A Question.......

When as a society did we start being set up to fail?

After this weeks reading, I really feel as though companies, organizations and people who are players in the pollution game and the government regulations for that matter put a large majority of people in a position of being set up to fail. They assume that since they are following the rules laid forth that they are correct in their decision to build that new waste facility in a community where there is already two other sites there. How I see it is that, by them following the rules and saying they are going to give communities the chance to speak up and give their opinions, in reality for most communities they are just being set up to fail. Usually by the time the community finds out about a proposed site the decision is made, but the image the company or organization wants to show is that they gave the public a chance to speak up even though they already knew that the final outcome would be in their favor and the communities would lose.

It's so frustrating to see how people are being screwed over and its easy to see how some people just give up after awhile because there is nothing left to give, when you know you probably wont come out on top. When will there be a shift where these kinds of situations slowly stop happening? I really feel that people need to start to become more educated in all aspects of their surroundings, because it seems to me the majority of people are easily influenced and not to be mean but brain washed into thinking how they are treated or what is happening to other people around them is normal and is ok because they been told so.

My answer to my own question would have to be that who knows when this being set up to fail situations started, the sad thing is, is that no matter how developed and educated we become as the human race we still are not really learning how to stop a vicious cycle that hurts and hinders our potential for human sustainability.

I take two steps forward, you take two steps back

Yes that is a lyric from a Paula Abdul song.

In the past month, my brain has been absorbing different viewpoints and gaining as much well rounded information on the overall view of social sustainability and social justice. Its been an eye-opener in all areas. The one thing I've been thinking alot about lately is that no matter how much time we think has past, or that fact that we would all like to think we have moved past racism and gained women's rights, there are still current events that prove we have really only taken half a baby step.

 The current issue regarding women's reproductive rights and the accessibility to contraceptive has been one that I always keep an eye on, but with the recent cases of Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen foundation (even though they claim their funding stopped due to an investigation of the organization) I like most others believe that it had more to do with the fact that they provide abortion services. Then with the more recent event where democratic lawmakers walked out on a contraception rule hearing when a female witness was barred because the panel made up of mostly men said that that witness was not qualified nor appropriate. That to me is so ridiculous. A female law college student is not appropriate or qualified to discuss contraception for women. It really does not make sense and I am not one of those man haters, but when did we decided that men get to decide in women's issues, especially when it comes decisions that affect us and our bodies. It might be off the wall to say that if men are going to continually have the say in what a women's choice is then what's next, are they going to tell us how we should feel and what we should do during menopause.

Regardless of what your view may be on this issue, none of us like being told what we can and cannot do, especially when it comes to our bodies.


(I thought this was a funny image, regardless of political views. More of a statement on men deciding for women)

Who are we kidding?

I think we all like to assume that we are a more trustworthy and honest country compared to the rest of the world. Yes we do have more opportunities provided and allowed for us than most other countries, and the U.S. population does not have to worry about waking up in the morning to bombs being dropped in your town or massacre happening outside our front doors. I do think we have to realize and I think most of us do that our politics can be and are very dirty and have become unfair in a system where they were designed to be equal to all.

The reason to my ramblings is due to a statement in this chapter made by two of the Latino activists that compared how the Mexico government is corruption to how the American government can be corrupt as well. Except that unlike Mexico where it is done it front of you, the American government is more subtle and hush hush about what is actually happening. Its like that saying "keeping up appearances"

I agree with these statements, I mean in a way we are corrupt, we just go about it a different way so that when the media reports on some government matter or involvement its made to look better than it really is. So that for those who put 100% of their faith in the politicians and laws they end up seeing positivity, that they are doing the right thing. Don't get me wrong I love and appreciate where I live, but I do think that we cant kid ourselves and pretend these issues of someone or a group is being taking advantage of either from the government or those with power is not happening. Sitting by and allowing it to happening to one person, doesn't mean it wont land on our doorstep also.

Be Impeccable With Your Words

This weeks reading left me thinking about another book I recently read called, The Four Agreements. In this book the author talks about how what we are told about ourselves or if a comment is made directed at us, it usually remains with us and we even start to view ourselves in that way. 


Even though I had a tough time keeping my focus through this chapter about environmental racism, the one thing I did concluded is that people do allow others to tell them who they are or what they will become, especially when they are constantly hearing it again and again their entire life. For instance, most if not all waste sites or high industrial factories are located in  large color populations from Latinos to African Americans. The one thing I kept thinking from the information that was given was that theses groups of people never started out with the chance to think that they were anything different or better than those who originally told them they did not amount to much. These communities with high color populations were told from the very beginning that they were not educated, or smart or deserved the chance to be something great.


 So I guess my point to this is that if we as a society could just take the time to stop telling other people how better we are and how less of a person they are due to different color or class, and that that's where they should be because they are not as educated or have enough money to live anywhere better than next to a chemical dump. Maybe if we stop telling them what we think they are, they might stop believing what they have been told and start believing that they are just as good and deserve the same great quality of life and good health as the rest of society. 

Defeat is in the Eye of the Beholder

Reading this chapter in From the Ground Up made me focus on how messed up it is that laws and rights we have as American citizens are rarely used in our favor but more in favor for larger, money powerful companies or corporations.

Chester, PA

Truckee, Ca 

This group of citizens from Chester Pennsylvania that fought and are still fighting for what is right in their community, which could be deemed the waste capital of the state of Pennsylvania. I could not imagine what life would be like there, after living in Truckee where the air is clean, water is clear and there is no constant smell of disgust. The fact that I don't live next to a landfill and the fact that most people don't realize what its like to live next to one, could be a case of the "out of sight out of mind" view that most people take. 

The group of Chester citizens decided that enough was enough. Several battles is what I've decided to call these cases, took place where the groups race and intelligence was belittled many times in the fight against the big bad wolfs (aka the waste companies and courts). It amazed me that no mater what happened, whether they won or lost the battle, the group of citizens did not stop trying to protect and better their community, even when powers were evoked on their case, like the "King's Bench". One, I've never heard this term before and I would just as well assume its the bench where the king sits.  

Kings Bench in England  

From what I gathered in the readings is that this is an controversial legal maneuver which did not help the citizens at all and only pushed them five steps back in their fight against the waste company. It makes me wonder if all courts in the U.S. would decided in favor of  companies that clearly damage peoples health and their lively hood? I think the more we know our rights and the laws will only help benefit our knowledge of how to use it in our favor if needed when having to fight against companies such as the waste company in Chester. 


 "Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
Marilyn vos Savant