Keep it Civil
On July 25, 2009, on the day that my Letter to the Editor in the Oneonta Daily Star was published, I got a call from a guy asking if I was Brian. When I said yes, he said, “How many acres do you own?”
I asked why he was asking, and he said, “I just want to know.”
I asked who was calling, and he said, “I just want to know how many acres you own.”
I asked him if he knew who he was calling, and he said, “Yes.”
I then asked if he would give me the courtesy of letting me know who was doing the calling.
In a flustered voice he said, “Just tell me how many acres you own.”
I told him I’d gladly have a conversation if I knew who I was talking to, and he hung up.
This is the not the typical kind of person we are dealing with. In the past, Otego has fought against putting a maximum-security juvenile prison in, and both sides were cordial and intelligent. It was a good way to get to know and appreciate your neighbors.
But the landmen and the gas lobbyists have done their best to dupe and “het up” some people. They are interests from out-of-state who think we are a bunch of hicks, and treat us like such. Unfortunately some have not seen through them. It is sad. Some of the same people who we are trying to protect from being bilked and abused are the ones who don’t understand how have an open and honest debate in order to understand the issue.
My neighbors anti-gas signs have been trashed from her yard. Other signs have been destroyed. Another neighbor has even been threatened on the phone. This is no way for neighbors to behave, and I am glad that most of the people on both sides are open to honest communication. They aren’t embarrassed to identify themselves, either.
“Argue hard, but argue fair”, seems to be a good way to go. It’s an American tradition to honor free speech. You can’t really respect or honor your own opinion, though, if you won’t identify yourself. You also aren’t respecting freedom of speech if you call to harass people.
As far as “how many acres” I have, that is a bogus and shameful argument. The caller assumed I made my decision based on money. That is not the case. It is based on the safety and heritage of the area.
Believe me, if the day ever comes when horizontal hydraulic fracking is safe, I’d sign up for it even if I had one square foot. I’m not against the money at all. But you have to use your head.
It’s not the “nuisance factor” either. I don’t think we should be against any and all inconvenience. We have to accept some sacrifices. But we are not talking about inconveniences here – we’re talking about a notoriously irresponsible industry, who will do anything to mislead people into believing something that is too good to be true.
As a note to any neighbors who have signed:
Look, I am totally not against anyone making money. I’d love it for all of us to get as rich as the guys who are trying to rip us off. But that’s the problem, they don’t tell the truth, and you know they came to lowball you. They lowball people so badly that “down” looks like “up” to them.
What the Landowners Coalitions are promising is pure pie-in-the sky, but it seems preferable compared to what the gas companies try to weasel out of us.
What they are offering is a false choice. Compared to cancer, tuberculosis seems preferable, too, but I don’t want either of them. Do you?
Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
15 responses so far
Brian,
The caller was a coward. He did not
have enough courage or self respect
to identify himself or to enter into a
rational conversation.
Why was he afraid to self identify?
I cannot answer that question, but
the best summary of this issue was
written by Lisa Wright. She sums up
the situation in 7 verses in her song
“Don’t Go Frackin” which is available
in an mp3.
DON’T GO FRACKIN’
Landman went to see old farmer Dan
Landman went to see old farmer Dan
Said, “Let’s sign a lease on all your land
Get all natural gas we can.”
Landman went to see old farmer Dan
Now farmer Dan is smarter than a fox.
He knows he’s got what the landman hasn’t got
He said, “I’ll sign your lease if it’s fair ‘n square
And you leave me plenty of clean water to spare.”
Farmer Dan’s got the landman in a box
He said, “Don’t go frackin’ ’round in my back yard
Don’t go frackin’ round in my back yard.
If you ain’t gonna keep my water clean
‘N try to pull a fast one on me
Then don’t go frackin’ ’round in my back yard.”
Landman said, “Now come on farmer Dan
Trust me, I’m an honest man.
Trust me, trust the EPA, trust the DEC
And trust my big gas company.
I tell you true I’m an honest man.”
So farmer Dan said, “Wait a minute son
I ain’t so keen on trustin’ anyone.
You gotta clean up any mess you make
Put back any old water you take
I ain’t so keen on trustin’ anyone.”
The landman had enough of this charade
Gulped down the last of Dan’s lemonade
He said, You don’t have a choice and this why
Compared to us your’re just small fry.”
He left and he cried, “We’ll take it anyway.”
Farmer Dan jumped up and off his chair
Made a vow to himself then and there.
“I’m gonna fight for what is right
Get some honest to goodness oversight
Force them little snakes to start dealing fair.”
Lisa Wright
Brian,
This is about MY life, MY land, and MY future! And, by the way, your letter was right on the mark!
We, too, have had an “anonymous” contact concerning gas drilling but refuse to
allow ourselves to be intimidated by these (as recently described in print) “shills” for the industry. Your caller demonstrated the lack of ethics and civility that is apparent among some folks on the “drill baby, drill” side of this issue. Residents in another corner of our county have also reported being subjected to intimidation and undue pressure by landmen.
