Another Reason to Listen to Your English Teacher

AP reports that the Public Utilities Commission will hold hearings on Transcanada's proposed oil pipeline across eastern South Dakota during the first two weeks of December [Chet Brokaw, "Commission Sets December Hearing on Proposed Oil Pipeline," Rapid City Journal, 2007.08.08]. The PUC is requiring all persons wishing to testify to submit written testimony ahead of time, apparently at the behest of Transcanada, whose Pierre lawyer, Brett Koenecke, argues (as Brokaw puts it) "the company has the right to know in advance what testimony will be presented so it can respond during the formal hearing." I assume pipeline opponents all will get a crack at Transcanada's planned testimony ahead of time as well.

The PUC is holding a separate public meeting to "hear nontechnical opinions from the public" for the benefit of those who "would not be comfortable writing formal testimony." Not comfortable writing? Come on, kids, we cover that in high school composition. See -- there's one more reason you should listen to your English teacher. Writing isn't just an academic exercise that you can leave behind once you finish that final term paper. Writing is an essential component to your ability to participate fully in the democratic process.

You can go to the PUC public meeting in December, stand up when it's your turn, and say, "I don't want no newfangled pipeline in my backyard," and be done. Or you can do some research, find some useful data on pipeline spills and environmental impacts, and write a solid two-page report to back up your formal testimony. You might not even have to hire a lawyer to do it for you. If you learn to write well, you open one more avenue of political action for yourself.

So be a patriot, a true small-d democrat: pay attention in English class! (And while you're at it, pay your English teachers more money, too!)