UI Student, Moscow

University of Idaho Argonaut 11/1/11

I am writing to take to task the recent opinion piece written by Katy Sword. The views contained in her critical assessment of the value of protesting are not supported by facts and are typical of the anti-intellectualism rampant among a number of students at the University of Idaho.

The assertion that the protests have not accomplished anything other than “forcing local police to work overtime” is baseless. The protests in Moscow have garnered national attention. Bill McKibben, a well-known environmental activist, has cited the protests in Idaho as a sign of nation-wide opposition to the exploitation of Alberta’s tar sands. The legal battles and protests have also cost ExxonMobil money and successfully set back the project in Canada. These costs have given various stakeholders some bargaining power in seeking concessions from the oil company in its approach to the development of this resource.

Read more: Protesting is Essential