Greenpeace Banner Challenges Congresswoman Herseth-Sandlin… “Be a Leader, Not a Politician”. She Refuses.

Thursday, 09 July 2009 20:33

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Written by Sam Hurst

Greenpeace banner waves in the Mt. Rushmore breeze

kay, I admit it. When I saw the YouTube video of the Greenpeace banner waving in the breeze on Mount Rushmore, I smiled. I realize that's not a very sophisticated political statement, but the direct action idealism of the Greenpeace mountain goats sparked my own long dormant idealism, and made me smile. I imagined my two children (about the same age) repelling down the rocks above Lincoln's head, terrified and giddy with adrenaline. It wouldn't be the worst thing for a parent to bail young idealists out of jail.

I don't wish any harm to a Ranger in hot pursuit of the terrorists, and I think Greenpeace should pay for any lock they broke sneaking to the launch site. I'm glad that authorities at the Memorial reported that all security procedures worked as planned...but I still smiled. It's 2009. Can you even say, "Right On!" anymore?

I probably would have left it at the smile, but our own Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin just had to go and spout off by telling the Associated Press that the action was a "dangerous publicity stunt". She described the escapade as "outrageous" and speaking on behalf of all 70-year-old conservative fuddy-duddies, she concluded that the banner had "harmed the visitor experience" at Mt. Rushmore. Harmed it? The fogged-out fireworks harmed the visitor experience. Tourists will be talking about the banner for years. It just got under my skin that Congresswoman Herseth-Sandlin considers herself the arbiter of what is a good experience for tourists at Mt. Rushmore. Her attitude is a little too proprietary.

When I first read Stephanie's comments my thoughts ran to the petty: "Stephanie, were you born a timid old person?" "Stephanie, have you ever in your life taken a risk for something you believed in?" "Stephanie, have you ever said anything that wasn't politically calculated?"

This week the Congresswoman asked us to return her to Congress. She has just been appointed to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. But it occurs to me that she has been so amped up with mock outrage that she never bothered to read the banner: "America Honors Leaders, Not Politicians. Stop Global Warming." I would feel a lot more comfortable giving her my vote if she showed as much passion and outrage about the problem of global climate change as she does about the Greenpeace trespassers.

And...come to think of it...at the same time that Greenpeace was scaling the mountain I was exploring the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands with a team of grasslands ecologists from the Forest Service and Badlands Park. We were looking for exotic, invasive weeds that are wrecking the native ecosystem and the economic productivity of the range. Talk about trespassers! The Grasslands don't have the pizzazz that Mt. Rushmore has, but if Congresswoman Herseth-Sandlin wants to be outraged about outsiders "harming the visitor experience", she should put on some hiking boots and take a tour of our degraded grasslands, then show a little outrage and earmark funding to heal the land.

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Heather: ...

I hope Greenpeace knows there are in fact many of us out here who support their in-your-face tactics. I received some great replies from friends all over the country to whom I sent the YouTube link; one even said she was so inspired she's considering a donation to Greenpeace. I'm thankful there are people who are willing to risk a hefty fine and jail time to get an important message to the populace, because I'm not one of them. I am, however, one of many who'd like to see the wildest parts of Buffalo Gap National Grassland permanently protected. Thanks, Sam, for this opinion piece!

July 10, 2009

Snakebite: Bicycle Advocate http://www.lifebikin.blogspot.com/

I’ve challenged The Steph on something similar. I’ve yet to get a response.

My initial contact is HERE. Her response is HERE. And my follow up, which has not been responded to, is HERE.

Personally, I’m a registered Independent. Though I loathe Rethuglicans and voted for The Steph in the last election, I’ll likely vote for someone else in the next election if I feel they are up to showing leadership beyond their next election.

July 10, 2009

B. Knight: ...

While I applaud Greenpeace in these efforts, and their idealism (I remember doing some direct action myself when I was younger) I hesitate to give Greenpeace full accolades. Anytime you have a movement that does a publicity stunt like this, often times the publicity (whether good or bad) leads to more followers (which is what they want). The problem is that while Greenpeace is spot on with many issues, they are also miles away with many other issues, despite hard phsical evidence to the contrary (I am personally thinking nuclear power right now, a whole different debate). The greenpeace movement has become a political movemement vice a "Save the Earth" or more accurately "Save the People" movement that has fallen into the trap of politics vs. actually getting something done. When I have time, I will post links to facts to back up my claims.

