Happy Thanksgiving

     But before you have Thanksgiving dinner, if you haven't already, give a not so silent word of thanks to the indigenous people who made that first Thanksgiving possible. Yet this is how we show our thanks to them, using the same playbook to which we've been defaulting since we'd first colonized this land in the 16th century-
     Blasting them in 20 degree weather with water cannons that the corporate goons passing as law enforcement then lie about and say, "We were only putting out fires." (As if putting out fires is law enforcement's job.) Hitting them with concussion grenades, pepper spray, tear gas canisters, rubber bullets. Treating these people as if they were four legged pests.
    

     This is what happens to a human arm when it's in close proximity to a concussion grenade's detonation. This is what happened to water activist Sophia Wilanski after a concussion grenade nearly took off her arm and doctors may have to amputate it. I know this doesn't make for very appetizing fare on Thanksgiving on all days but perhaps a dose of reality is what we fucking need when shit like this happens to peaceful protesters. I have never been here nor ever will be here to expand people's comfort zones. This is the truth, not some massaged or propagandized reality. The truth is not subjective any more than the truism that Water is Life.
     Obama turned his back on them after promising to help them. He has everything to gain and nothing to lose by simply showing up and putting a stop to these crimes and human rights abuses. If we'd treated the Bundys and their idiotic snackie supporters like this when they tried to steal federal land, it would've all been over in 24 hours.
     These brave indigenous people have stuck it out for well over seven months and that deserves some measure of respect and recognizance.