Standing with the People of New Orleans

The following are comments we received regarding the article “Protesters Pepper Sprayed, Tasered, Arrested—New Orleans: Resisting Demolition” which was written from New Orleans by Carl Dix

I absolutely stand with the people of New Orleans affected by Katrina and their right to return to their homes. Instead of demolishing housing units, the city/state/government should actually be building additional housing units, especially for the less fortunate (which happen to be mostly Black) and ensure the rents are affordable. I absolutely support the waging of resistance to stop the demolition of any existing housing units in New Orleans. While it would seem like common sense to any person, nothing makes any sense for the capitalist unless they can make huge profits from any undertaking. The people are not even a consideration in their calculations. The only thing one can learn from the horrific behavior of the city/state apparatus against the people is, that they showed their true colors. In other words we have to understand that if people have to win their inalienable rights and get true justice, we cannot expect it from this system. Only resistance/struggle to overthrow this system through a revolution and build a new system where the interests of the people are primary, can we really resolve problems and overcome oppression in all its forms.

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This message is from four Black youth who live in Bowen Homes, a housing project in Atlanta soon facing demolition:

“The government is doing the same thing to us - they only see green. They’re using crime as an excuse to kick everyone out and turn this project into new suburbs. They don’t care about the people - that’s why we got so many homeless.

“Stay strong. Keep your head up. Fuck the government, Bush is a drunk. Them folks fucked up.

“It’s ugly for them folks in New Orleans. They ain’t got nowhere to go. We wish you a fast recovery and the best of luck.”

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I support the people that have been driven from their homes. I support the struggle against tearing down their homes. Do not tear down their homes! This whole system is an outrage!

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I was a New Orleans resident from 8-01 to just days before the hurricane made landfall, and during my time in the city, I began to experience the lives of those oppressed Americans. When I would walk through town, I would watch, talk, and listen with those people, who became my people, who are our people. The crimes committed against them may not be illegal, but they are certainly immoral. And it hurts my heart so much to not just know that there are people who are active agents in the destruction of people’s lives, but to see the decisions of those interested parties take a core anti-poverty, anti-Black, anti-immigrant, anti-recovery, anti-human life stance is disgusting. This country is mine, damn it! And I fucking want it back!

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