Monday, July 02, 2007
SWOP homepageThe People's Freedom Caravan & USSF: Summing Up
Sandra Montes:
This trip was worth all the many hours we spent on the caravan. It was a lot of fun, and seeing the many people on the opening march was amazing. The forum and workshops were great, I learned a lot.
This trip was worth all the many hours we spent on the caravan. It was a lot of fun, and seeing the many people on the opening march was amazing. The forum and workshops were great, I learned a lot.
Salvador Montes:
I especially enjoyed going to New Orleans, and getting to see firsthand what happened there. The government has prioritized the tourist areas and the poor people are not helped, and have a hard time coming back. The tours we went on were very interesting. At the forum, I got a lot out of the workshops also.
Miguel Roman:
Being on the bus so many hours has been tiring, but the caravan has been good. The places we visited before we got to Atlanta were very educational and interesting. The workshops at the forum were all good.
Martin Dorado:
It was a great experience to meet so many people united to fight injustice throughout the country. I was awed at the amount of issues that were being fought by various groups within the United States. The USSF March was a new and exciting experience for me. The march made me feel a sense of power and unity with other people who are fighting the same struggle to stop injustice and promote equality within our borders. I learned a lot at the various workshops and enjoyed networking with the people.
Monique Dorado:
I enjoyed marching and meeting new people and making new friends.
Rita Dorado:
It was a great experience to go on this trip. I feel that my children gained a whole new perspective about our social system. I think that the rally against Wal-Mart was a little frightening, especially when I saw the police standing at the Wal-Mart parking lot. I felt that they, the police, should have being worried about us not getting hurt during the rally rather then focusing their attention on protecting a concrete building. The Atlanta News broadcasters, made us sound as if were vigilantes out to the get the “good citizens “ of Atlanta Which only brought home the message that Karlos Schmieder was talking about that, “Media Justice” does not exist in America.
Ilsa Garduno:
I found that many general concepts were clarified for me, i.e. in Palestine the Israeli government demolishes homes of Palestinians. This is an extreme form of gentrification. Gentrification is the first step on the way to apartide .Demolitions orders are issued for homes which don’t have permits. Palestinians cannot get permits to build homes, so it is a catch 22. Palestinians resist by rebuilding their houses four to five times what ever it takes. Building walls is another way to achieve apartide. So we must be sure that there is no wall built on the Border and that the rural nature of the South Valley does not change. Regarding the criminalization of our society we are going to have to bypass the criminal justice system. and not call the police. This trip will be provide much grist for the mill for our discussions when we return home!
