We have alternatives to oil, but we do not have alternatives to water. That is why I stand with Standing Rock Sioux in their peaceful protest against intimidation by law enforcement who has chosen to defend private oil company’s over the citizens they are supposed to serve.

The $3.7 billion tar sands pipeline is being financed by the Wells Fargo Bank, and the attacks on peaceful protesters led by Energy Transfer Partners, Phillips 66 and Enbridge Energy Partners have included guard dogs, and no charges were brought while officers watched. Yet the protesters have been beaten, shot at, pepper sprayed and maced for praying, by the Morton County Sheriff’s Office and Energy Transfer private security.

The indigenous people have had respect for all life and have tried to work with the government for 500 years. For 500 years their rights have been violated by extractive industries around the world. Finally, the people in the U.S. are waking up to the fact that big business and our government are working together against the people and they are using our tax dollars to assemble military force against water protectors.

It is clear that in order to protect one source of water, we must protect them all.

Our basic human thread is water and life. Let’s stand together and stop our police protecting the rich and abusing everyone else.

The Green Party is the only choice when it comes to our water. Trump and Hillary both are invested in this pipeline. Special interest groups have battered the Clean Water Act over the last decade by excluding waterways from protection, and these same interests are attacking the nation’s clean water regulations.

Jill Stein will fight against special interests because she is not bought and sold like Billary and Trump.

Ruth A Remple

Longmont