Man oh man! I’m sure some of you have known about this for quite some time but it’s definitely news to me. I surely don’t want to become that person who believes that EVERYTHING was created and ultimately stolen from Blac…I’m sorry, Melanin-Dominant people. But the more I learn each day that’s the conclusion I’m coming to.
I shouldn’t be surprised at this point in the game that if you’re a Caucasia…oops, Melanin-Recessive individual, hailed as an master creator/innovator specifically in the entertainment industry, especially in HOLLYWEIRD, there should be an entire 52-story building dedicated for all sorts of doubt.
Just how much input did they have in the “masterpieces” they produce?
The 99% of us don’t really know what going behind those scenes, behind those credits we see on the screen or even in written literature. We’re just believing the word of our Massa, the powers-that-be. Seems like everything we consume on the entertainment realm is a psyop. Literally I can’t watch that idiot box anymore just for my entertainment, unless I’m decoding it, without having to go through a deprogramming ritual to rid myself of the madness.
But anyway, for those of you who may not know about this, this may capture your interest. Please read it:
Laurence Fishburne and Sophia Stewart It looks like ANOTHER example in a long, long history of WHITE THEFT of black intellectual property, which includes inventions, music, dance, and, yes, novels …
Within the last four to six months I have done a bit of traveling, from Kansas City to Mobile, Al and other locations. I’ve noticed something that I did not pay any attention to in the past in my Fat Man days. The trips were taken by car, so I’ve spent countless hours on the highway. When I was younger I used to love to travel. I dreamed myself one day taking a cross-country trip across the country seeing all of the sights and countryside that I could possibly take in.
I still have that dream, but it will probably have to come with a disclaimer stating…
**YOU WILL MORE THAN LIKELY GAIN 5-10 POUNDS IN DURING THIS TRIP**
Well, obviously, we tend to get a little carried away with our eating habits when we’re on the road. That is a known fact, nothing new there. But do we really eat that much food when we are out of town? I mean, I’ve come back from these trips three sometimes five pounds heavier than when I left. At this point in my life, I weigh myself practically every other day to keep track of my weight. It’s a tedious habit, but damn it, I refuse to lose over a 100 pounds AGAIN! I sweat bullets every time I step on the scale.
But hey, if I’m eating the right things I shouldn’t worry, right?!
I don’t eat too crazy on these trips to warrant these considerable jumps on the scales, especially after only a three-,four-day trip. It’s possible, but not likely. I try to stick to the diet that I maintain at home. No meat, majority raw fruits and vegetables. I could be retaining water from these trips.
My next question is, how is that possible?
Considering that I take my exercise regimen on the road, running between 5-7 miles at the closest park I can find. I do find time to sweat out any water I may retain. So how am I still coming back home heavier that I left?
Could it be the actual traveling aspect? Sitting in the car for four to five hours at a time, sometimes ten to twelve (i.e. Atlanta to Kansas City)?
Is it natural for the body to sit that long without any movement?
Answer: “Duh, course not!”
Let’s rephrase the question: Is it natural to sit in a car, an artificial mechanism, for long periods of time, which prevents the body to perform any of its natural movements such as walking?
Answer: “Duh, of course not! That’s why you need to get out and stretch every so often.”
Hey, that’s true. You should take stretch breaks besides the “gas and eat” stops.
But does it really help? Or is it an act with diminishing returns?
How much do we, the common man and woman, know in detail the consequences that heavy traveling specifically by car has on our biology/anatomy?
We can say with certainty that the car is an artificial creation. They are not grown or born from the earth in any shape,form, or any capacity. Massive MAN-ipulation has to occur for the car to be created. It’s not natural AT ALL. We know with the creation of the car countless people have been displaced from their neighborhoods to make way for new roads, the blood (oil) of Mother Earth is constantly being extracted to feed the car, and carbon emissions have quadrupled because of the waste of the car. Not to mention the countless lives, man and animal, that are lost from car accidents that are perpetuated by drunken and non-attentive (texting while driving) drivers.
All to save time, a illusion in itself. And to look good while we’re doing it. Ha, artificial vanity!
We KNOW in detail the damage the car has done to the collective environment as a whole.So what is it not too conceivable to think that this artificial concoction is harming our anatomy in ways we can’t fathom?
Driving at speeds that our bodies may not be built to handle at a molecular level?
Disconnecting our bodily vehicles, gifted to us by the Creator, from the earth?
Causing our body to retain waste that many of us consume during our travels?
Is it really that inconceivable?
Hey, I forgot to mention all of the artificial electrical components within the car, these modern brand new cars, that are potentially harming us without our knowledge as well.
Again I ask, is it really that inconceivable?
And we’re just talking about the car. What about the plane? The train? The boat?
Ha, let me stop.
