Friday, June 28, 2013

Tim DeChristopher and Our Upside-Down Punishment Priorities

Wall Street bankers crashed the global economy. Not a single one was put on trial, never mind sent to prison. Not one, not for a day.

Climate activist Tim DeChristopher pranked one oil and gas leasing auction as an act of civil disobedience. Despite the Interior Department subsequently canceling those leases saying they had been rushed into auction with insufficient environmental and scientific review, authorities decided to make an example of DeChristopher. He was sent to prison for 21 months and is now serving an additional three years of probation.

DeChristopher told his story to +Late Show with David Letterman this week:

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