Wake Up People, Wake Up!

The phenomenon of boarded up buildings and vacant lots are nothing new to poor neighborhoods, nor can it be a coincidence that the bulk of the people who live in such neighborhoods are people of color. I'm sure, likewise, that we are all familiar with the hazards that these abandoned buildings pose to the residents and those just passing through. But recently there has been anew twist added to this macabre game. Houses all over the city (especially in our neighborhoods) have begun to be marked for demolition with a huge unsightly red "X" emblazoned on the front of the building. I cannot help but feel that this is having a profound effect on the psyche of our children and even the adults, to have houses in the places where we live marked for destruction. I feel that it also marks we who inhabit these places for destruction, too. Where are the voices of outrage, protest, and dissent among our black, "so-called' leaders? Yeah...they're silent. Gil Scott-Heron said, "Whatever happened to the voices of the sane? Whatever happened to the people who gave a damn?"