In the process of
doing online research on the Pygmy Tribe, I came across this website http://www.survivalinternational.org/
explaining the battles of indigenous people being removed from their ancestral
homelands.
The reason for the
removal is “progress”, corporations needing the lumber, minerals or the water
source that is on the land.
What gives one
group of people the right to decide what is civilized? What gives one group of people the right to
remove a community of people so others can use the resources?
Today I attended a
Tenant Association meeting at my local library.
The topic – a redevelopment plan that will demolish the apartment complex
I along with thousands of families live.
We didn’t get any notification prior to this meeting that we would be
removed the earliest by September 2013.
Our community is
being redeveloped and a group of people decided it was better to have a higher
income population replace a working class population. Our community is ideally located by I395 and
not far from I495 between 2 metro stations and plenty of bus lines.
Across this globe
including where we live, for the priority of profit, one community is being
removed for another more “desirable” community to move in with higher
income. That is capitalism.
Democracy is the
opposite of capitalism. The challenge we
are in the midst of is that Capitalism has more power than Democracy. It is Profit that reigns supreme and people
are merely game pieces to use to make MORE PROFIT.
We are a peaceful
community as many communities are across this globe, raising families,
contributing to the society with our labor, skills and taxes.
We contribute with
our purchases and consumerism to our own demise. We support corporations and businesses that don’t’
care about us. We are only of value as
long as we can pay the price increases.
We are only of value as long as we pay.
I am frustrated tonight.
I see the connection of the battle of the Awa Tribe in the Amazon facing
extinction because of business goals that value minerals, land, lumber and not
people. I am one with the Bushman in
Botswana, the Maaisa in Tanzania, the Batak in the Philippines, the Innu in
Canada, Khanty in Russia, Columbia Heights, DC, Harlem, USA, Brooklyn, USA, and so many more communities.
And so it
continues there is a group of people that have the power and financial means to
remove another group of people increasing homelessness for a profit.
Today reinforced
for me to look to My Creator, My Ancestors, My Orishas for guidance through a
world that daily is controlled and manipulated by those who see no value in my
life and the lives of people just profit.
It is
unethical.
We live
in a society that places value on success, not value on ethics and values.
The
ecological design of Nature vs the imperial design of man.
The
funny thing is they are pitting us against each other: those who make less than
$45,000 vs those who earn $50,000 or more.
"First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak
out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I
did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and
there was no one left to speak out for me." — Martin Niemöller
"In the absence of Sacred, nothing is Sacred and
everything is for sale." Onodonga Nation.
