"Celebrate Our Clean water"

[H2O Man]

Yesterday I attended a “Celebrate Our Clean Water” ceremony in Chenango County, in upstate New York. There was wonderful traditional Irish music; a bake sale; items including t-shirts, bumper stickers, and lawn signs for sale; and three speakers. The speakers included a highly respected local historian; a doctor from Women's Water Watch; and myself.

In the past week, the anti-fracking public events have been disrupted by pro-gassers. For example, on June 22, in nearby Vestal, NY (near Binghamton), a group of aggressive gassers – a number of whom were clearly intoxicated – attempted to prevent the presenters at “Gascapades: Government Cover-Ups & Collateral Damage!” from delivering their messages.

Speakers included Weston Wilson, an EPA scientist who was forced to accept “retirement,” for his whistle-blowing activities. Wilson had gone public with documentation of how the gas industry had infiltrated the EPA, and accessed exemptions from environmental protection laws. The gassers did not want him to speak.

Also speaking were Tara Meixsell, an author and environmental advocate; and film-makers Jeff and Jodi Andrysick, who produced “All Fracked Up.” Homeland Security has listed the Andrysicks as “eco-terrorists” as a result of the film.

But the person the gassers found most offensive was Rick Roles, a rancher from Colorado who told his story in the films “Gasland” and “Split Estate.” Roles leased his land for gas drilling, and saw the destructive results: his horses are sick and dying, and he has illness brought on by the toxic wastes contaminating his water.

Some of the same people who were involved in putting this program on, were putting on Saturday's water ceremony. The gassers at “Gascapades” had threatened to disrupt the ceremony. One of our people (DU's “Mr. Bagins,” a quiet community member, who enjoys this forum), who was one of the top amateur boxers in the northeast in his younger days, called my younger son after the event on the 22nd. They made plans to respond to anyone who attempted to disrupt Saturday's event.



Only three gassers came on Saturday. At first, they stood along the state highway, which runs by the park our event was held in. They were holding pro-fracking signs. A few of the people attending our events walked over, also holding signs, and were getting far more “thumbs up” than were the gasser competition.



When I spoke, the gassers grew restless, and attempted to shout me down. When an 90-year old environmental advocate asked them to please stop, they told her to shut up. Things began to heat up between the two roadside groups, until my son stated that if they didn't stop their antics, he would ask the police officer covering the event to remove them. The lead gasser then went to the officer, and claimed that my son had threatened him. The officer did not respond as the gasser had hoped. Indeed, the three gassers stopped trying to disrupt the ceremony after that.



Despite the evidence provided in the above photo, I did not have my mouth open and running throughout the entire afternoon. But I did speak for a bit over a half an hour.



There are three public meetings that I'm planning to attend this week. One is sponsored by NYRAD; another a town board meeting; and the third is a Democratic Party caucus, in which I believe my older son will be nominated to represent the party in an upcoming town election.

Small stuff, to be sure. But if we are all making contributions, no matter how small they may seem, it adds up fairly fast. I remain convinced that this is the best avenue for returning the Democratic Party to those principles and values that once defined it.

Peace,
H2O Man

[Fly by night]

1. This issue affects everyone who drinks water to remain alive. Keep fighting, H2O Man.

Maybe the three pro-Halliburton thugs could go on a water-free diet for a week or so, or maybe drink the Colorado rancher's water. That might cause them to sing a different tune.

If they were still alive to sing, that is.

[H2O Man]

3. The Good Fight.

One of the gassers told my son, "We actually want the exact same thing." Although he might mean well, he has some errors in his thinking.

A couple of psychologists from Broome County are concerned about the rising tide of hostility. They are planning to attempt to hold some meetings with grass roots leaders from both sides of the issue, to lay out ways of better communication without hostility. I've been asked to participate.

[scarletwoman]

5. I'd be interested in hearing how those meetings with the psychologists come out.

"We actually want the exact same thing." - in some ways that may be very true. Imo, the task for progressives (I don't actually like that word very much, but sometimes it's a useful shorthand) is to find ways to build on whatever those "same things" may be.

sw

[Beringia]

2. Great n/t

[H2O Man]

4. Thanks!