The local frac sand industry is part of Big Oil’s continued efforts to monopolize the profits from natural resources that belong to everyone.

Who really owns the earth, the oil, air and water? Big Oil’s frac-sand process uses huge amounts of water from our limited-supply aquifers. We can live without oil, but we can’t live without drinkable water.

I’ve heard that oil companies have to pay the Alaskan people something for oil they take, but not their water. Precious pure water belongs to all of us and to seven future generations. Did they ask if we want to sell our water to extract our oil for their profit?

A nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all will promote and defend the human rights of all to clean air, pure water, nutritious food and a healthy ecosystem in which all, including unborn generations, can live abundantly, in peace, and in love of God and neighbor.

There will be jobs when we advance clean, renewable energy sources in ways that benefit all of us.

Competitive capitalism cannot make this into a nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please say no to the frac-sand industry. Then let’s cooperate to formulate a justice-for-all economic/political/social system that does a good job of distributing the wealth to all producers.

Lorraine Redig is a Land Stewardship Project member from rural Winona, in southeast Minnesota.