The Courage to Stop Pretending: Tim DeChristopher Sentenced

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:




The Courage to Stop Pretending: Tim DeChristopher Sentenced
Can going to jail be a happier choice than turning a blind eye to climate injustice?

by Brooke Jarvis
posted Jul 26, 2011


After being found guilty in March (of making a false statement and violating the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act), activist Tim DeChristopher was sentenced today in federal court to two years in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. He was taken into custody immediately.

If you haven’t yet heard the details of the now-famous action that got him arrested, the short version is this: While protesting at an auction of oil and gas leases on Utah's public lands, he was asked if he was a bidder, and said “yes.” He proceeded to bid millions of dollars he didn’t have, upping the price of some parcels, winning others, and eventually shutting down the entire auction—which was later dismissed as illegal by the Obama administration.

And now he’ll be spending the next two years in federal prison.

I keep thinking about something that Tim told me when we met at a conference last month. Even with his prison term looming (he didn’t yet know how long it would be), he said: “I’m happier than I’ve ever been.” .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/brooke-jarvis/the-courage-to-stop-pretending-tim-dechristopher-sentenced