Humanitarian Progression

When we look past the source, feel the cause and try to understand the misconception, injustice or reason and focus on the actions of the people involved, all that can possibly be seen is a horrible wrong. Try as I might, I cannot fathom why is it not being seen or felt.

Americans have been dumbed down so heavily by the media and corporate dictatorships that we seem to no longer see what is being done, even when what is being done is sprayed in our faces. Each morning we wake to hear of another mass shooting, making us numb to the horrendous brutality that has developed into a daily event in our lives. We look at it as trivial and let it become so distorted that the solution and answer from the non-thinkers is a meaningless bandage, or retreating to a quite room with a lit candle listening to a soft voice telling you that it’s alright. We, as Americans, are a strong leading nation, no more.

Corruption, materialistic gain and the want of the latest hand held device are the only battle cry now. Strength is not about brutality; it is about affirmative action and caring. It’s about loving our fellow man and distributing random acts of kindness.

I look at history and see the teeth of attack dogs and water cannons spewing high-pressure water released on people. The black and white images are still as shocking now as they were when they were recorded. Now, I see them again in disbelief that the masses, the people here in the, “Good ol’ U.S. of A,” are not taking notice. Is it because these disgraces are taking place on the reservations, the third world countries within the borders of the United States? Are the color images being posted on the Internet not graphic enough for a 30-second attention span? What does it take to pull our attentiveness away from sports, sport figures, or a paparazzi catching the flash of a scantly clad female celebrity stepping out of a limo?

I feel disgust, hurt, disbelief and empathy for the human race. No mater what the reason and beliefs of either side, what is taking place at Standing Rock is morally wrong. We should not do this to our fellow human beings. No one can look at the mercenary security forces and police using mace, water cannons and rubber bullets on, for the most part, peaceful protesters and see anything that could closely resemble being right.

Whichever side you stand on, or whatever you believe is right or wrong, can you not look at this situation and not see it is a sinful injustice? This is not the way that we a so-called proud Americans treat other human beings.

Can no one see or care about the human rights that are being violated? Is it going to take massive bloodshed and carnage for someone to intervene and find a compromise that puts an end to the situation that is boiling over in our own backyard?

All that I can see from the big picture is that America, the country that I love, has lost any resemblance of leadership that is of the people, by the people and for the people. All that is left are corporations boldly and openly controlling the ways of man for a profit, as they leave a wake of human annihilation in their paths. - dbA

As this issue of the Contributor was in pre-press, The Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for the construction of a key section of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The decision essentially halts the construction on the 1,172-mile oil pipeline located about half a mile south of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

What concerns me, though this editorial piece is about human rights violations, is the pipeline really stopped? We are still within the Obama administration. What needs to be recognized is that the Dakota Access LLC, is a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), which owns the largest and most diversified energy assets in the United States. ETP now has a “Trump card” moving into the White House.

Donald Trump’s financial disclosure forms show he invested in Energy Transfer Partners, and its CEO, Kelcy Warren donated to Trump’s campaign. Trump is therefore indirectly linked to Dakota Access, a $3.8bn pipeline development that will funnel oil from North Dakota to Illinois. President Elect Donald Trump has always been verbally free with his support of the Dakota Pipeline. - dbA