Third Party Candidate Jill Stein Arrested at Keystone XL Pipeline Protest

By JG Vibes
intellihub.com
November 2, 2012

Third party presidential candidate Jill Stein has been arrested for the second time in the past month, this time for joining the protests that are taking place in Texas surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline.

According to reports,  Jill Stein was arrested while attempting to resupply protesters who were camping out in trees.

These protestors were assembled to protect the private property of  individuals who are having their land stolen by government and corporate entities.

The Tar Sands Blockade activists said she was released soon after being taken to the Wood County jail in Quitman, TX.

“Dr. Jill Stein has been released from Wood County Jail on a Class B Misdemeanor Criminal Trespass charge,” the group’s website stated.

A handful of protesters had been in the trees for days, planning to prevent construction from beginning on this end of the pipeline.

According to the local news station that first covered this protest:

“Earlier this month, actress Daryl Hannah and a 78-year-old great-grandmother were arrested for trespassing on land in Wood County that had been condemned for use as easement for the proposed pipeline.

In late August, two women and five men were arrested in Polk County for trespassing on private property to protest the Keystone pipeline.”

What this mainstream article neglects to mention is that the owner of this property was actually the 78 year old grandmother that was arrested alongside Daryl Hannah.

Yeah, that’s right, she was arrested for protesting on her own property, and speaking out against a giant construction project that was planned on her property without her consent.

Not only was the project planned on her property without her consent, but she was also forcibly evicted in the process, as were all of her neighbors and anyone else who stood in the way of this project.

One of the most effective propaganda campaigns that the government has going for them is the idea that it is somehow their job to protect the environment.

This is said to be accomplished by punishing those who damage the environment.  However, situations like this give a much clearer view of reality.

In this case and in most others, individual private property holders are actually personally invested in the land, thus they have a greater incentive to actually take care of the property and be conscious of the environment.

With the Keystone XL pipeline we see how the government is actually taking property away from people who would treat it well and placing it in the hands of people who will undoubtedly disrespect it.

Without the strong arm of the government to expropriate the property, the company TransCanada who is building this pipeline would be forced to directly negotiate with these property holders themselves or offer them fair deals in return for their property.

Beings that most of these people have so much personal history invested in this land, the majority of them would refuse to negotiate, making the construction of this pipeline completely impossible.

Sadly, politicians have no problem negotiating with other people’s property, so they can be lobbied to use the guns of government to expropriate land on behalf of a third party.

The process of homesteading, preservation and government land grabs is something that I discussed in detail in an older article for those of you who might be curious about natural rights property acquisition.

Last month Jill Stein was arrested for trying to gain access to presidential debate.

Stein and her running mate Cheri Honkala attempted to enter the debate hall at Hofstra University, but were refused entry by police because they lacked credentials, even though they are qualified candidates who are on the ballot in most states.

Personally, I have many disagreements with Jill Stein’s policies, as I do with just about every single politician to hold office, so this is certainly not an endorsement of her or anyone.

As many of you know I advocate nonviolent and nonpolitical means of achieving peace and freedom.

However, I can still appreciate her courage and activism, and commend her for helping these people to defend their private property.

*****

Read more articles by this author HERE.

J.G. Vibes is the author of an 87 chapter counter culture textbook called Alchemy of the Modern Renaissance, a staff writer and reporter for The Intellihub and host of a show called Voluntary Hippie Radio. 

You can keep up with his work, which includes free podcasts, free e-books & free audiobooks at his website www.aotmr.com