The Four Horsemen

July 29th, 2009
“The Four Horsemen”
I can remember when I was a kid. I was probably 12 or 13. I went to a movie on a Friday night in the middle of the summer. It was called the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
When I went to the movie I expected it to be some kind of a western or a story of a horse. What I saw scared the bejeezus out of me. I had never heard of the four horsemen, and after that movie will never forget them. The movie took place in Argentina during WWII, and of course the horsemen represented Famine, War, Pestilence, and Death. I had to ride my bike home on the country roads about 2 miles, and I can’t remember ever being so scared. I mean it was DARK….I just knew they would come riding up over the hill and I was a goner.
This is a strange analogy about Hyperion, but to me it fits perfectly. I wrote a letter to the editor of the Sioux City Journal last week informing the people who read the paper about the Supreme Court decision on Ed Cable’s case and the fact that his case was thrown out. I warned people in Sioux City of what was coming (pestilence and death) with the air quality and “economic development”. I looked at the article the next day and there were 20 comments and they were mostly all negative remarks about my article. Right then and there I wanted to write a response apologizing for my stupidity in caring about what happens to people in the “City”. I was really amazed at the negativity the people across the river seem to have about anyone that is opposed to the refinery. I said to myself that never again will I be concerned about the people there. That old saying “be careful what you ask for, you might get it could never be a more spoken truth. That got me wondering about people in this area as well. I never see letters to editors of local papers voicing their displeasure about the refinery (other than Liz). It is almost as if everyone has resigned themselves to the fact that this is going to happen, so just accept it as fact. What is it going to take to blow your socks off and for you to get up and say something? It is never too late to protest this ugly behemoth that is being pressed upon us. They haven’t started building yet. Why do we have to sit back and say “bring it on brother!” Are you telling me to shut up you don’t want to hear this anymore? Am I beginning to sound like Chicken Little? Well let me tell you something, I’m not going to quit spouting off about the refinery. It is bad and I want to be able to convince as many people as humanly possible this is bad. Why can’t everyone see that? I’m not the smartest person in the world and I’m not a rocket scientist, but I can see that it is no good so it is just that, no good.
I wrote a long time ago about apathy. Apathy is an ugly word in my estimation. It means you have no feelings or concerns about things other people find exciting or moving. I have very strong feelings about Hyperion and I want to convince you with all my heart to take up the call and follow me. We need to stop this fester before it consumes us. I don’t know how or when but it has to happen. We absolutely cannot sit idly by and watch big earth moving equipment come in and destroy this land. It says in the old regulation on planned developments that they must clear the area of all obstructions; buildings, trees, houses whatever. The land will be laid to waste. By then it will be too late. They will have started the beginning of the end for this community. There will be nothing left. Already the scavengers are out looking for opportune spots to set up clubs, shops and whatever. They know it is coming and they want to be in on the ground floor. Have you been to a bar in Yankton lately?
We must stop them. We must find a rallying cry to band together and stop them. We can talk and joke and carry on, but I’m here to tell you if we don’t do something and soon it is all over. We will lose the impetus to carry on any legal challenges. We will lose the will take action to block them. We will become vegetables, pawns or a laughing stock. I hate to lose. I hate it with a passion. These newspaper articles are my only link with the rest of the county and country. I post these articles on my blog as well. Hopefully somebody will come to save us. And not Mighty Mouse.
As much as I hate government involvement, I’m afraid they are our only hope. Some way or another we have to get this into the federal courts so that the EPA can step in and put a halt to this silliness. What bothers me more than anything is that the commissioners know they made a mistake and will not admit it. They are afraid of the outcome so they just sit back and do nothing. The BME will vote 9-0 to allow the permit and they know that we are right but the governor has told them he wants it and he will get it. What really galls me is that the business people in this area (like Elk Point) want it because they believe it is the cow that is going to lay the golden calf and they are going to be rich beyond their wildest dreams. It won’t be my money I can tell you that.
Come on folks, stand up, join with me and be counted! We can do this!