Shell Oil and Ken Saro-Wiwa

In 1995 Ken Saro-Wiwa has sentenced to death by hanging by a military tribunal in Nigeria. Wiwa was an activist, author, and political figure who was actively working to protect the Ogoni people from exploitation at the hands of multinational oil companies and a corrupt government. There has been an ongoing set of lawsuits against Shell (accused of being directly involved with the killing of 9 activists) which were supposed to have taken place on the 26th of last month but have been postponed. I just read this article in the NY Times--it gives a good idea of what kind of man Ken Saro-Wiwa was and how important this trail is. Shell most likely worked hand in hand with murderers and fascists to protect profits and they continue to use highly destructive methods of extracting the oil they sell. A couple of years ago it seemed as if people in this country were getting wise to the oil problem but that slipped away. Nearly every car I see contains one person, the auto industry is crumbling, and still tax payers vote against public transit---I cannot help but be reminded of the Dead Kennedy's: Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. I realize that sometimes people are going to drive alone or that sometimes it is just too gross out to ride a bike but there are serious consequences to the way we lead our lives. Knowledge is for action--if we know about the problems it is our responsibility to act differently.