Christmas Call: Moral requirement for Civil Disobedience

Contents

 Tim's audacious act has raised an important question that I have been discussing with friends and others this last week.  That question is:  "Is Civil Disobedience a moral requirement at this time?"  The question tracks a conversation that Utah groups connected to what might be called the "larger sustainability movement," or the environmental movement in general have been engaged in.  Al Gore opened the question this past September:    Then Bill McKibben, when he was in Salt Lake picked up the conversation with about 20 of us in Little America and in a personal conversation with me afterward.  Speaking from the pulpit of the Salt Lake City Unitarian Church, Bill spoke about the moral necessity of "people in the streets."  Organizing, protesting and political/social action were his view of "Loving your neighbor."  What he meant, he explained was "to reduce the threat of Climate Chaos" for future generations, clearly an unprecedented threat, is genuine love for your neighbor. 

Recently and consequently, Bill McKibben with Wendell Berry have taken up the call with a fusilege against the obvious evil of COAL.  Since we will either LIVE COAL FREE OR DIE, they assert:  "There are moments in a nation’s—and a planet’s—history when it may be necessary for some to break the law in order to bear witness to an evil, bring it to wider attention, and push for its correction. We think such a time has arrived."  Berry and McKibben will lead the Moral Assault on Coal from the near-steps of the Nation's Capitol on March 2.  See their open letter to all of us.

Tim's action stopping the lawless and immoral leasing of land-wrecking land abuse by the BLM, morally halting their rape of our public land and (perhaps) halting the give-away to a few for a few moments of illicit money is a simple and courageous act of clear conscience.  It asserts that these times call for active moral outrage and consequent civil engagement.  We cannot just talk about the problems and armchair-quarterback the future of our children.  Passive opinion without active civil action is fatal.  This is what James Hansen and our best climatologists are saying.

Meanwhile Wendell Berry, Bill McKibben and Tim DeChristopher are leading the action.  Required action.  This is the Revolutionary War of our time.  Coal, by itself ---just the coal China is planning now to burn --- can end civilization.  Will we end the future and not take action?

Tim has given his answer. 

Berry and McKibben have planned theirs on March 2 in Washington, DC.  The question is:  "What will we do now?"  Are we Tories or Rebels for freedom.  And are those standing in the middle awake?  The moral requirement for action, the moral requirement for effective Civil Disobedience has been clearly stated.

Will we respond?