Proud of protests

Last week, I witnessed something that will forever change my life – for the better. On three successive nights, I observed men, women and children of the Nez Perce Tribe fighting for their treaty rights, fighting for our ever-fading democracy and fighting to prevent U.S. Highway 12 from becoming a permanent industrial corridor.

I witnessed leaders of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee put their bodies in front of a 600,000-pound truck and get arrested. I witnessed women with newborn babies strapped to their chest standing in the middle of the highway confronting multinational corporations for trespassing. I witnessed children carrying protest signs and placing rocks in the road as a machine the size of a football field barreled toward them.

Not to be forgotten, I saw dozens of Idaho State Police officers, county sheriffs and tribal police officers provide a red-carpet escort for the Omega Morgan megaload. Regrettably, I witnessed our federal government fail to honor tribal treaty rights, fail to enforce federal law(s) and completely whiff on an opportunity to defend its citizens against corporate tyranny.

I proudly stand with the Nez Perce and everyone else fighting the good fight on U.S. 12. I got your back.

Brett Haverstick

Moscow, Idaho