I feel for the people who have to commute at least 45 minutes to an hour, even more for some, to work one-way. Can you imagine maintaining, let alone losing, weight while spending 25% -35% of your work day commuting to and fro from a job that more than likely only requires you to work at your desk computer for the remaining 65%-75%? On the American diet that consists of fast DEAD food and heavily processed, artificial foods bought from corporations such as Wal-Mart?
I remember my dad playing The Jacksons Destiny album when I was a little kid and I got hooked then. This song really stuck out with me in particular. I resonated with me and at the time I couldn’t understand why. I didn’t quite understand myself then the way I do now. Today it makes TOO MUCH sense to me as to why it resonates with me. It describes me in every way imaginable. I’ve never been a person to fancy the finer things in life, or to get caught up in the big lights aka the illusion. I just want to live the simple life, nothing more, nothing less. I consider this song a classic in my book. No matter how Michael Jackson was portrayed in the media when he was alive, I still admired him and respected his gift to touch the spirit of the man. He touched man with this track. Hope you enjoy! – The Melanated Man
“Destiny”
By The Jacksons
In this world there’s so much confusion And I’ve tasted the city life and it’s not for me Now I do dream of distant places Where I don’t know now, but it’s Destiny
If it’s the rich life, I don’t want it Happiness ain’t always material things
I want Destiny It’s the place for me Give me the simple life I’m getting away from here Let me be free, let me be me
I’m a man that’s for all seasons What the city offers me ain’t naturally I look to greet the stars But there’s no stars to see Gonna search this world until I find my Destiny
If it’s the rich life, I don’t want it Happiness ain’t always material things
I want Destiny It’s the place for me Give me the simple life I’m getting away from here Let me be free, let me be me
I’m a man that’s for all seasons What the city offers me ain’t naturally I look to greet the stars But there’s no stars to see Gonna search this world until I find my Destiny
I wanna be far from here Should I up and fly away so fancy free Nobody can change my mind I’m screamming out these words for me While time Destiny, ah destiny, it’s calling me Destiny, a place for me Ah, destiny I want destiny It’s the place for me…
I had cut back on eggs myself, maybe an omelet here and there every blue moon. I’m very familiar with the cruelty of animals so this doesn’t surprises me at all. But that’s one more treat I can cut off of my list. I’m DONE with eggs. I’m gonna end not eating anything after awhile lol. -The Melanated Man
Eggs: A classic, vegetarian breakfast food with just the right amount of protein and fat… At least, that’s what the corporations want you to think. In reality, the protein and fat found in eggs are linked to multiple diseases, including heart disease, and the processes involved with producing eggs are so far from humane, I wouldn’t consider them a “vegetarian” food.
Do you truly know how eggs are produced in the first place? Fair warning: The content in this article is graphic and, after learning how eggs are really made, you may never eat them again.
Here’s How Eggs Are Really Produced
Hens naturally lay eggs, so eating eggs is considered “natural,” right? Wrong. For starters, hens naturally only lay about 12 eggs per year in the wild, whereas hens living on factory farms are genetically mutated to lay between 250 and 300 eggs per year.
Egg laying isn’t a fun process for hens. It’s comparable to the human labour process and can take up to 26 hours to occur. In comparison, that’s like forcing women to be on their period every day for an entire year, just so another species could consume what’s coming out of them. Sounds pretty gross, right? It also takes a lot of calcium for hens to lay eggs in bulk, so many hens end up breaking bones, developing osteoporosis, or even becoming paralyzed.
The reason I don’t consider eggs a vegetarian food is because chickens do, in fact, die in the process. Since male chickens can’t lay eggs, thousands are disposed of all the time. These chickens are slaughtered en masse by either grinding them up alive, disposing of them in garbage bags where they suffocate to death, or throwing them directly into dumpsters where they’ll eventually die. Alternatively, sometimes these chickens get sold and turned into feed for other animals, or even to just hens!
Even though female chicks are the ones producing the eggs, they’re not treated very well, either. This is not only inhumane, it’s also illogical — it makes no sense from a financial perspective to mistreat the animals these corporations profit from. Most hens only live until they’re about a year and a half old because they face so many health risks and are then slaughtered.
The conditions on factory farms are extremely unhealthy, with typically 125,000 hens squeezed into one shed alone, which often leads to hens getting infections, especially because there’s fecal matter everywhere. It’s common for them toinjure or kill one another, too, and at any given time, 6 million hens are being starved in their cages.
This process obviously isn’t environmentally sound either. Since the conditions are so poor and eggs are mass produced, there’s a significant amount of land and water required, as a dozen eggs requires 2,400 liters of water to process.
The following video by Erin Janus perfectly depicts what’s wrong with the way eggs are mass produced:
What About Organic, Cage-Free Eggs?
