keep rising as the event proceeds. Today’s New York Times editorial condemning the Keystone XL pipeline was a very welcome bit of support.

MLK on nonviolent resistance

“My study of Gandhi convinced me that true pacifism is not nonresistance to evil, but nonviolent resistance to evil, Between the two positions, there is a world of difference. Gandhi resisted evil with as much vigor and power as the violent resister, but he resisted with love instead of hate. True pacifism is not unrealistic submission to an evil power, as Niebuhr contends. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflictor of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.