How to protest airport expansion

Here's one way to protest airport expansion in your backyard: climb a tree. Charlie Joyce, Jr has been hanging out in a civil war era oak tree that's too close to the Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina.

It looks like his family will end up losing the legal battle over the tree, but Charlie Jr is definitely winning the public relations war:

Thursday morning, supporters he didn’t know brought him Starbucks coffee, iced tea, granola bars and cinnamon rolls. In spirit, he’s not alone in that tree.
    Tania Lamarre stopped by with a friend Thursday afternoon to offer words of encouragement, calling Joyce “an amazing man.”
    “It’s just a beautiful thing,” she said.

Check out the comments from the local paper. Here's one of my favorites:

This action and unfeeling shown by the airport authorities makes me sick. I can't even sleep at night thinking about it and how a human being could be so cold and show no compassion at all for these old, old trees... I pray the airport officials will strive for a tiny bit of compassion and leave this one civil war era tree standing... PLEASE??? I am so proud of the Joyce children. God bless them and their Dad.
–paidy

Cinnamon rolls? People get really sentimental over trees! And sweet, college-educated, 2nd generation white kids. Compare this supportive response to the reaction that AJC commenters had to College Park residents protesting airport expansion.

Complaining about the noise is like complaining about flooding if you live in the flood plain of the Chattahoochee or Nancy Creek. Do your homework when you move.
–Eye B Talking

I would think that airplane noise would be an improvement over gunfire and rap music.
– TroothsayerTrot

Are you kidding me??? Residents who choose to live near an airport are complaining about the noise? huh???
The airport brings in money to ATL... the residents of that area only take money from ATL. Let those bottom feeders drown in the cesspool of their poor choices. First the school system falls apart and it's someone else's fault, now they want to cry about the airport?
– alohagator

Clearly, we should be treehugging instead of attending public hearings.

Comments

[shawn]

Clearly!

[Andrea]

Great!