Despite the Gulf disaster, no one from BP has been arrested and sent to jail. Despite safety violations at coal mines, no one from Massey Energy has been handcuffed. But today I write to inform you that one of America’s best global warming activists is probably facing several months of jail. He’s been convicted by a D.C. jury, and now he awaits sentencing. Why? Because he peacefully dropped two banners on Capitol Hill that said: “GREEN JOBS NOW” and “GET TO WORK.”

I’m not joking. Ted Glick of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network was convicted by a jury May 13th of peacefully dropping the banners inside the U.S. Senate Hart Office Building last September. The DC U.S. Attorney’s office clearly had decided to make an “example” of Ted because of his previous two – count’em, two -- convictions related to peaceful acts of climate civil disobedience. Can you believe it? You can see a three-minute video of Ted’s September “crime” at:

Video

Now Ted is facing up to three years in jail. Based on the judge’s comments last week, it really does appear that he will be incarcerated for at least a month or two.

So here’s what you can do:

First, please write a respectful but firm snail-mail letter to Judge Frederick H. Weisberg telling him why you think Ted should not go to jail. The judge’s address is below. Just type something up, print it and mail it off. Explain why only a suspended sentence is fair especially given all the real injustices out there on global warming. There is reason to believe that that a large number of thoughtful, well-reasoned letters to the judge could bring leniency.

Second, take an action right now that will help create a world where global warming is no longer such a threat and people like Ted won’t have to drop banners and get arrested in the first place! Join the “Windmills Not Oil Spills” campaign and sign a petition to stop new offshore drilling in America at:

Petition

Thanks for your support, your activism, and your prayers as CCAN fights to keep a morally innocent staff member out of jail during this time of great global crisis.

Sincerely,

Mike Tidwell
Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Here’s the judge’s address:

Judge Frederick H. Weisberg, DC Superior Court, 500 Indiana Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001

Please keep in mind: The letters should be respectful. Among the topics you could write about are these:
-Your knowledge of or experiences with Ted;
-The urgency of the climate issue and the need to pressure our government to take action on it;
-Your views on what would be a justice-based approach by the legal system toward nonviolent actions of the kind Ted took part in.

Please let other people know about this campaign. And it would be helpful if you could send us a copy of your letter to Judge Weisberg, or if you could let us know that you have sent a letter. You can email Ted at:
Email
or you could send by regular mail to his attention at CCAN, P.O. Box 11138, Takoma Park, Md. 20912.