Local groups staged two different rallies June 21 to illustrate their opinions of President Bush’s proposed energy policy.
The Bernalillo County Democratic Party organized a “Rolling Blackout for Bush” protest at the UNM Law School.
The event was part of a worldwide effort that was proposed on the Internet and spread through e-mail, with people around the globe turning off their electricity from 7-10 p.m. to emulate rolling blackouts to protest what they called Bush’s slow response to power problems in California.
About 50 people listened to a series of speakers and were entertained by gospel singers from the Morning Star Baptist Choir, bagpipes and acoustic musicians on the UNM Law School’s west patio.
“The idea behind this is simply symbolic,” said Cate Stetson, chairwoman of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party. “It’s not that we think that turning off electricity is going to give any more minutes of electricity to California but the point is that President Bush has put in place some generally archaic and fairly inappropriate energy policies.”
Jeremy Reynalds, Joy Junction founder and executive director, sponsored a counter demonstration the same night at the faith-based homeless shelter.
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“While people were wallowing in darkness, we had a celebration of light when we flooded the area with light and had an outside bible study as well as showed the bible on video,” Reynalds said. “Speaking on behalf of Joy Junction, we wanted to make a statement about the light and life of Jesus Christ helping people get back on their feet again.”
At the “Rolling Blackout for Bush,” Stetson said the White House policy offered little discussion concerning alternative energy sources, conservation of energy and the more efficient use and transportation of energy and that not much had changed in the last 20 years.
Mayor Jim Baca told the crowd that the Bush administration is all too willing to use public lands to procure energy sources.
“There was a flurry of announcements, the ink wasn’t even dry on the paper, before Bush was inaugurated, and they were already talking about going on our areas of public lands that could be drilled,” he said.
Baca urged New Mexico residents to be vigilant in their opposition to President Bush’s energy policies during the next three years.
“Let’s not let them drill the hell out of the West,” he said, as the crowd roared its approval.
Sharon Minor represented New Mexico Democrat Sen. Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, at the rally. She stressed the importance of shaping a comprehensive national energy policy that brings people together. Minor added Bingaman has proposed that Congress appropriate more funds for the low-income home energy assistance program to help New Mexico’s poor handle rising energy and fuel costs.
Reynalds said he found it ironic that the Environmental Protection Agency had issued a warning about the danger of using candles, but environmental groups ignored the warnings when planning protests.
“The Sierra Club was telling people to use candles,” he said.
Stetson said she didn’t understand the point of the counter-demonstration by Joy Junction.
“I don’t think they’re going to raise our bills anymore than I think our turning off the lights and electricity will lower them, but I think if they’re going to make a symbolic act, it’s sort of interesting that our symbolic act doesn’t cost as much as their symbolic act,” she said.
Reynalds defended the message behind Joy Junction’s event.
“I felt very strongly motivated to make a statement about the light of Jesus Christ lighting up for the homeless,” he said.
Brian Eagan, President of the College Democrats at UNM, said the “Blackout for Bush” was a statement from the people to the president.
“We disagree with your energy policy, we’re turning off the lights,” he said.
