"YOU JUST SIGNED A DEATH SENTENCE FOR NORTH CAROLINA, ASSHOLES, A DEATH SENTENCE"
June 15, 2011- Raleigh, NC – On Tuesday night, over twenty-five people showed their opposition to hydraulic fracturing and offshore drilling in North Carolina outside of the legislative building before heading inside for the final vote on SB 709 in the House of Representatives, leading to three arrests. Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is a method of extracting natural gas that involves blasting underground rock thousands of feet into the ground with a cocktail of sand, water, and chemicals.
The third vote on SB709, also dubbed the “Energy Jobs Act”, was met with resistance before the session convened with a call-in day to legislators and a demonstration outside. Signs read, “Don’t Frack with Cackalack!”, “Don’t Frack With My Water!”, “No Offshore Drilling in NC!”, and “Expect Resistance!”. The demonstrations consisted of people from Chapel Hill, Durham, Pittsboro, and Raleigh who called on the legislators to vote against SB 709, in favor of a healthy future for North Carolinians.
Upon moving inside, the quiet and respectful demonstration was swarmed by security agents as the wait began for SB 709 to be called. At least one representative switched his vote to be against the bill before it was called, which was met with applause. Once SB 709 was brought to the floor, two people unfurled a banner reading “Third times a charm! No to Fracking!”, leading to their arrest. A third person was also arrested for proclaiming dislike of the destruction of the fine state of North Carolina. The arrestees, who live in counties that contain shale deposits that could be fracked, are all facing misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.
The third reading of SB 709 resulted in 68 ayes and 49 noes. At this point the bill goes back to the senate for a reading, and then it is in the governor’s hands. We call on Governor Perdue to protect the future of North Carolina by vetoing SB 709.
“It is alarming that the General Assembly is so readily allowing corporation’s interests to harm the citizens, water, air, and land of North Carolina. Is this really what the General Assembly wants for its constituents?”- Heidi Grenmier (Durham County) Croatan Earth First!
“To Representatives Avila, Boles, Burr, Crawford, Dollar, Howard, McCormick, Murry, and Stam, all who represent areas with fracking potential and despicably voted in favor of SB709, know that we will hold you personally responsible when our tap water turns brown and explosive, our children and wives are sick, and our crops are toxic. We’ve seen what’s been happening in Pennsylvania, Montana, and Colorado. We don’t want it here.” – Adam Nash (Orange County)
This is merely the beginning of the fight against hydraulic fracturing and offshore drilling in North Carolina. Community groups, including Croatan Earth First!, will be holding regular events and demonstrations against hydraulic fracturing throughout the region.
Click here to urge Beth Perdue to veto SB 709! Leave a message at her phone number at 919-733-5811. A decision will be made probably in the next day or two.
Croatan Earth First! is committed to halting ecological destructive plans throughout the Piedmont.
Contact:
Kassidy Birch (919) 695-3530
croatanearthfirst@gmail.com
Just something that's on my mind.
2.30 in the morning. Today was absolutely awful. I yelled at “god” in the rain as thunder and lightning shook the earth under my feet. I hate rich people. I’ve realized these past couple of months canvassing that really stupid people live in mansions and drive fancy cars. How and why? When my mother, pulling her hair out trying to find a job in the education world with two years into her doctorate degree, will never be able to drive anything fancier than her Subaru Outback. She came to this country, built up years of education and sacrifice, with absolutely nothing, and she’ll probably die with nothing because stupid people like Chris Christie are cutting education. Education in this country is nothing. According to the Huffington Post, the United States ranks 14th in education. Every single house that I go to has never heard of hydrolic fracturing, a process used to extract natural gas from the earth which has absolutely no regulations (unlike the oil industry) and uses diesel fuel, which has ended up in thousands of people’s tap water. This causes cancer. However, the houses that I go to would rather give to Relay for Life than an organization trying to get rid of a cause of cancer. Priorities, eh?
