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Standing Rock has become the largest gathering of Native Americans in more than 100 years, with water protectors and land defenders coming from across North America to stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline. They are risking their lives to protect the land and the generations that will inherit it.

What I desire is that my fellow American citizens stand with us. I ask you to please call or write your Senators and Representative to stop this blindness and greed.

And, if nothing else, please, offer a prayer for my people and all the people who are standing with us in prayer. Just offer some thoughts of protection for us. We ask that you offer a prayer for sensibility and common sense in behalf of all the two legged, as this is not just a Lakota/Dakota issue, this is a human issue.

This land that is being disturbed was once ours. Our people, our Indian Nations lived and governed our people all over this territory. This land across the Cannonball River that is now threatened was forcibly taken from us and there was nothing that we could do about it then and now.

Nonetheless, we still believe that we are the keepers of this beautiful land. Although it was taken from us, we know, we must stand and speak on this land’s behalf. We want everyone and the federal government to respect this land and water and take care of it. That is why our people are standing up and standing with the land and water. We have to be here. It is instructions that the Creator has given us. We have to be here. We have to protect ourselves and those that cannot speak for themselves.

Dave Archambault II (Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe), Demonstrations a cry to stop desecration of Mother Earth

So I just took a stroll on over to their Twitter account for the Country Music Association, and sure enough, there’s no mention of Beyonce (or the Dixie Chicks) anywhere.  The coverage of last night’s show is very comprehensive, with photos of each winner (as they should have) and either gifs or video clips or tweets of every performance.

No mention of Beyonce.

So then I went over to CMA World, which is the main page for the Country Music Association.  I read all of their press releases about the CMAs, but they were mostly focused on the winners.  There was mention of Tim McGraw’s performance and Little Big Town’s performance, so I wasn’t really surprised Beyonce hadn’t been recognized.

So then I went over to the webpage for the actual CMA Awards because they have a list of all of the performers and presenters.

No mention of Beyonce.

So they just used the biggest pop star on the planet to give them a ratings boost in the face of the World Series because a lot of their viewing audience was siphoned off by that game.  They filled in the extra space with the Beyhive and then pretended nothing ever happened because their ignorant fanbase got all up in their feelings about it.  Mind you, Beyonce did not ask to perform – they came to her because “Daddy Lessons” is a great song…and they knew she was ratings gold.  They asked her and then she asked if she could bring the Dixie Chicks with her.  There’s no mention of the Dixie Chicks on any of ther sites either, but country music still hates them.  The only reason they were there at all is because Beyonce – the invited guest they’re now ignoring – wanted to have them there.  Natalie Maines thought she’d never perform on that stage again and only did so because Beyonce asked them to.  That’s the power of Beyonce.  And I can’t believe the Country Music Association scrubbed any mention of her from their social media after the fact.

No wait, yes I can.  The CMAs are definitely Donald Trump’s America.  Brown people are to be used, but not respected.  All of this is why I’ve never been to a country music concert and why I vet my country music artists in a way that I rarely vet other musicians.  Before I listen to your album, I have to see where you are on the table of equality and in how close proximity you are to racism, bigotry, and feathered bangs.

Listen to me. Today in class, we had a poll. Many of the students refused to vote because #NeverHillary and #DumpTrump and #I'mTooCoolForPolitics.

It came out 70% Trump. Trump won my class, because the left-leaning students refused to vote.

I know this election sucks. I know both candidates are problematic. But if you don’t go out there and vote for Hillary, Trump WILL be president. Our country WILL go to hell, and we WILL NOT make any real progress towards LGBT+ rights, women’s rights, or the rights of people of color. The right to have an abortion will be more heavily restricted, if not repealed. Our economy will continue to struggle because Trump will not raise taxes on the rich like we so desperately need to do. The environment will continue to hurt, as Trump has shown no real concern with environmental issues, and so will education. He has no political experience. NONE.

The KKK has endorsed one of them.  Spoiler alert!  It wasn’t Hillary. 

Hillary is not, actually, as bad as Donald.  We know this because the KKK hasn’t given her their official seal of approval.  They gave it to Donald.  They looked at his campaign, and everything he’s promised, and said:  That guy.  That’s the guy that we, as a terrorist organization dedicated to lynchings, cross-burnings, church-bombings and other forms of murder, think should be running the country.

I don’t know about you.  But I don’t want to live in an America that the KKK thinks is “great.”  That is basically the opposite of my idea of what America should be.