#gloria rubac

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

From Gloria Rubac in Houston, Texas:

Took photos this afternoon around 4:00 from the Hogan bridge over I-45 just North of downtown and a couple of I-10 at Shepherd.

Didn't think anything worse than Hurricane Allison would happen in my lifetime. My heart is breaking watching the physical and mental suffering people are dealing with.

Capitalist planning doesn't include people's needs. They can plan all their fucking wars but can't plan for natural disasters.

SMASH THIS DAMNED SYSTEM‼️

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Eyewitness Harvey: Toxic chemicals, biased coverage and prisons

By Gloria Rubac

Houston, Aug. 28 — I grew up in Oklahoma’s “tornado alley.” I’ve lived on the Texas Gulf Coast for almost 50 years. I survived Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, which caused what was then called “unprecedented historic flooding.” Lost my house to Hurricane Ike in 2008, and still see blue FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] tarps on roofs in the Fifth Ward’s African-American community.

But nothing has prepared me for Harvey. I hear the facts on TV: 9 trillion gallons of water dumped on Houston; 56,000 911 calls in 15 hours; 12 people dead from drowning.

But I think, does this mean anything to the family stuck on top of their apartment complex trying to be rescued with their three kids and two dogs?  What about the pregnant young woman whose due date just passed but whose car flooded out? What about the 9,000 prisoners in downtown Houston, locked up in one of the largest county jail complexes in the country?

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Eyewitness Harvey: Working-class rescue, gov’t neglect

By Gloria Rubac

Houston, Sept. 4 — The flood waters have not receded in parts of southwest Houston. Cities near the Louisiana border are still flooded. Things are easing up, but it’s certainly not over and won’t be for a long time. ...

There’s a lot on TV about Red Cross aid, but there are also people who have no paid staff, no funding, but are doing heroic work in the most oppressed communities. The National Black United Front here regularly does “Feed the Hood” events. So when they asked, donations came flooding in from around the country, including two full 18-wheelers from Dallas. Along with Black Lives Matter, RBG Unity and the JOHARA Initiative have worked for four days straight in the heat, humidity and mud to clean homes, feed people and leave them with water and supplies. ...

Prisoners are suffering because of the state and federal prison systems’ failure to plan for emergencies. Some prisons have been evacuated several times in the last few years. Yet it’s always the same — not enough water, no cots for evacuees and only peanut butter and bologna sandwiches.

According to prisoner and activist Nanon Williams, whom I visited yesterday, he and 580 other men are sleeping on a gym floor with ants, roaches and snakes crawling on them! ...

The Houston metropolitan area is home to more than 600,000 undocumented people. The fear of deportation has prevented untold numbers of them from seeking help or going to centers during the flood. More than 26,000 people are registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and they now fear being deported if President Donald Trump ends DACA. ...

The one joy I’ve seen since Harvey is that working-class folks have done a massive job of rescuing people, without money or recognition. It’s the little neighborhood churches and community organizations; it’s places like S.H.A.P.E. (Self-Help for African People through Education) Community Center that are raising funds and helping people navigate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

[risemovement-blog]

Activist Gloria Rubec attended the Prison Board Meeting on Friday, April 15 where she and other activist attended to demand that they rescind the the inmate media ban rule. Here's what she had to say, "They were totally not interested and very hostile. They limited each of the 18 people who signed up to speak to only one minute. Then all those who signed in with the same topic had to pick one person to speak for them. It was appalling and disgusting and we left feeling angry and just pissed off."