D is for the Dakota Access Pipeline

This quarter, my highest level writing students wrote a paper on the Dakota Access Pipeline situation in North Dakota. (In case you haven't been following this situation, take a moment for some internet reading - Camp of the Sacred Stones, DAPL and Wikipedia). In preparation for their essay, the students had to read and analyze several articles about the topic. As their teacher, I also had to read and analyze a bunch of articles about this topic, more than I probably would have read otherwise. And so, I learned some things. A lot of things.

The situation in North Dakota is rather complex. It asks tough questions about whose rights matter most and what risks we are willing to take to get cheap energy. However, the thing that has struck me most about the situation is the dedication of the protesters. The protesters have come from everywhere and include a variety of people from the Indigenous Maya who traveled up from South America to Shailene Woodley the actress to the 2000 veterans who have pledged to protect their fellow protesters. Each protester has come for a different reason, and yet each one is willing to fight in a very real way for something that matters to them.

While watching this situation unfold, I realized that I have never been a protester before. My default mode is to avoid conflict whenever possible. I suppose I've never cared enough about "the issues" to physically march down a street or camp out in protest. This realization made me a little sad. Do I really care so little about things that actually matter that I'm not even willing to walk down the street in support of them? I know that protesting is not the only way to show support/disapproval for something, but my goodness is it one of the most tangible ways. Protesting, whether it be marching, camping, refusing to buy or refusing to conform, is such a risky and visible way to demonstrate what you believe.

So for me, my biggest take away from the DAPL situation is this: What do I believe is worth fighting for, and how far am I really willing to go to stand with it?