RE: gentrification revisited....?

[Rebekah Buckles <reb@sna.com>]

Emery...don't have any easy answers to your comments.  But I do know
that far greater opportunities rest within the power of each of us as
individuals than to looking outside ourselves for others to hand us our
existence.  My analogy of this to nature is that an apple tree does not
bear its fruit from without, it can only bear its fruit and sustain its
life from within.  When you say that we look to government and
government is not doing very well -- in many cases we are talking about
ourselves.  I can remember my surprise when years ago I found out that
big business ran big government.  I've learned over a span of living
that the only thing I can change is me, which makes the power of my
choice -- my stand in my beliefs, my integrity, my commitment to action
very precious.  In learning this about myself, I recognize that it is
the birthright of others to claim the same for their life.  In "feeding"
someone, I have robbed them of this opportunity.  But in providing them
the resources and tools to challenge, invest and build their own future,
I have assisted and contributed to their sustainability.  In influencing
government, in conducting business and in my investment in and along
side humanity and nature, this is the approach I use.

Rebekah

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Emery Graham [SMTP:"egraham"@ci.wilmington.de.us]
> Sent:	Thursday, June 03, 1999 10:11 PM
> To:	cpeo-brownfields@igc.org
> Subject:	Re: gentrification revisited....?
> 
> Rebekah,
> I think that the idea of human capital investment is a major part of
> the
> long term solution to the problems of poverty, but in the short term,
> when
> displacement occurs, it seems impossible to mobilize the resources to
> do as
> you suggest. What resources do the residents of brownfield areas have
> to
> invest. What social capital do they own(there is an answer to this one
> that
> noone likes.)? Oh, do you happen to know any government officials, or
> private sector investors, that would willingly act to do as you
> suggest re
> the residents of the area surrounding their project site? Government
> is who
> we look to. It's not doing very well.
> 
> There's no guarantee on their, or any groups, forward movement. Given
> the
> rules of the game, Capitalism and Democracy, our choices, in the short
> term
> are few. There is an inertia involved that, on the part of the
> residents and
> those wishing to help them, must be engaged. I'd like to hear more on
> your
> thoughts on this.
> 
> Emery