The Spirit of the Day

I have been a pretty quiet supporter of the Native Americans ever since I was a child. I have been fascinated with the culture as well as the nature-based spirituality and faith of those in the Native American communities. This interest has extended to indigenous peoples from all over the globe and how their oneness with nature has inspired me. This isn’t something that has come out only recently given what I have read online about the North Dakota Access Pipeline issue and the strength and perseverance of the various tribes, the environmentalists, and their supporters. It has actually been present for a very long time. It is for that reason that I have an opinion about it as well as about which people are the oppressors and which people are the oppressed.

It is my view that the protesters are the ones who are being silenced. Instead of selling out to the highest bidder, these brave warriors are trying to preserve sacred lands and protect the future of not only their people, but for anyone who must use the Missouri River as a source of drinking water. To me, this is an outrage because water is what sustains life. If you do not believe me just ask the good people of Flint, Michigan how they’re fairing right now.

The Native American people understand that there is a deep and binding connection between humanity and the planet. They understand that it sustains life and clean water is a necessary part of that. Nature is perceived in the very fashion as a house of worship would be regarded; it stands at the center of the community and is considered sacred. To desecrate their livelihood by robbing them of their land and water is akin to the thievery that embodies American history. The relationship that my ancestors had with the Native cultures has been less than stellar, in fact, it has been downright criminal. The powerful have used every underhanded trick imaginable to cheat and rob them of that which is most precious to them; their land.

The pipeline is just another example of how the weaker people are being exploited by the powerful. This is elaborated upon by corruption and misinformation. The game of ‘good cop bad cop’ has been played to the hilt by a media that wishes only to keep the populace ignorant. The fact seekers and truth tellers are being insulted and criminalized for calling out the collusion and ‘tick for tack’ politics that are being played out. In essence the true criminals are those who take whatever dirty money they can get and then turn around and attempt to silence the opposition.

People are now beginning to ask questions and the rich and powerful do not like it. Clearly, the questions are too damaging to their power grabs and their beloved status quo. No one wants their power depleted and the events playing out in the political arena show how some of the most influential would resort to just about anything to maintain their control over the masses.

This is specifically why voting in the election is so vital.

As an American abroad, I feel that it is fundamental to vote for a leader who understands the natural calamities that are taking place throughout the country and the world because of money in politics. Even if Dr. Jill Stein does not win, I am giving her my voice because I have a conscience and I am going to heed my principles.

Let me make myself very clear. I will voice my opinion here but will never tell others who to vote for; I will simply say vote. People have to do their own research and find in their heart of hearts what is important. I cannot spoon feed that to you, your values may not be my values.

Since this is my blog, I will say what I think about the current state of things and how I believe a lot of what is happening ties back to what is going on in North Dakota. I will also say that I believe that third party is the way to go. Bernie Sanders said ‘it’s not the person, it’s the platform’. I agree. Dr. Stein’s platform coincides with Bernie’s platform, so this is why she is getting my vote. If I vote out of fear, then I will be compromising my principles and end up looking hypocritical. I cannot justify doing that.

Early on, I got verbally abused by Trump supporters who publicly bashed me for being a Bernie Sanders supporter. Then after the primaries were stolen from Senator Sanders, I was being told that I should vote ‘the lesser of two evils’ as a means of persuading me to cast my vote for Hillary Clinton over Jill Stein. The questions that I raise are: ‘Who is really the lesser of two evils? Is it the candidate with the ‘big, fat, stupid mouth’ (as quoted often from HA Goodman), or is it the candidate who knowingly allowed voter fraud and suppression to happen out in the open and did absolutely nothing to stop it?’ If you can convince me without saying ‘at least it’s not Trump’ or ‘at least it’s not Clinton’, then I’m sorry, that’s not a convincing argument for a progressive who believes that they are both equally bad.

I wholeheartedly believe that voting for either the Republicans or the Democrats in the Presidential Election would mark disaster for the environment. Donald Trump denies climate change even exists, yet he goes down to Louisiana and sits around watching as it sinks into the ocean. Clinton’s support of ecology is only strong if it does not step on the toes of her corporate ‘owners’. Even these highly boasted ‘tight regulations’ on fracking mean absolutely nothing if a community is left suffering because their water has been contaminated by ‘Chemical X’. Her stance regarding the TPP could change like the wind and this is nothing more than selling out workers and the environment for the sake of protecting its corporate authors. Strictly from an environmental standpoint, these are two of the most disastrous candidates I have ever seen.

Additionally, neither of the two party candidates have said or done anything to even persuade me to their side. Not just on the issue of climate change; but also on many other issues as well. One has spoken overly using racism, misogyny, and xenophobia in his stump speeches, while the other has demonstrated through callous actions abroad that human life holds little merit given decisions she made as Senator and later as Secretary of State.

As a young person, I remember how the people were told that the media was censored in the Soviet Union and being told that people were being led like sheep to the slaughter by the propaganda machine there. Somehow, I think that the same can now be said for 2016 America. How insane is it that I used to believe that Fox News was the only place that uses misinformation to coerce people into believing or thinking the worst about the other side? Now I realize that all of mainstream media is doing it. Their over the top reporting about the yahoos in Oregon in January versus their silence during the plight of the Sioux in North Dakota are case in point to their biases and unscrupulous brand of reporting.

While the Sioux Nation prays for nature and environmental relief by standing up for what is right, I am left to ponder how long their prayers will hold out. Will the establishment press, corporations, and politicians ever discover what it means to have a conscience? Will they recognize something that most of us already know; that water is a vital and precious commodity and more valuable than the almighty dollar?

Sadly, I don’t see that happening for a long, long time. So, like the Sioux Nation, I will continue to pray.