Sunday, April 09, 2006

Reclaiming The N.O. For The People...Power To The People!!!


Hey Fam,
I was blessed to partake in The April 1st March Against Against The April 22 New Orleans Elections...I was one of several thousand brothers and sisters from throughout the human diaspora of all hues and social classes who came to together in the universality spirit of love, justice and solidarity for all on that hot and humid day to let it be known as stated in those great words of MLK that 'an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'...Many of the residents who made New Orleans their homes are now scattered throughout the United States because of the Hurricane Katrina fiasco which left much of the Gulf Coast including the Crescent City in shambles...Many of the residents who are currently staying in other places currently do not have the financial resources to make the trip back home let alone rebuild their homes and lives...Because of this and the fact that only a third of the city has officially returned many feel that it is morally wrong and politically irresponsible to hold an election which will affect so many people without these constituents having a say so because everyone's voices should be heard in a democracy no matter how difficult the circumstances may be...This election is very important because it would determine the direction that the City of New Orleans is going to take for decades to come and this could also represent a chance for huge improvements in socioeconomic status and quality of living for people of color in particular and poor people in general if the right leadership is in office and if the constituents began to hold their leaders as well as themselves accountable in New Orleans and truly make it the democracy it should be...
IF YOU WANT TO HELP IN THE EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE GULF COAST GET A FAIR CHANCE AT REBUILDING THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER PLEASE URGE YOUR RESPECTIVE US CONGRESS PERSONS (by calling their offices,writing and sending a fax,letter or e-mail of support among other means) to pass H.R. 4197 or the Hurricane Katrina Recovery, Reclamation, Restoration, Reconstruction and Reunion Act of 2005...To find more fair and balanced coverage of the New Orleans situation please go to http://neworleans.indymedia.org
Lest we forget New Orleans has given this country and world more than just the beautiful artistry of jazz music, but has time and time again over the centuries, decades and generations helped us the American people define what the price and meaning of freedom truly is whether it was the Battle of New Orleans(1815),Plessy v. Ferguson(1896),The formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), and Ruby Bridges and School Desegregation (1960) among other notable events too numerous to name here, New Orleans has always found itself in a position to help push our American society to greater heights in terms of humanity and hopefully one day a more perfect union...There are still many "teaching moments" left yet in this Post-Katrina N.O. and Gulf Coast world...Let us make sure that we learn and practice the wisdom of these lessons well and pass them on to the next generation...Because like MLK said we can either live together as brothers or perish together as fools!!!
Bro. R2
P.S.
Thanks to Pastor LaSimba Gray and New Sardis Baptist Church for making this trip possible and for Bro. Keith,Ms. Darfur,Rev. Perry, Rev. Robinson and the incomparable Mama T of Chicago among the other countless beautiful people that I encountered who names I do not recall, but whose wonderful spirits made the journey memorable and unforgettable...Yeah and by the way don't believe what the National Park Service or news media tells you, there were thousands and thousands of people marching!!! ALSO PLEASE VISIT THE NAACP WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF NEW ORLEANS!!!

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