Now, before we start blaming Obama for all of this (which is a silly argument), how about we look at Mitt Romney’s education ideas. He believes that education is a right, not a privilege. Well, that’s certainly a recipe for the demise of this republic. I think the right wingers just want everyone to be just as dumb so that the richer can continue sitting on their rich thrones while the poorer, who won’t be able to afford education (most likely the minorities, because we get screwed in every way possible) continue to become poorer. There is no more middle class because the existence of unions, which by the way is completely humanitarian, are slowly being crushed by people who have more money than they know what to do with. I think it’s hilarious when people who have absolutely no money say that unions are a “socialist” institution. Sure, like getting rid of the unions is going to help you gain more money. You’re lying to yourself. Unions are the reason why people have jobs and gain more rights and liberties from the oppressive leaders. Unions practice first amendment rights, which are slowly being crushed by the corporations and right wing Republicans (though they certainly do continue to push for the second amendment like it’s nobody’s business).
The environment is such an important thing in this world. We humans are slowly tearing it apart by burning plastic and styrophome, releasing toxins into the air. Cutting down trees, which provide us with oxygen, to create paper that we so simply use and throw away in to the garbage when we can so easily recycle. Extracting natural gas from the earth (which is a non-renewable resource, just like oil) by means of hydrolic fracturing which permanently contaminates water resources, instead of using wind or solar [New Jersey has set up enough wind turbines 3 miles away from the coasts of Atlantic City this past year to power 1.5 nuclear plants… so why should we even bother with anything else?]. Today, I went to a door that said “The environment is a bunch of communist malarkey”. So… the Russians invented the environment? In response, I told him, “But the environment gives us air and water to breathe.” “No,” he retaliated. “God does that,” to which I had to bite back insults. We humans are ruining this “god’s” air and water. That’s also communist malarkey?
I’m bitter. I realize this. But should I not have reason to be? Every day I have doors slammed in my face because people would rather be sitting on their couches, watching MTV dramas such as “Teen Moms” or “The Jersey Shore” than saving the planet, the only earth in the solar system with an atmosphere that is livable and water, that they are quickly killing. My mother, five months unemployed and unable to find work because education is being cut, is close to filing for bankruptcy and we are close to losing our home. I’m the only one in the house that is earning a somewhat steady income because my father works as a real estate agent, and I’m sure we’re all aware of how that industry is going. My brother is autistic, and I’ve been angry at this unseen force that every single Christian testifies, “It happened for a reason.” When I talk to a right-winger, they say, “Well, why don’t you just move?” That is the most insulting thing you could ask me. First of all, we don’t have the money for it. Second of all, my parents came to this country from a country where they couldn’t find a job even if their lives depended on it, and you say to move because our mindsets are wrong? America: a nation that thrives on racism, a tiny wealthy status and large, ever growing poverty, being fed lies through the media. I see the issues being covered up like foundation on blemished skin through the Top 100 radio stations: songs with monotonous dance beats that continually pound into the listener’s ears, “Drink, party, dance, you’re cute, wanna take you home, do it all again.” TV shows that depict “typical” teenagers who get pregnant at the age of sixteen, having video game addictions, and are stuck to their phones because face-to-face interaction is slowly becoming a thing of the past. We spend more time on our Facebooks, looking at people’s pages that we are not even interested in than going outside for a hike and participating in some sort of physical activity (what is that anyway? I heard it’s painful). Do you know how many times I get texts from people who have cars that tell me, “I’m bored”? There is no reason to be bored in this state. New Jersey is a state with forests being protected by the Highlands Act from being developed in, with mountains to go hiking, a shoreline that expands throughout the east coast, and just across the state border we have two major cities: Philadelphia and New York City.
Just something that's on my mind.
2.30 in the morning. Today was absolutely awful. I yelled at “god” in the rain as thunder and lightning shook the earth under my feet. I hate rich people. I’ve realized these past couple of months canvassing that really stupid people live in mansions and drive fancy cars. How and why? When my mother, pulling her hair out trying to find a job in the education world with two years into her doctorate degree, will never be able to drive anything fancier than her Subaru Outback. She came to this country, built up years of education and sacrifice, with absolutely nothing, and she’ll probably die with nothing because stupid people like Chris Christie are cutting education. Education in this country is nothing. According to the Huffington Post, the United States ranks 14th in education. Every single house that I go to has never heard of hydrolic fracturing, a process used to extract natural gas from the earth which has absolutely no regulations (unlike the oil industry) and uses diesel fuel, which has ended up in thousands of people’s tap water. This causes cancer. However, the houses that I go to would rather give to Relay for Life than an organization trying to get rid of a cause of cancer. Priorities, eh?
