| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |
OUR TIME PRESS THE L OCAL PAPER WITH THE G LOBAL VIEW
| VOL. 21 NO. 37
Since 1996
September 14 – 20, 2017 |
Hell and High Water Brings Devastation, Destruction, Displacement
Photo: CNN Tim Fadek
Hell and High Water’s Aftermath: Storms have ripped thousands of residents, like this woman and her child in Rockport, Tx on August 27, from their homes and basic freedoms. Writing in Truthout, reporter Candice Bernd described an “horrific” situation for the men in cages inside the federal prison complex in Beaumont, Texas following the record-breaking rainfall from Hurricane Harvey. “Multiple prisoners and their relatives detailed how the lack of running water caused some men to defecate in bags and others to drink contaminated toilet water. Many say they have seen men lose consciousness in the units, succumbing to the extreme heat and putrid fumes wafting through the cell blocks from bags of excrement, non-flushable Porta-Potties and backed-up toilets, as well as the stench of the men's unwashed bodies after having not showered in more than 10 days. According to their messages, they have also been in need of clean laundry. Prisoners described receiving only two bottles of water a day as temperatures reached close to 100 degrees, and said that prison officials have been turning the water on once a day to flush toilets while warning the men not to drink the visibly contaminated water.” See Environmental Racism: Hurricane Harvey falls hardest on marginalized communities, Page 15
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Local Primary Wins
n a stinging upset for Democratic Party leaders, outsiders Sandra Roper and Ellen Edwards won seats on the Civil Court, ousting party picks David Pepper and longtime judge Frederick C. Arriaga. In the Council races, Alicka Ampry-Samuel won in the 41st CD, Laurie Cumbo (CD35) remained the incumbent, and Jumaane Williams (CD45) and Inez Barron (CD42), both coasted smoothly to victories in their races. Public Advocate Tish James and District Attorney Eric Gonzalez easily won their respective races.
View From Here
Hurricanes…
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s predicted by climate scientists, the increased water held in the warmed atmosphere has strengthened the power of hurricane winds and rain. Irma as a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and wind gusts to 220, decimated Barbuda. Prime Minister Gaston Browne has reported that 95 percent of the structures on the small Caribbean island were destroyed. “As it stands,” he announced, “Barbuda is practically uninhabitable.” Irma, has also left 90% of homes destroyed or damaged in the Florida
Keys in its wake: Five (5) million people are without power, hundreds of thousands without telecommunications, food, water, sewage, gas for cars or generators to run the AC. On the French territory of St. Martin, ABC News reported this week that racial tensions have heightened “with some black and mixed-race residents complaining that white tourists were given priority during the evacuation”. “On Monday, France’s Representative Council of Black Associations asked the government for a parliamentary inquiry, citing concerns on the evacuation ABC
further reported. “In my eyes, Irma is for the French Antilles what Hurricane Katrina was for Louisiana in the U.S. — an exposer of racial and social inequalities,” said LouisGeorges Tin, the FRCBA spokesman. Cuba, despite at least ten dead and the ravages brought to its own shores, was still able to send electrical workers to Antigua and hundreds of medical personnel to its Caribbean neighbors in more dire need and distress. From Texas to Florida to the Caribbean islands, there is pain, anguish and unknown futures. Those of us safe and sound and in comfort, would do well to remember those who are not and how close we are every day to becoming one of them. (David Mark Greaves)