I don't disagree with a word in Ms. Lapier's excellent column.  I simply submit that in fairness to all, all should read the federal district court's decision denying the Dakota's motion for preliminary injunction.  It's on-line.  Three things were striking about it.  This was no trumped up (no pun intended) decision by a pro-oil greedy Republican.  The judge was an Obama appointee.  His decision was a thoughtful and well-supported.  It seemed to state all relevant facts dispassionately, and applied the law even-handedly.  The second thing that struck me was that the Dakotas didn't even press their claim that the environment would be damaged.  The third striking aspect of the decision was that it seemed the Dakotas hadn't done their homework.  Calls from the government and the oil company repeatedly went unanswered and meetings with them repeatedly not attended.  It smacked of avoidance, a determination not to fully engage.  The Dakotas were in a U.S. court of law, for God's sake!