There were a few lines from the movie Bidder 70 that stuck with me when reflecting on the activist Tim DeChristopher and his story. DeChristopher frustrated me as a character when I was watching the film, as at many times I felt as though he was a bit of a martyr. The beginning seemed irritatingly centered around him rather than the cause or the circumstance, which was probably the intention of the director. Still, something felt off about this presentation. Despite the few nuanced things that frustrated me through close inspection, the overall movie drove me to feel empowered and intrigued in environmental activism work. At the end of the movie, it is noted that while none of the business owners that participated in the unlawful auction were reprimanded, whereas, a “kid” (DeChristopher) was sent to prison for standing up for what he believed in. This line resonated with me greatly, and I felt anger towards our system and the way people with money and resources can escape the demands of the law. Even thinking of how much worse this would have been if DeChristopher was a person is even more frustrating. His action came from love, which is different than the action that came from industrial, monetary intentions which is just for personal and business gain. That is the most frustrating aspect for me; our society places more value on superficial and corrupt intentions and actions than it does actions that come from an honest and genuine intention. As questioned in the movie, since when did a desire and action for hope become a crime?
Another point stressed in the film is the fact that DeChristopher’s action was for the sake of humanity, not even for the planet or environment necessarily. Even those who don’t care about the environment and preserving it should pay attention and care because it’s important for our future generations. DeChristopher states this simply: it is not about the planet… it is about saving human lives. While I feel a little unsettled by this statement because I think we should act for the state of our planet because we are guests on this earth, I think that this is a tough statement that even the most adamant people against climate change should listen to. It’s for our children, for their children, and for all the children after them.
