kim_harding ✅Jul 26, 2024

Sentence for driving while banned after killing six people: 150 hours unpaid work, 12 months supervision and a restriction of liberty order for four months between the hours of 7pm – 7am. https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-bin-lorry-crash-driver-12828178

Sentence for planning to stop traffic in a peaceful protest trying to save the world: four years in prison.
https://theconversation.com/why-courts-favour-cars-not-the-climate-234535

These sentences are the wrong way around, there is something very wrong with the UK.

#FuckCars #ClimateEmergency #NoJustice

Why Glasgow bin lorry crash driver Harry Clarke was not jailed over new charge

The 60-year-old was caught driving without a licence just nine months after the tragedy which claimed six lives. We explain why he was not jailed at Glasgow Sheriff Court today.

Glasgow Live
Show threadDavid Cantrell 🏏Jul 26, 2024
@kim_harding I have no opinion about the lorry driver and I've not read the article, but the enviro-hippies all had previous convictions for related crimes, and clearly scoffed at suspended or short sentences and community service. Their sentences, at least, seem reasonable.
Show threadAral Balkan
@DrHyde @kim_harding Enviro-hippies? Dude, they’re trying to save your habitat. I mean talk about opening your mouth and removing all doubt…
Jul 26, 2024 at 12:18pmWeb
Show threadJenniferJul 26, 2024
@aral @DrHyde @kim_harding I have not been following this story, but I've never understood why protestors use blocking traffic as a tactic. It just pisses off a lot of people potentially on your side.
Show threadarceuthobiumJul 26, 2024
@Jennifer @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding they are not, in fact, potentially on your side.
Show threadJenniferJul 26, 2024
@theothersimo @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding uh yeah they are. If protestors blocked the road and made me late for a doctor's appointment, or anything else I would be highly annoyed even though I'm definitely want our governments to get off their collective asses and really do something serious about the climate emergency. Ditto for the people vandalizing art and monuments. Not all publicly is good publicity.
Show threadZoidberg For PresidentJul 28, 2024
@Jennifer @theothersimo @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding If it makes people like you mad then mission accomplished!
Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬJul 29, 2024
@Jennifer A very late comment, but: I think it would be good to read up a bit more about how / why they protest (not opinion pieces condemning them), cause among other things the vandalization has afaik never caused permanent harm (Stonehenge was doused with coloring that washed right off, and paint attacks is done to paintings with protective glass).
Yes, it would suck being stuck in traffic due to a protest. It would suck even more to be stuck in traffic due to climate change induced flooding.
Show threadJenniferJul 29, 2024
@Mabande I already know all about those groups and their strategies. I'm involved in climate change orgs where I live and we try to work with and educate local governments and local people to sway them to our side, not piss them off. I knew the Stonehenge paint washed off but I can't tell you how many people I talked to who were infuriated by that and said climate change activists are all radical weirdos who nobody should support. Not very helpful.
Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬJul 29, 2024
@Jennifer The unfounded* anger at the radicals will as you noted spill over on the reformists, which makes your work more of a struggle.
So if you know the facts you can help yourself by explaining to the angry ones that they've been hoodwinked into believing that the actions destroyed things. Explain why they're doing it, and while you don't condone their actions, they at least try to cause no harm.
__
* Maybe "well funded by fossil fuel lobbyists" would be a more precise way of expressing it.
Show threadDavid S (inactive)Jul 30, 2024

@Mabande @Jennifer the point is there wouldn't be "angry ones" without these disruptive actions, thus making persuasion an much quicker/easier job.

That said, 4 years for thought crimes is just plain wrong

Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬJul 30, 2024
@Pionir @Jennifer The quote "A protest that doesn't disrupt anything is just a parade" comes to mind, cause just informing's done a bang up job, hasn't it? We're on track to halving emissions by 2030 and capping warming at 1.5°C just fine, right?
If you don't want to correct the misinformed you can play into their fears: what will the radicals do when they're met with draconian punishment and no policy change?
…
Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬJul 30, 2024

@Pionir @Jennifer … Simply put:
Let climate mitigations seem like the better option to the alternative "radicals turning away from saving the world to avenging it" (cause honestly, that's where some of them are headed, and I only hope they'll choose their targets well and not just lash out).

And by the way: the angry ones will always be angry at something, no matter how milquetoast or important it is. If it's a change they don't instantly like or understand, it just shouldn't exist.

Show threadJenniferJul 30, 2024
@Mabande @Pionir oh yeah I agree that any jail time for this is absolutely wrong. I have been working on issues like this for a very long time and am creeping into the pessimist camp. As long as fossil fuel companies, and big business generally (AI!), are allowed to do whatever they want there's no stopping basically destroying the earth. And voting has not helped. That's a major reason I don't have kids.
Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬAug 1, 2024
@Jennifer @Pionir I'm sorry for the long response time, but I've been trying to get some structure to what I want to convey (don't know how well I'll manage, though).
One reason for me to not fall into pessimism is the radicals: they represent hope against what seems like overwhelming odds and people who are out to completely destroy them, and they're putting their lives at risk while taking care to not hurt anyone (or even anything).
And they can move the needle.
…
Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬAug 1, 2024
@Jennifer @Pionir … There's a group here whose name translates to "Restore Wetlands" whose goal is in the name and method is just to poke at the public eye so hard that everyone will know the name, and through that they've made their core issue a part of the national discussion and seen political action taken.
They haven't destroyed anything, the police have falsely accused them of obstructing ambulances, they've been prosecuted for sabotage (another overreach), and angry people hate them, but …
Show threadL'égrégore André ꕭꕬAug 1, 2024
@Jennifer @Pionir … they've caused no harm, got results, and while public opinion is that they're bonkers, public opinion's also in favor of restoring wetlands.
There is hope.
Maybe slim, and not one to gamble potential kids' futures on (so believe me: I'm not trying to change your mind on that, and you said there were other reasons too), but there's hope that things might be saved.
Show threadJenniferAug 2, 2024
@Mabande @Pionir I think that's great, I'm glad they're having some success! A Tyson chicken factory farm was built on my street last year, right on top of a wetland. I teamed up with some hard core Trump supporters in my community to try to stop it, but our state and federal agencies give priority to big business. It was kind of my last straw for hope for real change.
Show threadjan Anja();Jul 28, 2024
@Jennifer @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding what neoliberalism has done to you so you can't tolerate even a little of good ol' sabotage?
Show threadJenniferJul 28, 2024
@cybertailor @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding having friends and family who can't miss critical doctors appointments
Show threadjan Anja();Jul 28, 2024
@Jennifer @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SadisticChoice
Sadistic Choice - TV Tropes

This is a situation in which a character is presented with a choice, any outcome of which causes something bad to happen. It could be a hostage situation wherein, if one victim is saved, the other(s) die; or it can be a choice to save one's loved …

TV Tropes
Show threadZoidberg For PresidentJul 28, 2024
@Jennifer @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding if you try to drive over such protestors you never were an ally to begin with but part of the issue.
Show threadJenniferJul 28, 2024
@ZoidbergForPresident @aral @DrHyde @kim_harding oh go away. I would never drive over someone.