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July 7, 2006 * Chagos Islands and New Orleans * I was watching TV in the early morning and came across this documentary. I could not believe that this is even happening in this day and age. Chagos Islands were inhabited by Chagossians and was a thriving community whose roots dated from back in the 18th century. Diego Garcia is the main island. The British and US government literally kidnapped the over 2000 inhabitants, dumping them onto a boat in a manner not dissimilar to the slave ships that brought our ancestors here, then dumped them all -- literally -- at the port of another country, where survivors live in squalor today. In spite of a British Supreme court ruling, the US and Britain are in collusion and will not allow them to return home. The documentary detailing this horror is called Stealing a Nation: by John Pilger. Visit http://www.linktv.org/programming/programDescription.php4?code=stealing to learn about the documentary and http://homepage.ntlworld.com/carlene.lyttle/home.htm to find out what you can do. The Jews say "never again" are we asleep or should we be saying the same? When I look at how so many African Americans were displaced, whisked away from New Orleans, it makes me think that this was an opportunity to permanently move a body of people who had no power, away from a city and - as with the Chagossians -- dump them in someone else's backyard. The media has been quite successful in giving the perception to the general public that all of the people displaced are where they want to be and are living happily ever after. Further, what troubles me is that just as the Bush administration has been a part of the issues with Chagos Islands, it is my perception that the displacement of poor African Americans may have been their ultimate goal. If one would go back and look at the so-called congressional Katrina hearings, those that participated were essentially called liars, and the hearings ended with no resolution or commitment to followup. What is also interesting to me is that no one seems to be discussing the Chagos Islands debacle in our communities. Chagos Islands and Katrina --- how long will we remain passive? ------------ About the author: E. Joyce Moore is the author of "Gettin' to the Good Wood." She is also a contributor to Dr. Carlton Green's, "Chicken Soup for the African American Soul," with her essay, "What is the Purpose of a Banana?"? Her book is available at: http://www.goodwood.bravehost.com BLOG: http://www.blackboardjournal.braveblog.com Email: jemiltd@aol.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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