I am unwilling to risk the health and safety of my neighbors for my own personal gain or for the benefit of corporate interests!
Maureen
Brian,
Your harasser was an out-of-towner for sure, but I expected them to be more sophisticated than they’re turning out to be. Anyone with an internet connection can find out how many acres you own, where they are, how much they’re assessed for, etc.
Of course, I’m in no hurry to streamline the landmen’s efforts…
Ron
Ron,
Actually, it was a local. Landmen are more savvy for sure, (but no more scrupulous) than the misguided neighbor who made the call.
It’s nice to know that most neighbors can hold an honest conversation, though.
- Brian
Very disturbing that you were treated that way by someone you believe is a local person. That kind of cowardly harassment is no discourse at all. Is this lack of civility rooted in the same kind of selfishness that would put a neighbor’s water at risk in order to make a buck?
It will be interesting to see if you get a rebuttal letter to the editor. Might be more revealing than you think. Like you said it’s not about how much land YOU own. We all have to live here and share the clean air, water and soil. It seems like a no brainer to me……
Making harassing phone calls and destroying other people’s signs is inexcusable. We’re all entitled to our First Amendment rights. Keep up the good work, Brian!
So, it’s coming down to this, high school vandal tactics in the small hamlet of Otego. Now the phone calls. Your ignorance in baring your own bravado to your friends I hope makes you feel like a very big man while the rest of you remain small. Your somewhat talent, expertise and energy can be better put to use by finding out why the opposition’s concerns are over water, environmental and real estate property going south including yours. Probably you don’t know enough of the subject matter to debate, ergo, the hang-up.
It is upsetting that certain individuals (landowner’s coalition members?) can freely express their views (signs, letters to the editor, posters, phone calls, etc.), but respond to others with differing viewpoints by vandalizing or stealing signs, making anonymous phone calls, writing condescending and often inaccurate rebuttals to letters appearing in the newspaper and using veiled threats. Bullying or trying to intimidate your neighbors isn’t the way to go.
In response to the above:
Second verse, same as the first.
Brian,
You handled the situation very well. I think you’re right that the caller is probably a local on the side of the “drillers”.
It’s a shame that even today, the environment, and more specifically your area and the sanctuary it provides–for people and nature alike–can be so quickly dispensed with in the name of energy. And it’s even more disheartening to see how easily some people, even neighbors perhaps, can be lured into such dubious prospects.
But it’s enlightening and encouraging to also see people like you, and others who have posted their comments, take on the gas company and defend their homes and their livelihoods–and poor old mother nature!
Rick
One thing we prize above all else: our right to express ourselves. But to keep this right we need to allow other people the opportunity to express themselves.
So – we need a return to civil discourse. We don’t see it in the House; we don’t see it in the Senate; now apparently we don’t see it in our own communities. Even last night at a CCE meeting I saw a couple folks, getting hot under the collar, engage in back-and-forth dialog that was reeling out of the range of civility and disrupting the meeting.
When a similar thing happened to me I figured out pretty easily who it was – and simply said “I can’t listen to anyone who won’t identify himself” and hung up. I have never told him that I know it was him. I enjoy watching him squirm now as he needs my alliance in another matter.
Oh well….
Brian – The moment that caller made it apparent that he wasn’t going to identify himself was also the moment that he made it obvious that he was not very mature and probably not very smart. I praise you for standing up for what you belive in and being willing to listen and discuss the subject with the opposition. I don’t know who called you but he acted cowardly. (Get a life jerk) It’s amazing what happens to people when that big green back dollar is flashed in front of their noses like a carrot in front of a race horse. I just hope that intelligent and civil discussions can proceed without further such interruptions. Best of luck from someone who believes in civility and the right to express his opinion.
Well, it seems as if overnight Otego, NY has morphed from “A Friendly Place” into an Intimidation Zone. Clearly, Brian, you and your argument have struck a nerve with some of the proponents of gas drilling, otherwise they wouldn’t lash out in such a clandestine and, dare I say, illegal fashion. Perhaps if they had a better argument, or indeed, any argument at all besides naked self-interest and unadulterated greed, they wouldn’t need to resort to such thuggish tactics, nor try to pressure public officials to fast-track widespread natural gas drilling across the state without any meaningful environmental safeguards or regulations in place.
Brian, I applaud your courage and your continuing efforts to educate the public on this issue. Know that you are not alone.
And a final note to any would-be “anonymous” callers out there: try reading up on the facts surrounding gas drilling, as well as the First Amendment rights that all, and not only some, of us have.
So, to review: Harassing anonymous phone calls= Bad and can be prosecuted
Caller Id and the right for everyone ot express their viewpoints in a
respectful manner= Priceless
If he were intelligent or sophisticated, he would have gone on the counties website and known exactly how many acres you have. It is public information. He is obviously not from a gas company. They have the money to find these things out without calling.
Brian sez:
Bob, I agree. And that’s a big “…if…”