Squatting in Arizona

Regulate
Human migration?
Is it proper a community restricts access to its resources?

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

These words are not part of the International Declaration of Human Rights, or the U.S. Constitution, but are from a sonnet contributed in 1883 by 34-year old Emma Lazarus toward building New York's Statue of Liberty. The poem offers "world-wide welcome" for the homeless. So are communities in the USA now obligated to accept all comers?

I don't think so.

Miss Emma had no authority to open the land to everyone. At that time, many indigenous communities and nations within the Americas were being forcibly subdued, destroyed or purged. Large-scale ethnic cleansing was taking place; settlers were wanted to repopulate native territories. Asian and "colored" prospective settlers were discouraged.

Another dimension is continuing community investment since colonization. Community members invest in roads, bridges and other infrastructure through taxes. Some provide time & sweat, some are killed for defense. When sacrifice is disregarded, people become discouraged from participation and community-building. Big government for big corporate interests has sucked the vitality of local communities. Americans are taxed to support wars in the Middle East and Asia; they are taxed to bailout giant corporations, while their own communities are dismantled, services cut, resources extracted. Expect some people to fight - protecting the little they have.

Snatch

The Poet snatches time
As focus, appreciation, reverie...
Give way to work,
cleaning, grooming,
social camaraderie,
family affairs

The Poet snatches time
To describe, interpret, transcribe
Beauty of Living
Challenge

Perhaps for a time-snatcher
Moments of Appreciation
Become longer or more frequent.
But focus, joy and emotions
Are experienced by all
Natural understanding.

Hawaiian people need help

Korea and Kuwait were occupied nations that regained independence. But the Korean and Kuwaiti people do little for those nations & peoples still subject to Colonialism.

Hawaiian people need help.
Hawaiian lands are occupied, stolen without compensation.

Clarify Hawaiian inheritance.
link:   HI Alliance

Price Gouging?

A Boston store was accused of "price gouging" for pricing a case of water at $16. We normally would say, "so what?" - if a potential customer doesn't like prices, they can go elsewhere.

(article here)

Why should this case be any different? Boston was facing a water emergency... does that mean nobody offering drink can profit? It seems "price gouging" is always all around us; it's the basis of capitalism.

Perhaps life & death situations might be different, but otherwise, the pursuit of private profit is the bedrock of U.S. society. Income motivates work, and resources shift to take advantage of high returns. Of course, some people feel a moral focus to volunteer, or to help others without receiving payment. But can we demand selflessness from everyone? Is it right that society confiscates and reallocates valuable resources that some people prepare with risk and foresight? Is the US capitalistic? Needs are motivators. Capitalism is cruel & indifferent...

(Florida's price gouging law)

(Illegal price gouging in Texas)