It wouldn’t be a surprise if most of America has no clue about what is happening on the sidewalk in front of the White House.

Our main stream media would rather report on an 83 year old grandmother getting breast implants than the future of our own survival.  That’s right, Good Morning America sure knows what’s important.

When I was in College I joined 350,000 people on the Boston Common to protest the horrendous tragedy of our engagement in Vietnam. Before “imbedded media” we were able to witness the horrors of War every night on our Television sets. Direct visual exposure to that ugliness generated resistance. While I’m an advocate for beauty, perhaps we need to point the lens of our media into the heart of Tar Sands land, to raise awareness and motivate action.

When I look at the few hundred people showing up in Washington D.C. to protest for a clean energy future, and perhaps nothing short of the survival of our species, it’s difficult to maintain my optimism that we will wake up in time to stop the raping of our Earth for oil, coal and profit.

I’ve just returned to Boulder after attending a clean energy conference. The gathering was full of solutions and alternatives to our current energy policies and practices.  Daryl Hannah was interviewed in the lobby of the Hotel Jerome and this is what she had to say about her plans to head to the protest in Washington. She’s the real deal – she’s intelligent, knowledgeable, articulate, committed and passionate about protecting and conserving Nature and our precious Earth. She demonstrates time and again her genuine devotion to raising awareness and inspiring action.

FLASH UPDATE: as of September 2nd , nearly 1,000 people have been arrested on the sidewalk in front of the White House for expressing their right to freedom of assembly while protesting the Tar Sands Pipeline . When I looked at the police arrest records, it was full of “under the influence”, “trespassing” and other assorted misdeeds and misbehaviors, hence the title of my article. Daryl Hannah was indeed arrested along with Randy Hayes, the founder and Board member of Rainforest Action Network.

Bill McKibben, climate activist, was released from the central cell block a couple of days ago and posted this statement . The Tar Sands Action in Washington D.C. is designed to increase pressure on President Obama to deny the permit for a massive pipeline to be constructed from Alberta Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Bill McKibben is calling for company not sympathy.

This video puts it all into perspective for you, might even inspire you to buy a ticket and join in the fun. The civil disobedience action is on-going until September 3rd. Time to make more than the ground shake in Washington, doncha think?

If that doesn’t do it, here’s a humble story of a committed (and arrested) Canadian woman.

In 1963 it only took 53 protesters along with Dr. Martin Luther King  to focus attention on the struggle for human rights. Perhaps a few hundred in Washington D.C. can focus attention on our right to clean air and water. If you need any more inspiration read Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail.  I’d suggest our country would be more awake if this was required reading for every graduating high school senior.

Let’s trust music and art will continue to inspire us to strive for sanity and balance. A change is gonna come!

onward with courage,