The Ants Are Coming! The Ants Are Coming! Must-read: This email and the accompanying article from Jeremy Alderson concerning his adventure with a PA trooper who was sicced on him by the good neighbors at the Barto compressor station. Jeremy was writing the article and visited the station weeks ago. The PA trooper was investigating a complaint of trespassing against him. My beloved wife thinks maybe I shouldnt write this until Ive had a chance to cool down, but I am not going to express an opinion here, only state the facts. About a minute ago, I parted company with two state troopers who came to my door. One, the friendly one, was a NY State trooper. He really had nothing to do with this except as an escort for the other one who was a Pennsylvania state trooper/detective/investigator of some sort. The Pennsylvania trooper was here to investigate a complaint against me for trespassing. He wanted to know what I was doing at the Barto compressor station in Pennsylvania. I told him that I was a journalist doing a story and gave them both copies of my newspaper. Of course, I also gave them a lecture about the duty of citizens, including police, not to just go along with orders like in Nazi Germany or Stalins Russia, but that is beside the point. I pointed out that there was a fence at the Barto station with trespassing signs and that I never crossed that line, and if I felt I had done anything wrong, I would hardly have published a complete account of my visit in the newspaper. The PA trooper said that there were other trespassing signs before you got to the fence. I said I couldnt speak to that, as I wasnt there now to see them, but I acknowledged that someone had come out to tell us to leave and that we had left. The PA guy said that this was just an ordinary investigation and that the DA would decide whether or not to charge me. I said no, this wasnt an ordinary case. Who ever heard of sending a state investigator across a state border to investigate a brief alleged trespassing incident that had taken place weeks earlier with no allegation that we had done any harm to anyone or the facility. I looked at the NY trooper and said, Thats why we dont want fracking here, because this is how they act. I could go on detailing the exchanges, but the point is that this occurs at a time when the gas companies, having deservedly lost the battle for public opinion, are starting to sue their opponents and use their muscle to bully their critics into submission. I may soon be charged with a criminal offense in Pennsylvania for trespassing but really for being an honest journalist who tells the truth. Anyone who hasnt seen the paper and wants to read an account of our visit to the Barto compressor station can find it online at nofrackalmanac. Its in Volume Two Number Two with the cover line, Ripping the flesh off Pennsylvania.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 01:45:22 +0000
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