USA Today 8-23-01
In the USA Today of 08/23/2k1 I read that a Brooklyn woman became so enraged when a city marshal attempted to serve her with an eviction notice that she pushed the man over the bannister, struck him on the head, doused him with a flammable liquid and then set him ablaze with a cigarette lighter. Joanne Jones, 53, was arrested and charged with second degree murder in the death of Erskine Bryce.
Excuse me? But does anyone see the social tragedy in all this? The dialectics in motion? I'm not justifying the ladies actions, however, I'm not surprised that she lost it. See, housing, health care, education and food are truly inalienable human rights. These rights are non negotiable. That lady has survival rights too, unfortunately, in a capitalistic society, survival rights don't mean s#*@ to the powers that be. If you can't pay your rent, you are going to the street even if it's raining and below zero outside. If you have no money and your five year old girl is starving, so what? No money, no food. If you have an illness and you can't afford the meds, well, that's too bad. This is the capitalistic mentality and that mentality is what billions of us call "a social sickness!"
In a profound way, that old lady was fighting for her life. A sort of self defense. What was she supposed to do? Sleep in a park and chance getting raped? Chance getting mugged? Sell her body? It is sad the marshal met that fate, which is yet another tragedy of capitalism. Often, for us to secure our jobs, pay our bills, put our kids through school, we must follow orders ~ orders that in many cases can harm other people; their kids, entire families and communities.
Live the "better you than me" mentality. That is a sort of capitalist blackmail. "If you don't do what you are told, you will lose your job and be poor like the people we want you to confront." I saw a prisoner die once because the guards were given an order to run in the prisoners cell and hog tie him. Why? Because he cursed at the captain. The prisoner died in a choke hold. When I asked the guard why he ran up in that cell over such a petty issue, his answer was "because this is my job. I have to support my family" It was not done intentionally I'm sure; but the cruel reality is that for people to keep their jobs in a capitalistic society, they are told to do things that often have adverse affects on many others. like going to a 53 year old ladies home and telling her in uncertain words "sorry ma'am, but you will now have to live on the streets".
It is unfortunate that the situation crashed as it did but such tragedies will continue to occur more and more as long as we as a society and human community wake up and realize that indeed, housing, health care and education are inalienable human rights that cannot be given and taken away by the whims of those seeking profit.
Realize that there is a right to live before the right to profit. An unjust law is no law at all. An unjust law is a human made law that is not rooted in the eternal and natural laws of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of our laws may appear just in its face, but they are unjust in it's application. Like our death penalty. "Free Mumia"!! Like the eviction of the 53 year old lady!
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