Some people prefer to purchase cage-free or organic eggs because they’re branded as coming from “happy hens” living a more natural lifestyle. Although organic may be the healthier option, unfortunately, the “cage-free” label is merely a marketing scheme used by corporations to make you think you’re choosing the “cruelty-free” option.
In order to meet industry standards, organic and cage-free farms can keep 20,000 hens in one shed. This number is still large enough to allow for the same health hazards to threaten hens. These hens may not live in cages, but they are still crammed into a confined space without access to sunlight. Many of the birds die, their carcasses rot, some get diseases, and other birds fight each other to the death.
At organic chicken farms specifically, it’s standard practice for the hens’ beaks to be chopped off. And no, this isn’t a humane practice — their beaks contain many nerves and pain receptors. This practice is actually done because it prevents birds from plucking out their feathers, a natural response they have to stress and pain.
To address this issue, animal rights activist group Direct Action Everywhere released an undercover video exposing the poor conditions at a Costco egg farm in California that’s labelled as “cage-free.” The conditions are horrific and the video footage shows that many of the birds were covered in blood and feces and some were even plucked to death. You can watch the short video here:
You Probably Shouldn’t Be Eating Eggs Anyways
Many of you reading this may be saying, “Eggs are still a healthy source of protein and fat.” What you may not know is that the health risks associated with eggs far outweigh the benefits.
As Michelle McMacken, MD, explains, “Landmark studies have shown that when omnivores eat choline or carnitine (found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy), gut bacteria make a substance that is converted by our liver to a toxic product called TMAO. TMAO leads to worsening cholesterol plaques in our blood vessels and escalates the risk of heart attack and stroke.”
Harvard University researchers recently published a study in JAMA Internal Medicine that examined the association of animal and plant protein with mortality rates and causes as well as longevity of life. They studied approximately 130,000 people for 36 years, monitoring their diet, lifestyle, illness, and mortality.The study found that replacing eggs with plant-based protein led to a 19% reduction in death risk.
Eggs are clearly not conducive to living an environmentally sustainable, healthy, and cruelty-free lifestyle. So, I encourage you to reflect on this knowledge and ask yourself: Does it truly serve me and my body to eat eggs?
Article posted on Waking Times (click link for original post)
Pedro Aquila, Staff Writer
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is pushing to streamline the approval of 5G cell towers, overriding the little regulation that exists to legalize use of experimental high frequencies without extensive safety testing. Untested frequencies in the range of 28 gigahertz to 100 Ghz or more are set to be deployed all around us without our consent, emanating from an even greater number of new, smaller cell towers.
“To make this work, the 5G buildout is going to be very infrastructure intensive, requiring massive deployment of small cells.” ~Tom Wheeler, Former FCC Chairman and corporate lobbyist
Some are talking about using even higher frequencies, in the terahertz range, much higher than previous networks.
“US FCC wants to “streamline” the approval process for DAS (Distributed Antenna System) 4G/5G ubiquitous cell towers by exempting them from the 1996 Telecommunications Act!
And the US Senate will imminently be voting on S.19 and S.88, to expand DAS 4G/5G deployment!
If such efforts succeed, millions of small cell towers (on existing light poles/utility poles, or new ones) will be deployed everywhere, throughout residential neighborhoods. The millimeter microwave radiation deployed will produce horrific health effects, worsening EVERYONE’s health, and will remove the remaining pollinators. It’s THAT serious.The bees in particular will die off rapidly, per studies of bees and microwave radiation.”
“In essence, 5G will be the mobile networks, often referred to as cell phone towers, that power wireless technology. But get this: As we’re expected to start shifting toward 5G technology around the early 2020s, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler says we can expect to see a lot more of those mobile towers.
So while we may enjoy anywhere from 10 to 50 times faster connection speeds that help fuel better data consumption, we may in return get millions of new cell phone towers on our street corners. (Our current 4G LTE technology relies on about 200,000 cell phone towers around the U.S.) But 5G needs a much denser network, meaning many more cell towers of all sizes all over the place. (3) The fact that these things have never been proven safe — and that worrisome science is cropping up around wireless technology — is cause for concern.
And it seems this 5G plan is full speed ahead. On July 14, 2016, the FCC voted to approve Spectrum Frontiers, making the U.S. the first country in the world to open up higher-frequency millimeter wave spectrum for the development of 5G fifth-generation wireless cellular technology. Environmental Health Trust is voicing concerns because health, safety and environmental evaluations to understand the impact on humans, wildlife and the environment have not been done.
In fact, before the FCC gave 5G the green light, the agency was flooded with comments in opposition to 5G.”
5G is being presented as the next stage of evolution in communications technology, and being promoted with enthusiastic headlines, such as:
For background on 5G, watch this video from Take Back Your Power, featuring Tom Wheeler, Former FCC Chairman and corporate lobbyist, who delivers a rather intimidating and presumptuous speech praising this new technology.