Now, before we start blaming Obama for all of this (which is a silly argument), how about we look at Mitt Romney’s education ideas. He believes that education is a right, not a privilege. Well, that’s certainly a recipe for the demise of this republic. I think the right wingers just want everyone to be just as dumb so that the richer can continue sitting on their rich thrones while the poorer, who won’t be able to afford education (most likely the minorities, because we get screwed in every way possible) continue to become poorer. There is no more middle class because the existence of unions, which by the way is completely humanitarian, are slowly being crushed by people who have more money than they know what to do with. I think it’s hilarious when people who have absolutely no money say that unions are a “socialist” institution. Sure, like getting rid of the unions is going to help you gain more money. You’re lying to yourself. Unions are the reason why people have jobs and gain more rights and liberties from the oppressive leaders. Unions practice first amendment rights, which are slowly being crushed by the corporations and right wing Republicans (though they certainly do continue to push for the second amendment like it’s nobody’s business).
The environment is such an important thing in this world. We humans are slowly tearing it apart by burning plastic and styrophome, releasing toxins into the air. Cutting down trees, which provide us with oxygen, to create paper that we so simply use and throw away in to the garbage when we can so easily recycle. Extracting natural gas from the earth (which is a non-renewable resource, just like oil) by means of hydrolic fracturing which permanently contaminates water resources, instead of using wind or solar [New Jersey has set up enough wind turbines 3 miles away from the coasts of Atlantic City this past year to power 1.5 nuclear plants… so why should we even bother with anything else?]. Today, I went to a door that said “The environment is a bunch of communist malarkey”. So… the Russians invented the environment? In response, I told him, “But the environment gives us air and water to breathe.” “No,” he retaliated. “God does that,” to which I had to bite back insults. We humans are ruining this “god’s” air and water. That’s also communist malarkey?
I’m bitter. I realize this. But should I not have reason to be? Every day I have doors slammed in my face because people would rather be sitting on their couches, watching MTV dramas such as “Teen Moms” or “The Jersey Shore” than saving the planet, the only earth in the solar system with an atmosphere that is livable and water, that they are quickly killing. My mother, five months unemployed and unable to find work because education is being cut, is close to filing for bankruptcy and we are close to losing our home. I’m the only one in the house that is earning a somewhat steady income because my father works as a real estate agent, and I’m sure we’re all aware of how that industry is going. My brother is autistic, and I’ve been angry at this unseen force that every single Christian testifies, “It happened for a reason.” When I talk to a right-winger, they say, “Well, why don’t you just move?” That is the most insulting thing you could ask me. First of all, we don’t have the money for it. Second of all, my parents came to this country from a country where they couldn’t find a job even if their lives depended on it, and you say to move because our mindsets are wrong? America: a nation that thrives on racism, a tiny wealthy status and large, ever growing poverty, being fed lies through the media. I see the issues being covered up like foundation on blemished skin through the Top 100 radio stations: songs with monotonous dance beats that continually pound into the listener’s ears, “Drink, party, dance, you’re cute, wanna take you home, do it all again.” TV shows that depict “typical” teenagers who get pregnant at the age of sixteen, having video game addictions, and are stuck to their phones because face-to-face interaction is slowly becoming a thing of the past. We spend more time on our Facebooks, looking at people’s pages that we are not even interested in than going outside for a hike and participating in some sort of physical activity (what is that anyway? I heard it’s painful). Do you know how many times I get texts from people who have cars that tell me, “I’m bored”? There is no reason to be bored in this state. New Jersey is a state with forests being protected by the Highlands Act from being developed in, with mountains to go hiking, a shoreline that expands throughout the east coast, and just across the state border we have two major cities: Philadelphia and New York City.
