Esquire magazine has a great read re the aftermath of the DAPL protests and the fate of those arrested. It covers the efforts of a cadre of activist attorneys volunteering to rep the accused, most of whom are still languishing in jail on trumped up charges and shaky legal grounds. One, Sandra Freeman, left her family in Denver to work full-time for the Water Protective Legal Collective (WPLC). Apparently, Bismark, ND and the nearby small town of Mandan where the trials will be held, have a real problem with "outsiders" who don't think and look like them. That includes First Nations peoples, anyone of color for the most part who isn't on Big Oil payrolls, and, of course, trouble making lawyers from anywhere outside of North Dakota coming in to defend the Water Protectors. Reading the story brings back images of that seminal-- although I catch myself wanting to write Seminole-- flick called "Billy Jack." Tom Laughlin, bless his poor departed soul, wrote, directed, produced, and starred in that hit movie back in the day about a lone "half-breed" who stands up against small town Indigenous hating bigots and takes them out, one martial arts kick and chop at a time. According to the article, that psycho-social landscape created in the film is still alive and well today in North Dakota-- and probably in many other parts of America thanks to the "All Clear!" message Trump Tweets every morning that emboldens bigots across the land to "come out" and "act out." Here's hope that the #NODAPL sequel ends better than the Billy Jack sequel "The Trial of Billy Jack" where our hero (spoiler alert) goes to prison-- something Nokosee says he'll never do.
Nor will I.
Nor will I.
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