I attended the preview
of the documentary Bidder 70. This documentary centers on the actions of Tim
DeChristopher. This film related to our discussions of civil disobedience and
community organizing as a means of peaceful protest. DeChristopher was legally
charged for bidding on land that was in the process of being auctioned to Oil
and Gas companies in Utah. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison for his
actions and this particularly struck me, as huge conglomerate companies often
get away with much more destructive crimes, such as the BP Oil Spill, and get
little to no prison time. DeChristopher saw something extremely important to
him, the natural environment in Utah, being threatened and decided to act. He
began his protest on his own, but through public awareness, like the
documentary Bidder 70, his movement is being supported worldwide.
This documentary related to our
workshops in class specifically addressing the role of women’s non-violent
direct action movements. We discussed the non-violent movements of women’s
groups, such as silent vigils and the group Women in Black. One of the most
important thoughts I gained form this discussion was the realization that, men
use women’s bodies, so women are entitled to use them in protest. Whether
through sit-ins or picket lines, using our bodies can be a empowering experience
that. One of the ideas we deliberated about was the effectiveness of the Women
in Black. Like DeChristopher’s method of protest, it can be hard to see the
immediate effects or any real changes in policy. However, both methods of
protest bring much needed attention and awareness to their projects. It is ‘planting’
the idea in people’s mind, even if it’s just for a moment, raising awareness is
a considerable obstacle to creating change. Similar to DeChristopher’s mode of
protest, the Women in Black and other non-violent women’s movements have
strength in their simplicity and the ability for everyone to participate.
Watching the documentary and
reflecting on the women’s movements made me think of one of my favorite quotes:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizen can change
the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead
-Erika W.
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