If only they could stop and look at themselves in the mirror for a second…the results would be hysterical.
Whenever there is a large protest or public event, the headlines are inevitably splashed across any and all media platforms. Photos are shared and social media posts make supporting calls to action. Take, for instance, the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp.
It’s currently still being occupied by protesters who are not even from North Dakota at all. Many will recall that the protest began when the Standing Rock Sioux tribe challenged the Army Corps of Engineers and the Dakota Access Pipeline because they feared a possible spill could affect the tribe’s drinking water. They were joined by thousands of people from across the nation, and even across the world. Since January, when the pipeline was blocked from construction and the Army Corps of Engineers agreed to conduct an environmental study, the Standing Rock tribe has asked outsiders to vacate the camp site. A lot of these people have ignored the requests and remained on the land. And along with the unwanted guests are the heaps of unwanted garbage by their comrades who decided it wouldn’t be in their best interests to clean up after themselves before they left.
Since there has been record snowfall in North Dakota over the winter, experts are concerned with the piles of buried garbage in and around the camp site. There is a good possibility that once the snow melts, this trash will be carried into the nearby river, polluting the very water the Standing Rock tribe has been trying to protect. While the tribe began cleanup in January, it hasn’t been successfully carried out, partially due to the remaining protesters who have refused to vacate the camp. Since there is also a threat of flooding, the governor issued an emergency evacuation order with a deadline of February 22.
It’s been reported that there are even abandoned vehicles that were left behind at the camp. While the Standing Rock tribe has picked up some of the burden of cleaning up the garbage, efforts will also need to be picked up by local law enforcement and the state. Funds donated to the tribe for the protest have been put towards cleaning up the site. Ironically, the protesters operated as self-proclaimed “water protectors.” This garbage is threatening the water; it would appear that many of the Standing Rock’s supporters have forgotten the tribe’s initial concern of environmental harm.
Whether or not people agree with the protest, one thing everyone should be able to see eye-to-eye on is the fact that there is a huge need for cleanup efforts. Those who traveled to the protest camp in North Dakota and showed so much interest in the cause now need to pitch in and help with cleaning up the huge mess that they created. The same celebrities that use the Hollywood pulpit to preach upon need to bring attention to policing up the areas of the sacred land that they defended so vehemently. Perhaps they could also open their own wallets and donate to help the cleanup process.