July 10, 2009

Juliette: Thank you

Hi,
I work at Greenpeace International (I write as an individual here though, not as an employee), and would like to thank you for writing this. We got a lot of positive feedback from this action, but also a few idiots who said they wished our friends up there had fallen off. We know we're not standing alone on this, but it's always nice to see it in writing.

Juliette

July 10, 2009

Eric Z.: The Audacity of a (Potential) Choke

I understand the inestimable benefit to Greenpeace's advertising department that such an audacious protest event has provided. I agree with their intent to spread awareness of global climate change, and appreciate the magnanimity with which the principle actors in the scheme executed their mission and will now face the wrath of the federal judicial system. If you look closely you may even notice the wiley old bust of Jefferson smirking, ever so slightly, on that sunny afternoon.

That being said . . . perhaps my generation is a bit too disconnected with the glory days of civil protest in the past half century, but I find it difficult to agree with the mechanism by which Greenpeace and Co. chose to get their point across. It's not that Mt. Rushmore was a bad location (in fact, it was a brilliant one), nor am I overly concerned with the damage laid to the "visitor experience" of the day. It's that hanging a banner several hundred feet above the ground requires an incredibly well-planned operation coupled with an execution of great dexterity. In this case, both the climbers and the law enforcement officers involved returned unscathed from the event -- but that very easily could not have been the case. Every press statement I've heard from Greenpeace underscored the experience of the climbers selected and their meticulous planning which began months in advance -- this at least shows sufficient prescience on their (boss's) part. The slightest deviation from their plan, however, could have ended in severe injury or, more likely, instantaneous death for someone on that mountain. As a recreational climber, I understand that a bit of calculated risk and cajones go with the territory, but to potentially force the Rushmore Rangers up the faces in either pursuit or rescue (in the event of a mishap) of the protesters was foolish, if not criminally negligent. Audacity, by definition, requires a bit of recklessness. However, a political issue should not, until all other options have been exhausted, exact harm upon any human, especially one whose profession is to protect the citizens around them.

The observation deck (you know, the one where everyone you've ever taken to Rushmore had their picture taken) would have been a wonderfully photogenic and well populated area to place a protest banner. Or how about the stage at the end of the ampitheater? Clearly the G-Peacers had no problem entering retricted areas . . . they could have hung their banner across the big screen on the stage where it would have been similarly difficult for the Rushmore staff to remove, allowing for maximum media exposure without forcing anyone to walk such a fine, life-threatening line.

I'm all for civil disobedience, and even more for awareness and action on the climate change front. All I'm saying is that when the original American practitioners of civil disobedience chose to protest, they dumped a Tyrant's tea peacably and poignantly into Boston Harbor. What they didn't do was risk innocent lives by blowing up the ship whose cargo they were after.

July 11, 2009

Max Beshara: Billy Goat Pride

Late Wednesday night I received a text from Josh Reed stating that there was some kind of banner hanging on Mt. Rushmore and I had to watch the Youtube video. I swiftly looked it up and watched the video of the valiant rock climbers struggling to anchor their banner adjacent to Lincolns face, repeatedly, over and over again. I felt inspired and my Billy goat pride began swelling. I showed everyone I knew this Youtube video. Most everyone watched it and laughingly said “cool.” To me it is beyond cool. It is a statement meant to inspire. According to the title you have given this article our congresswomen does not share the same feeling. This is unfortunate. If you end up outside of the courthouse with a picketing fence reading “Free the Greenpeace Climbers” be sure to give me a call. I will stand side by side with you.

July 12, 2009

brian: ...

This act was nothing short of brilliant! It is the right cause, the right moment and definitely the right place. Some guy who calls himself a climber complains about the danger of the stunt? Pleeze! Aside from getting batted around by the wind, there was little danger. I doubt if any of those guys were giving second thoughts to their rigging once over the edge. Nor would the rangers have sweated it if they were to do the same. The real danger is not doing anything. To the untrained, rappelling down a cliff is risk taking but to those of us who know better, it's just transportation once bomber anchors are in place. I trust, in this case, there was no question.

Bravo, Greenpeace, keep it up!

July 13, 2009

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Written by Sam Hurst You are reading Greenpeace Banner Challenges Congresswoman Herseth-Sandlin… “Be a Leader, Not a Politician”. She Refuses. articles