« American Bullets, Mexican Blood | Main | ¡Viva Presidenta Cristina! »
29 de Octubre, 2007
In This Rank Water is Rot
Categorized under Violencia | Tags: Blackwater, Police State, Wildfires
from an email
Dear Friends,
Just three weeks ago many of us traveled out to Potrero to support them in their efforts to keep Blackwater from building a training facility in their community.
The first fire we heard about last Sunday, was as you know, the Harris fire which started in Potrero.
The first death occurring from the fires was in Potrero.
|
CONT.
Meeting the people in the community and seeing the beauty of the area has made the events of the last week even more horrorific, if that is possible. Fortunately, I've been able to be in contact throughout the week with Jan Hedun, Potrero Planning Board member and opponent of Blackwater West, who stayed in the area. Approximately 300 people did not evacuate from Potrero, including immigrant families who never got the notice to evacuate. They have been without electricity, phone service in many cases and beginning to run out of supplies. Water has been an issue because many people are on wells—no electricity = no water. While some have backup generators, fuel supplies have been running low. Efforts by volunteers to get relief into their area have been hampered by law enforcement and other agencies. Several of us have had very frustrating experiences trying to get help for the trapped citizens. Volunteers from the Chicano Park collection effort were asked by a sheriff at the road blockade into the area "why do you want to go into Potrero? There's nothing but drug dealers there." They were finally able to take in supplies under escort by fire fighters, entrance having been refused by the sheriffs. Some aid is now reaching Potrero, but the need for that community and other back country communities who have been ignored is great. BLACKWATER, on the other hand has easily made three deliveries of food, water, and generator fuel. Brian Bonfiglio, project manager for the project, states in a Virginia-Pilot article that the in spite of the fires, the project is on track that the "the proposed facility would benefit the community if it is threatened by fire again. He said it could be used as a 'command center' with bunkhouses for evacuees and water tanks with a 35,000-gallon capacity." To the contrary, these fires show just how easily another fire could start from operations Blackwater proposes to conduct. In the meantime while our attention is focused on getting needed aid to those neglected in our community by the powers-that-be, Blackwater is conducting an aggressive campaign on the national level. The e-mail below was sent out to their supporters. We need to keep the struggle against Blackwater active at all levels. We all have plenty to do right now, but one way we can help the people in Potrero who are busy rebuilding their lives is to take this opportunity to write to our congresspeople countering Blackwater's aggressive public relations campaign and and also to local officials reminding them of the fire hazards the Blackwater West facility will create. I urge you also to help provide aid; the collection point at Chicano Park has sent out an urgent request today for supplies which I forwarded in a separate message. The most urgent need is for food, water and clothing. These can be dropped off today (Saturday) until 7 p.m. at Chicano Park on Logan Avenue under the Coronado Bridge. Thank you, Carol Jahnkow
|
Blackwater leaflet:
A Request for Your Support (FROM BLACKWATER INC!!)
The Blackwater family is comprised of dedicated and active service providers that work vigorously to support the American nation. In this tumultuous political climate, Blackwater Worldwide has taken center stage, our services and ethics aggressively challenged with misinformation and fabrications. Letters, e-mails and calls to your elected Congressional representatives can and will create a positive impact by influencing the manner in which they gather and present information.
While we can't ask that each supporter do everything, Blackwater asks that everyone does something. Contact your lawmakers and tell them to stand by the truth. Correspondence should be polite and professional. We don't support generating negative messages. Tell the Blackwater story and encourage your representatives to seek the truth instead of reading negative propaganda and drawing the wrong conclusions.
Suggested themes:
- Cost efficiency of Blackwater - saving the US taxpayer millions of dollars so that the US Government doesn't have to take troops from their missions or send more into harms way
- Professional population of service veterans and mature law enforcement personnel
Sacrifice in lives lost by Blackwater saving US diplomats without one single protectee harmed
If you see a lawmaker speaking good things about Blackwater, contact their offices and let them know that they have your support. Find and contact your federal, state, and local officials by visiting www.congress.org.Expanding our communications effort starts with you. Pass the word - pass the truth.
Yes. Pass the truth. The truth is that Blackwater is a very dangerous entity, one I never ever thought I'd see roaming free in this country. One that I never want to see in my area, should there be any type of disaster. One that better stay away from my door in any case.
Katrina changed my mind about a few things for good, I'd guess.
When a private outfit designed to supersede written law and wield lethal weaponry benefits so directly from chaos, I grow wary. Especially when their interest in an area is the smoke before a fire.
Do not become too comfortable, in any city or any state. That's what I say. Do not mentally surrender freedoms never negotiated, much less negotiable. Do not become habituated to the idea of anyone usurping your rights. Consciously reject this in anticipation. Plan otherwise. This is not a country where we accept armed mercenaries enforcing their own personal law. I was never taught to accept that in any of my years of forming ideas about the world I live in, and I will not integrate the idea now. Sorry, cesswater doodes.
Do not trust nor support Blackwater. Not in the South, not in the West, not on the Border, no matter what their logo is, crosshairs embellished, or subdued, background black or white.
Meanwhile, here's a corrido written and sung by some pals of my papá (a band known as Los Alacranes), and it's called Chicano Park. Be strong, gente. Somos unidos.
| 
| 
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Comentarios (3)
Dee Loralei dijo:
You know Nez,
"When a private outfit designed to supersede written law and wield lethal weaponry benefits so directly from chaos, I grow wary. Especially when their interest in an area is the smoke before a fire.
Do not become too comfortable, in any city or any state. That's what I say. Do not mentally surrender freedoms never negotiated, much less negotiable. Do not become habituated to the idea of anyone usurping your rights. Consciously reject this in anticipation. Plan otherwise. This is not a country where we accept armed mercenaries enforcing their own personal law. I was never taught to accept that in any of my years of forming ideas about the world I live in, and I will not integrate the idea now. Sorry, cesswater doodes."
May be the most powerful statement I've read yet on just exactly why mercenaries in America and working for the US is a godawful idea. I beleive we used to call them Hessians, and we started a war because of something like that. And some of the most beautiful and enobling and powerful words ever written arose because of that situation.
I hope some candidate or their staff reads yo
Palabras por Dee Loralei spat forth on el 29 de Octubre, 2007 at 09:20 PM
James dijo:
Hard to believe that I've resided the entirety of my nearly 42 years of existence in the U$A, and find the place increasingly unrecognizable.
Palabras por James spat forth on el 29 de Octubre, 2007 at 10:14 PM
Rafael dijo:
Segundo la mocion de Dee Loralei...Hessians it is!
Palabras por Rafael spat forth on el 3 de Noviembre, 2007 at 11:20 AM