March on Zeb Mountain!
STOP STRIP MINING TENNESSEE’S WATERSHEDS!
This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children
will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet
land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of
the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom
ring!" Martin Luther King
This is a call from the Mountains of Tennessee to those who understand
the value of a living forest, clean water and a place to call
home. This is a call for you to take a Sunday out of your life to
help preserve some of the oldest watersheds on Earth. This is a call
not for any organization or group—but for the Mountains of Tennessee.
MARCH
July 20th at 1pm United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice and Three
Rivers Earth First! ask you to march with us for Appalachia. March with
us to defend the highland watersheds in which we all depend. March with
us to defend some of the oldest mountains on Earth.
March with us in solidarity against the watershed annihilation machine
known as mountain top removal. Currently in Tennessee strip mine
corporations are blowing up Tennessee highland watersheds for
short-term profit—meanwhile surrounding counties hold regional drought
commissions meetings.
http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2007/08/18/heat-drought-close-farmers-market/
You cannot drink coal!
ZEB MOUNTAIN
National Coal is the strip mine corporation blowing up the three peaks
of Zeb Mountain for the coal beneath. National Coal has a terrible
record of over 50 violations on Zeb Mountain—including one for
illegally mining through two streams. National Coal has wrecked the
watershed of Zeb Mountain—and the New River Watershed is next if we
don’t stop them.
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=8259449
SUNDQUIST WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
National Coal has bought over 75,000 acres in the nearby
Sundquist Wildlife Management Area and has the repeatedly stated
intention on increasing its rate of blowing up mountains in this
Watershed. Sundquist WMA is 84,000 acres of public access property
offering public hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, grouse, and
small game.
The Sundquist is a Watershed for the New River. The New River flows
into the Cumberland River which is Nashville’s drinking water source.
Some geologists have suggested that this is the oldest watershed on
Earth. National Coal is intent on blowing up a watershed that is one of
Tennessee’s state capitals sources of drinking water.
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/hunting/wma/sundquist/sundquist-wma.html
NATIONAL COAL STRIP MINE CORPORATION
National Coal suggests that they are not like the “bad mining practices
of the past.” National Coal says that they are a kinder gentler strip
miner. National Coal would have you ignore the 150 year history of
mining in Tennessee.
National Coal suggests that they are not like all of the bad evil
strippers in Kentucky, WVA, and South West Virginia. They shake their
heads at how bad it is there. National coal would have you ignore what
their industry is doing in the other states.
National Coal suggests that they can do a great job “improving” the New
River Watershed by blowing it up. National Coal would have you ignore
the incredible damage they have done to Zeb Mountain. They would have
you ignore your lying eyes.
March with us and stand up to these corporate bullies who with arrogant
almost colonialist swagger assume the right to blow up the watersheds
and mountains of Tennessee. Rocky top is our state song—not blown up
mountain top. Tourism is our number one industry—clear cutting and
blowing up mountains does not attract tourists.
MUSIC, MARCHING, ART AND ACTS OF CIVIL CONSCIENCE
March—and play music with us! Bring your banjo, fiddle, accordion—art
skills—what ever you have. If you can play music and march Tennessee’s
mountains need you!
I realized that before a people could be fit for offering civil
disobedience, they should thoroughly understand its deeper
implications. That being so, before restarting civil disobedience on a
mass scale, it would be necessary to create a band of well-tried,
pure-hearted volunteers who thoroughly understood the strict conditions
of Satyagraha. They could explain these to the people, and by sleepless
vigilance keep them on the right path. Gandhi
The March shall begin with a prayer in the parking lot before the
March. We shall march to the entrance of National Coals occupation of
Zeb Mountain singing and playing our instruments to the very gates of
what National Coal is turning into a vision of hell.
From there after a last prayer those who feel the call to walk down the
road and inspect the damage done by National Coal are invited to do so.
If you think that you are called to do this you must go through the
non-violence training the day before on Saturday. We are offering an
opportunity for non- violent civil acts of conscience for those who
understand the power of Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Henry David
Thoreau’s powerful examples.
I became convinced that non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral
obligation as is cooperation with good. No other person has been more
eloquent and passionate in getting this idea across than Henry David
Thoreau. As a result of his writings and personal witness, we are the
heirs of a legacy of creative protest. (Martin Luther King, Jr,
Autobiography)
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We are in a critical period where the banning of strip mining for coal
in Tennessee is in our grasp. The situation is complex with a series of
strange allies, non traditional friends and a coalition of people who
hunt, fish and love the mountains because god made them. As such we
have some suggestions to maximize the effectiveness of the march.
1. Bring an instrument—and learn how to play
“Rocky Top”—Tennessee’s state song. We are working on new lyrics.
2. Dress up! Yep—we want you to come in your
Sunday best. During the civil rights movement people wore suits and
ties all the time—so can we.
3. When all else fails wear orange! We are the
people of Tennessee and the song Rocky Top is about us, and so is the
color orange. Just by wearing orange you can show that you are from
Tennessee—and understand the importance of our mountains to our
heritage.
4. Respect. Show respect for the people who
drive by, for the people who live here, for the miners—for yourselves
and the people you organize with. There will be animal rights activist
and hunters, Christians and Atheist, Peace Activist and Military
Veterans at this march. Show respect for the mountains by showing
respect for the diversity of people that come to defend them.
5. Bring signs showing support for Tennessee’s
mountain heritage, watersheds and the Sundquist WMA. We need art,
banners, musicians and you. Especially you.
The organizations sponsoring this event are committed to nonviolence.
Please come, but come with the understanding that this march has a
specific focus with specific tactical goals. By participating in this
March you are agreeing to our non-violence guidelines and to follow the
direction of the organizers of this march. We have formed strong
alliances with non-traditional allies and it is important that we
maintain that trust beyond this single march.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
E-mail unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com for more information. You can
also call for more information at (865) 689-2778 or go to our Website
at unitedmountaindefense.org. Drop us a line if you’re planning on
coming—it makes logistics easier.
For the Mountains!
United Mountain Defense
unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com
unitedmountaindefense.org
(865) 689-2778