I have this friend who says, and rightly so, that Georgia is the Wild West of planning and zoning.
I wish I could distance myself from this, but I can't. It's everywhere begging for the symbolism of it to be recognized, named, called what it is. A crying shame? Criminal? The likely conclusion? The slow motion accident?
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| Spaces never leased. |
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| Vultures and Herons gossip in the dry retention pond. |
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| What symbolism? |
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| It's their's now. |
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| In or out? |
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| Unfinished business. |
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| Getting out while the gettin's good? |
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| 128 empty lots since 2008 or 2009 |
In my own neighborhood.
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| Foreclosed. |
When we moved here in April of 2009, the guy who lived here rode his lawnmower like a stallion, a sense of lawn-related pride making his ruddy skin glow in the the afternoon sun.
Now it belongs to the bank. The bank has chosen to let Nature be the caretaker.
Yeah, I could use some distance from this. But with the Congressional shenanigans doing nothing to help the 99% of us not sitting on piles of growing money, the corporate media's complicity and the ability of those in the high offices looking down upon Zucotti Park to descend in their marble elevators to waiting cars that purr, I mean
purr, when you turn the key in the ignition, and drive away having zero contact with the little people, the impact we've felt so far will be fondly remembered as a feather light touch in days to come.
While those of us who continue to play by the rules because we're bereft of options and imagination and the gas and bail money to join The Revolution are wading into the muddy waters with stones in our pockets, those who made this mess and those who helped and those who refuse to acknowledge it and those who refuse to force some accountability on them all move further and further away into the distance.
Randal and his
spooky noochies which aren't nearly as depressing.
UPDATED:
Geoffrey takes us on a trip.
Those involved in the Révolution Française, aka, The French Revolution, in the early 1790s may have found the right method for dealing with nobles, bankers and autocrats.
ReplyDeleteBut today! Their justice would be so much more impressive with tv coverage and tabloid journalism. Alas, no post-judgement interviews or books from the guilty.
♪ Abandoned strip malls, empty office spaces, these are a few of my favorite things ♫
ReplyDeleteWait, I'm the upbeat one? I almost feel insulted.
Nothing will change, no matter how much #OccupyInsertTownHere expands unless the one percent feel they might literally (the proper use of the word) get their ass handed to their bleeding torso on a plate and since most of us aren't willing to go that route, expect the fuckery to continue at least until the first steps of the zombie apocalypse.
Ah, now I feel better.
Ah, so sad.
ReplyDeleteWe had a couple houses go under in my neighborhood and we all chipped in to mow and rake and keep the houses looking like they were still lived in. Helped the general mood of the area and helped people who might buy feel that they were safe in the move.
Of course, the neighborhood is urban and there's more neighbors and less yard to care for.
I heard someone once say that the American people would not revolt until there was a shortage of food in the grocery stores, that we are too fat and too complacent to want to risk any sort of discomfort...
Pearl
It's a telling series of pictures you've posted for this one and sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteAs far as #occupy is concerned, there's no knowing how far it will go or whether it will be infiltrated or co-opted but it's good to see that people all over the place are participating. There may be a different reason for each and every angry person but at least we know lots of people have been paying attention.
It is difficult to distance oneself from our current malaise. Pictures can help, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteYuck. That's all I've got. Just yuck.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Too sad.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I was, looking for a little cheering up!
ReplyDeleteAt least Georgia can laugh at Tennessee (for a day).
~
I think the protesters in Zucotti Park have shown themselves to be nimble and creative and they have the right degree of cynacism (enough to not trust the democrats, but not enough to not give a shit). They are preparing to stay. In fact, there was an article today saying that they are looking to rent a commercial kitchen so they can provide hot meals to people in the square during the winter. They are digging in.
ReplyDeleteugh. yes, yes, yes. my favorite thing though are all the "princesses" who stay at home and wonder why I am not over-joyed at the fact I can now stay home with my daughter. yes, I love her, but I want to keep my house. ;P
ReplyDeleteEvery time Ii drrive through my neighborhood, I see these houses, abandonned, grass and weeds trying to suck them back into the earth, the illusion that the earth is reclaiming space that we have squatted on.
ReplyDeleteI can't wrap my head around families being kicked out with nowhere to go and perfectly good houses remaining empty. It's the same when farmers are paid not to harvest to keep prices in check when people are hungry.
Surely, if this is the best we can do, we deserve everything that will soon be handed us.
Please ignore all of the double letters...damn phone keyboard.
ReplyDelete