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I have a bleeding heart, that I could
never hide for long. I should have been a lawyer, so that I could
defend the downtrodden, whether they are downtrodden by their
government, or by people who have lost their soul.
A 54 year old woman breaks down to
tears as she tells the reporter she can't afford to move out of her
FEMA trailer. It is her land, but now city ordinance has banned the
FEMA trailer. An official announces, "That means you!"
I think this ruling should be
challenged. It is an oppression burdened upon the weak and unable by
an oppressive government, which amounts to tyranny. Not a minor
tyranny, either, but one that culls a segment of the population, a
fringe of the citizenry, which amount to entire neighborhoods in
Alabama and Louisiana. We are talking, of course, about victims of
Hurricane Katrina, the ones that were of marginal means to begin
with, but whose lives now are made disposable by the pens of a
committee.
When this woman is ultimately removed
from her property by force, what will become of her then? She has no
money, so her land will be retitled by her town. Then, the committee
men will be entertained by wealthy second home buyers from a
metropolitan region, maybe from New York, or even from out of the
country. They will claim, "We need the money to pay our municipal
payroll and insurance," by which they mean themselves. Services
will continue, but not for the service of the citizens forced from
their homes. They will be jettisoned to other places.
My question is, who is being served by
the ban on FEMA trailers? Why should this middle aged woman not be
allowed to live in one? Is she presently being hurt by the trailer?
It must be presumed that the Government agency that issued the
trailer deemed it worthy of domestic living. What changed?
What changed was not the trailer, nor
the nature of people, which tends toward greed and discrimination.
The rich seek to get richer, and the poor have no way to defend
themselves against the rich. The law could be applied in their favor,
but, that would take a good lawyer. Skilled, yes, but mostly good.
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Freelance journalist Gregory G. Lewis was a regular contributor to the West County News of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. As a correspondent to several Franklin County towns Mr. Lewis was better known by his Arts & Entertainment contributions, especially On the Marquee, a review of the region's outstanding art, music and drama.
"My assignments took me to dinners and breakfasts with the Governor; and to the 2006 Massachusetts Democratic Convention where I met candidate Deval Patrick, US Senator John Kerry, and even Kitty Dukakis," said Mr. Lewis.
Since the West County News closed its doors in August, Mr. Lewis has pursued the night life and high life of South Florida, in the
Proustian tradition. He now carouses tropical climes and exotic personalities, capitalizing on years of experience thrusting himself in the public eye. |
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