This Is What Democracy Looks Like!
Photos of a small town protest in front of a Big Oil corporation by A. J. Matthews. “Non-Alternative Facts” supplied by C. A. Matthews.
With the wind, slush and damp, it was well below freezing. However, the protestors came out in numbers to make some noise in support of the Standing Rock Sioux in front of the Marathon Petroleum Building in downtown Findlay, Ohio. Marathon Petroleum is one of the DAPL business investors along with Enbridge. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-02/enbridge-marathon-agree-to-buy-2-billion-bakken-pipeline-stake
There were an estimated 60 to 70 participants at the height of the #NoDAPL protest. We received honks and plenty of thumbs up, along with a couple of pro-Trump people whose sign demonstrated some interesting “alternative facts”: “Oil Built Findlay.” In actuality, Findlay was a natural gas and glass manufacturing center and never an actual “oil town.” It was originally built as a supply fort during the War of 1812 by the US Army on its march to Detroit, and not by Marathon Petroleum currently headquartered there as the sign implied. They didn’t come along until the 20th century.
However could these Trump supporters get such historical facts confused? Public education defunded by Republican-held state and local governments? Fox News?
It was nice to see the young and the old, students and retirees alike standing up for Standing Rock. Findlay is a river town that has suffered its fair share of flooding in recent years, so area residents understand “water is life.” (There’s that pesky climate change fact rearing its ugly head again, as too much water can bring destruction as well.) They know we need to transition to a green energy system in order to keep Findlay above the flood plain, and they support the water protectors fighting to keep the water supply clean and safe for millions of other Americans.
You never know who you’ll meet at a small town protest… Maybe an alternative media journalist or two? If these ordinary folks can get out in frigid temperatures to stand in solidarity with the water protectors of Standing Rock, anyone can. This is truly what democracy looks like.
Bio: Cindy A. Matthews is a freelance writer, novelist and editor of Our Revolution Continues blog: http://bernie2016.blogspot.com.
