Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/382824171884974/
The following is a positive action that I am voluntarily undertaking. Just because “jail” is used, please try to recondition your immediate aversion to this word. This is a time to quell your fears and see that there is a method and organized strategy for that which I choose to do and those with whom I work with directly. There are appropriate times to go to jail. This is one of those times, and for many people who know what is at stake, there will be specific times in the future where this type of non-violent action will be needed.
It is a privilege to have a system, flawed as it is, that allows one to protest, advocate, and civilly disobey without being publicly executed. At this time, in spite of my own financial hardships, it is an honour and privilege to have the support and option for monetary support for legal fees from a coalition of phenomenal local organizers that comprise We Are Seneca Lake (WASL). This said, there are few excuses and infinite potential incentives to exercise your civic responsibility & citizens’ imperative to confront injustice and act directly to create popular social & ecological change.
Per my privilege of serving jail time for non-violent civil disobedience in defense of the shared freshwater resources and livelihoods of more than 100,000 residents of the Seneca Lake region (and the millions of lives affected both upstream through invasive carbon-extraction atrocities like fracking (http://mgx.com/2014/11/29/new-report-fracking-violation-basic-human-rights/) and the myriad metastasis of toxic pipelines, compressor stations, bogus storage facility projects, and downstream through international export terminals and the increase of fossil fuel fallout & the climate crisis).
I have compiled some info from three “We Are Seneca Lake” heroes below who have actively experienced this process. They have gone beyond simply quoting civil rights leaders and taken action forward for the greater good locally and globally.
Foreword by Sandra Steingraber:
“Participants in the ongoing We Are Seneca Lake civil disobedience campaign have two big decisions to make. The first is whether or not to participate in an arrestable action as a non-violent civil disobedient or as a non-arrestable supporter of those committing civil disobedience (serving as a driver, photographer, and so on). The second, for those who are arrested, is whether or not to do jail time. (NB: Either way, because our charges are classified as violations rather than crimes, no one, including those who accept incarceration, receives a criminal record.)
All roles are equally vital. None are more heroic than others. That said, for those who are able and willing, there is much political and personal value in extending one’s civil disobedience witness into jail. Accepting a jail sentence demonstrates seriousness of intent, shows respect for the law, opens a bigger space in the public conversation for all- important media stories, and prevents one from becoming ensnared in protracted legal battles whose outcome has little connection to our eyes-on-the-prize goal of halting gas storage at Seneca Lake.
As a personal experience, enduring what Martin Luther King, Jr. called, “the ordeals of jail” deepens one’s commitment to our campaign, fosters patience and bravery, and reveals a side of American life—the world of incarceration—that is otherwise hidden from view.
Most of all: there is great satisfaction in aligning one’s actions with one’s values. Those of us who have chosen jail sentences—over paying the county a fine for the privilege of arresting us—have discovered joy behind our bars and a sense of being at peace with oneself.”
From Dwain Wilder:
The opportunities are greater, though, than might first meet the eye. Let’s look at a few of them, from the general to the specific:
• Being willing to stand for what you believe is true and right, even to the point of going to jail for exercising that right contributes to a grand American tradition, keeping it alive and present in the public mind.
• It contributes mightily to the spirit of your compañeros still out on the blockades, the bystanders and of people of the region who might be greatly torn about what is to become of their region, their homes, their safety and the integrity of their legacy of this land they love to their descendants.
• It makes a bold statement to the government that we will not be intimidated by the seeming power of law and regulations when these do not result in justice and upholding the rights of people and of nature.
My March sister, Faith Meckley, advises and recommends a few ways you can help to protect the Finger Lakes region we love & amplify the We Are Seneca Lake (WASL) campaign:
1. Follow & Share the WASL campaign on Twitter @WeAreSenecaLake & Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/WeAreSenecaLake
2. Sign the pledge to protect Seneca Lake http://bit.ly/1rSz46H
3. Write Letters to the Editor in response to all the WASL news in your regional papers & mention your elected officials by name, demanding they ban fracked-gas buildout.
“It varies by newspaper, but Letters to the Editor tend to be 250 words or less. Here are some links to some that have been published:
http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/feedback-11-19/Content?oid=2466138(2nd one down, “Protecting Seneca Lake”)
I would suggest that people from Omaha/Nebraska & Des Moines/Iowa area (and beyond) focus the theme of their letters on why they care about Seneca Lake even though they are not from the area. Convince people why this is an “everybody” issue. And of course, they should talk compassionately about their dear friend Jimmy who is now in jail over it.”
Per my brainstorming with Faith: “I could also fast, to raise awareness that we are lucky to sit atop a massive water source that provides us with a cornucopia of food, while others have no water and subsequently no food.” — will see if this makes sense, considering the glut of our American holiday season, it would also seem appropriate. Also, an extension of this: http://fastfortheclimate.org/en/
Mailing address, letters only:
James Weber Betts, inmate
Schuyler County Jail
106 10th Street, Unit 2
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Please know that I will be released at 12:01am Thursday, December 11th and will not be able to get mail arriving after this date. Moreover, I would much, much, much prefer that letters to the editor are submitted to local newspapers commenting on the reasons why what I am (We are) doing far away from home is relevant, justified, and should be encouraged everywhere. For example, there are tie-ins to local Keystone XL issues that have vast implications beyond Nebraska. Additionally, the proposed Iowa Bakken crude oil pipeline may very well be approved and forced upon landowners… we will be faced with these struggles and potential citizen-powered solutions sooner than you might expect. Now is the time to get informed, engaged, and comfortable with your rights, privilege, and obligation to stand up and resist, even if it may involve some simple time in jail for doing the right thing and benefiting the future of our planetary existence. You do not need to be an ‘expert’ or a self-identifying ‘activist’ — simply show that you care through your actions, research,john and engagement. 🙂
Thank you for the love, support, and participation in any form,
Please forward along to others who might contribute,
Safe & Sound awaiting court and incarceration starting this evening, Wednesday, December 3rd!
Jimmy Betts, Surviving Program Director & LA to DC Marcher
http://www.crowdrise.com/jimmybettsaid
~Stepping Beyond the Great March for Climate Action~
Jimmy.Betts@gmail.com | (515) 708-2463