I've met Dr. Stein several times now, and I don't find this at all surprising. It's important to realize that the American hard Left has created a whole array of "crimes" for which one can be arrested symbolically, in a way that is viewed not as criminal in their context but as proof of personal commitment and virtue. One of the protest groups I met up in Philly had coordinated the process with the police, even, with both the police and the protest leadership having designated, armband-wearing 'liaison officers' to smooth the process of getting people arrested without actually disrupting the DNC in any important way. In return for playing along with your own arrest, you could be pretty sure of facing only administrative charges and a fine that would probably be dropped due to "incomplete" paperwork.
It's a sham, in other words.
Or at least it usually is, in Democrat-controlled cities. It sounds like the sheriff in North Dakota may not be aware that this is just a game people play to signal virtue. The Green Party says that the North Dakota police plan to file charges against her "for participating in civil disobedience against the Dakota Access Pipeline Tuesday morning." What she is actually charged with is "misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and criminal mischief." That could land her in jail for more than a couple of hours in the afternoon: up to 30 days for a Class B misdemeanor, or up to a year if she was convicted of a Class A misdemeanor.
From a little more research, it looks as if the claims that this pipeline will endanger the water supply are not persuading many people to worry too much about it. However, the Feds are concerned about claims that the pipeline company is razing sacred burial sites and other cultural landmarks. It sounds as if at least some of these sacred sites have been rather hastily identified, to be sure, but on the other hand I'm also persuaded by the counterargument I heard this morning: how ready would we be to see a pipeline cut through Arlington? Arlington isn't even a fully sacred site, given its dedication to a secular state not devoted to any particular faith. It's only sacred in a sense, insofar as 'sacred' and 'sacrifice' are so closely linked. Arlington is sacred in the sense that it is where we honor those who have given their lives for our common good, as expressed in the defense of our nation.
UPDATE: "A judge on Friday denied the Standing Rock Sioux tribe's attempt to halt the construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline near its North Dakota reservation, but three federal agencies asked the pipeline company to 'voluntarily pause' work on a segment that tribal officials say holds sacred sites and artifacts."
10 comments:
Grim,
Folks in North Dakota are from Flyover territory. Jobs are important to them. They appear to be playing by the rules and to have the "Greens" Interfere in a done deal to disrupt a Jobs plan just sucks in their eyes.
Put her in jail for up to 30 days for a Class B misdemeanor, or up to a year if she sheis convicted of a Class A misdemeanor. Pulling this crap at the last moment is a sham. Let her rot in Jail.
_Mississippi
Grim, I can not tell you how important Jobs are for folks
Jill Stein should be thrown in jail for what ever charges they can make stick for threatening those Jobs..
The Ecomomy Sucks for the majority.
In the words of Dad29,
.....Ain't no growth. Here's a little chart which will make that clear.........
Go look at the chart at the link.
http://dad29.blogspot.com/2016/09/obozoconomy-sucks-part-56963.html
_Mississippi
"have been rather hastily identified, to be sure,"
I'd like to see the evidence of historical or recent recognition and/or veneration of these sites by those claiming their sanctity. Otherwise, this is nothing but a ploy that cries "Wolf" to those who actually ARE willing to defer to native American heritage.
Arlington has boundaries, rituals (almost a liturgy), visible markers, and obvious evidence of respect and veneration of those who lie there and what they represent w/r/t the nation. Not to argue that ALL sacred sites must display similarly, but those making the claim have a burden of proof, do they not?
That's right, as far as it goes. The Sioux don't honor their dead in the same way, so continual use and maintenance, etc., isn't the right standard; but on the other hand, the claim would be more obviously valid if the proof were not so hastily assembled.
Apparently the judge didn't end up buying off on the claims.
Not certain about North Dakota, but in TX and NM (and I think OK), survey archaeology reports from roads and pipelines are public record. You do have to do a little digging, and most of them are rather dull,(historic period arrowhead, tin can from late 19th century, tin can from early 209th century, lithic scatter of unknown origin) but occasionally there's mildly interesting bits.
LittleRed1
It's remarkable how these native values correspond to 21st C liberal aims so often. Prophetic, I'd say.
I think if we found a tin can from the early 209th century, it would be the opposite of dull, and we should definitely put a fence around that site and avoid developing on it. Just in case They came back to it.
;-)
Up-Update: the three Federal agencies responsible for overseeing the construction stopped the project, anyway.
Eric Hines
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the Obama administration deciding to just muscle them out. But what do you expect from this guy?
The sheriff has issued a warrant on the same charge of trespassing against the media who were covering the protest. That's an interesting tactic. I suppose they're technically guilty if anyone else is, but on the other hand it smacks of trying to intimidate the media from covering the matter.
The whole thing reminds me of the Earp - Clanton war, in that both sides in the conflict ended up proving to be agents of different (and hostile) levels of government.
Post a Comment