New Orleans evacuees must not be forced to join the ranks of the wretched of the earth: the targeted families of Darfur; the starving children of Niger; the civilians of Iraq; the terrorized people of Haiti.
Close your eyes for a moment and you will hear the English replacing the French and the Creole. Then allow your re-opened eyes to educate you. Watch men, women and children wading through filthy water, waiting anxiously for action from their government; crying out for food and water; ignored, abandoned, and finally abused for photo-opportunities. Observe the skin color and you will realize that the contempt for the people of Haiti has spread to the victims of New Orleans. Many commentators now argue that at the root of both ongoing atrocities is the contempt that powerful forces in our nation harbor toward Black life.
In Haiti the Bush administration's actions have thrown feces in to the face of every citizen. After crushing the legitimate government, new elections have been mandated where, for President, the prime candidate is Guy Phillipe, the murderous leader of the coup that overthrew the duly elected democratic government.
While pundits are choosing to forget that Haiti had a constitution and, in his third year of a five year term, a President in office when the CIA sponsored coupe massacred citizens and the police. When the media photos and videos show that the U.S. made misery is being directed at Black people a double standard kicks in and world outrage appears to be swallowed quietly.
For the New Orleans Blacks the misery has just begun. As dislocated evacuees of color they will be forced to suffer through years of wandering in a hostile bureaucratic wilderness. Today's host organizations and governments will viciously evict the pitiful interlopers tomorrow. Much of this predicted brutality could be avoided if the Federal FEMA legislation is detailed to include the following:
- Priority funding for temporary and permanent relocation and resettlement- Funding to support the "Right of Resettlement" for survivors.
- A mandate to hire survivors who are able to work in the salvaging and rebuilding projects
- Compensation for communities and institutions that assist large numbers of evacuees.
- The speedy re-establishment of the distribution of any income payments such as social security and military pensions.
To implement anything less than these basics will result in a situation where neglect in America spawns the same misery as racist hostility toward the Haitians.
BLIND WHITE HOUSE CAMERAS
Let the Haitians die like flies
For Black lives
White House cameras have no eyes.
Haitians refused to obey
Demanded too loud
That Aristide should stay;
Haitians let liberty
Get in the way.
Democracy
We ship around the earth
In Haiti
We smother it at birth.
Haiti is politically poor
Never a single communist
On their shor
Insurgents they lack,
Since Napoleon they never mounted
A freedom attack.
Black and peaceful
Condemned to die,
Cry sentimental tears
Sleep soundly
With no Haitian terrorist fears.
Let Haitians die like flies
For Black lives
White House Cameras have no eyes.New Orleans evacuees must not be forced to join the ranks of the wretched of the earth: the targeted families of Darfur; the starving children of Niger; the civilians of Iraq; the terrorized people of Haiti.
Close your eyes for a moment and you will hear the English replacing the French and the Creole. Then allow your re-opened eyes to educate you. Watch men, women and children wading through filthy water, waiting anxiously for action from their government; crying out for food and water; ignored, abandoned, and finally abused for photo-opportunities. Observe the skin color and you will realize that the contempt for the people of Haiti has spread to the victims of New Orleans. Many commentators now argue that at the root of both ongoing atrocities is the contempt that powerful forces in our nation harbor toward Black life.
In Haiti the Bush administration's actions have thrown feces in to the face of every citizen. After crushing the legitimate government, new elections have been mandated where, for President, the prime candidate is Guy Phillipe, the murderous leader of the coup that overthrew the duly elected democratic government.
While pundits are choosing to forget that Haiti had a constitution and, in his third year of a five year term, a President in office when the CIA sponsored coupe massacred citizens and the police. When the media photos and videos show that the U.S. made misery is being directed at Black people a double standard kicks in and world outrage appears to be swallowed quietly.
For the New Orleans Blacks the misery has just begun. As dislocated evacuees of color they will be forced to suffer through years of wandering in a hostile bureaucratic wilderness. Today's host organizations and governments will viciously evict the pitiful interlopers tomorrow. Much of this predicted brutality could be avoided if the Federal FEMA legislation is detailed to include the following:
- Priority funding for temporary and permanent relocation and resettlement- Funding to support the "Right of Resettlement" for survivors.
- A mandate to hire survivors who are able to work in the salvaging and rebuilding projects
- Compensation for communities and institutions that assist large numbers of evacuees.
- The speedy re-establishment of the distribution of any income payments such as social security and military pensions.
To implement anything less than these basics will result in a situation where neglect in America spawns the same misery as racist hostility toward the Haitians.
BLIND WHITE HOUSE CAMERAS
Let the Haitians die like flies
For Black lives
White House cameras have no eyes.
Haitians refused to obey
Demanded too loud
That Aristide should stay;
Haitians let liberty
Get in the way.
Democracy
We ship around the earth
In Haiti
We smother it at birth.
Haiti is politically poor
Never a single communist
On their shor
Insurgents they lack,
Since Napoleon they never mounted
A freedom attack.
Black and peaceful
Condemned to die,
Cry sentimental tears
Sleep soundly
With no Haitian terrorist fears.
Let Haitians die like flies
For Black lives
White House Cameras have no eyes.
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