Hunters Point resident comments on the race and class based connections of Shipyard Fires
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by Joseph Perryman There is an underground fire burning in Hunters Point that will continue to burn for several more years. Nothing, as far as I know, is being done about it. The fire cannot be extinguished and plans have not been made to insure that African-Americans living in that area will have steps taken towards protecting their health. So, who is to blame for this? Who is responsible for this underground fire? Who else, but the United States of YOUR America. The United States Navy, to be exact, among other entities who have ties into our government. It’s interesting to me that the neighborhood with the highest population of African descendants in San Francisco is right next to the companies that produce most of San Francisco’s pollution, from air to water. Other things to think about: Almost every populated, African-American neighborhood is within two miles of a freeway and almost every neighborhood has had to deal with lead paint problems and lead in their water pipes. Although these problems pop up all the time, if you pay close attention you’ll see that they’re primarily, ‘so-called,’uproot ing low-income neighborhoods where young children are present. PG&E, itself, has been known to contaminate its own land and then sell it for low income housing (just to show how far it can go for the right price -- you can break the law, even the laws of life). So why is it that low income neighborhoods are more likely to have health related problems? All deadly problems, as far as I’m concerned. These current issues take us back to days long gone -- wasn’t the same thing done to natives who were pushed off their land and given, in return, the worst land to live? Do you see a pattern? |