Direct action

Roland Micklem talks about the Senior Citizen’s march to end mountain top removal as part of a larger nonviolent direct action movement.

As anarchists and Christian radicals we are heirs to a long tradition of acting on our conscience, even when that act may cause us to violate the acceptable social or political guidelines of our time. From the struggle against slavery by African and indigenous people and their allies to the direct action of Dorothy Day, Ammon Hennecy and the Catholic Worker movement to the civil disobedience of the Civil Rights movement to the peace/anti-war witness of the Berrigans, Plowshares activists and Christian Peacemaker Teams, many Christians have been adept at having little regard for the laws of man when they conflict with the passions of our God who is Love.

There are many traditions we as Christians should shed. This is not one of them.

As civilization marches on more and more of creation is destroyed. In the United States alone 20 millions barrels of oil are burned each day. (1) From the wars fought to gain access to it, to the unions busted to extract it and the ozone layers destroyed burning it, it brings death. We must fight back. Over half of the worlds forests have been destroyed. We are are losing another 18 millions acres a year. Somewhere between 50% to 90% of the species on earth live here. (2) We are presiding over an genocide of as many as 30,000 species a year. (3) This must stop.

There is hope. There are individuals all over the world and in your back yard getting in the way. From 81 year-old Roland Micklem engaging in civil disobedience to protect the mountains of West Virginia to the crew of the Steve Irwin protecting the lives of our cetacean brothers and sisters from sensless slaughter. Below you will find a collection of links to other organizations who are involved in this very important work. May these resources inspire you to become involved.

Direct action

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