But what about the people already suffering with symptoms of EMF radiation from wifi, smart phones, smart meters, and newer vehicles? The dangers of certain new technologies, as is the case with some biotech and toxic foods, represent a much more insidious reality: cancer causing, body disrupting frequencies.
The attitude of such technological innovators is perfectly represented in by Tom Wheeler’s statements, pushing for American exceptionalism, demanding 5G deployment as soon as possible with little to no testing of the effects on human beings or the natural environment. He says billions of dollars are ‘damn important,’ with the part mentioning billions of dollars mysteriously absent from the speech’s official transcsript.
“If the Commission approves my proposal next month, the United States will be the first country in the world to open up high-band spectrum for 5G networks and applications. And that’s damn important because it means U.S. companies will be first out of the gate.”
At events like this, people reasonably approaching the notion of danger are ostracized, while lobbyists like Tom Wheeler condescendingly say things like “talk to the medical people,” in response to genuine concerns.
For a deeper insight into the mainstream narrative of the splendors of cell technologies , this video is a sales pitch for the road 1G to 5G.
We’re already being steered in this direction, forced into a future of smart devices and the internet of things, and it could get so much worse from here. How many rising illnesses, how many symptoms, how many cases of salivary gland cancer, brain cancer, and EMF hypersensitivity will we discover along the way?
As Kevin Mottus said in the above video from Take Back Your Power, we need to fight this with much more persistence.
See the following links for information on the effects of cell technologies, as well as info on what you can do to protect yourself.
“Below is what I call my List of Irrefutability. We can soon reach a turning point, but our voices are each needed at this time. Please quote from and or share these links:” ~Kevin Mottus
The study of evolution is filled with controversies. Some scientists believe that mankind continues to move forward and this will always be the case, while others believe humanity has reached its final stage of evolution, and is now currently in an era of stagnation.
“I think that we’ve stopped evolving,” said English broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Because if natural selection, as proposed by Darwin, is the main mechanism of evolution – there may be other things, but it does look as though that’s the case – then we’ve stopped natural selection.
We stopped natural selection as soon as we started being able to rear 95–99 per cent of our babies that are born.
We are the only species to have put a halt to natural selection, of its own free will, as it were.
But John Hawks, an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, disagrees:
We have evolved in our recent past, and we will continue to do so as long as we are around. If we take the more than seven million years since humans split from our last common ancestor with chimpanzees and convert it to a 24-hour day, the past 30,000 years would take about a mere six minutes. Yet much has unfolded during this last chapter of our evolution: vast migrations into new environments, dramatic changes in diet and a more than 1,000-fold increase in global population. All those new people added many unique mutations to the total population. The result was a pulse of rapid natural selection. Human evolution is not stopping. If anything, it is accelerating.
Thinking about evolution — whether it’s accelerating or stagnating — is both fascinating and mind boggling at the same time. But the controversy of it has led modern illustrators to present the subject at hand in a much different way than arguments on paper or in person. In fact, these illustrators are putting their imaginations to work to show these two opposing scientific assumptions in a satirical way, and honestly, it’s just as thought-provoking as the lengthy arguments on either side of the scientific table.
The following images will make you wonder: Have we gotten better or worse? Have we advanced technology, or has it simply overtaken us? Think of sitting down with your grandparents, and how your discussions on the world, and where we are, and who we are, differ. Many of us might find ourselves in a common argument. Grandparents believe younger generations have become mere robots, forgetting what hard work looks like and what the outdoors smells like. The younger generations may believe we have created so many advancements to better the world we live in that it’s a fair tradeoff. Of course, this is merely an example and cannot speak for everyone, but it’s interesting to see how generations apart can vary on outlook, such as scientists do.
Take a look at the following 15 illustrations and decide for yourself where you stand on the topic, or even just see what the images provoke your brain to think!
People tend to get wrapped up in the negatives of life. We find reasons to complain, we find reasons to be sad, we relish in the fact that misery loves company. It can be hard, as a journalist, to get stuck reporting on just the bad stuff, because there is a lot of work that must be done to improve the world we live in, and the bad news is valuable in prompting people to wake up and make a change for the better.
But to be collectively evolved for the better, we have to pave a path of light, and journalists have the wonderful opportunity to help create that journey.
Just like one story can disturb you, others can lift you up. Scrolling through social media you might suddenly be warmed by the simple sight of a puppy, and it reminds you how important it is to surround yourself with things that warm your soul, while also learning how the bad news has prompted good news to happen.
A general theme of 2016 was just how bad the year was. We harped on war, lost celebrities, deaths, political scandals, and more. But what about all of the amazing things that happened?
Last year may have had its downfalls, but so many wonderful things worth acknowledging happened, too. Here are 11 of those stories to put a dose of positivity in your life, and to remember that it’s not all bad. In fact, there’s so much beauty, and so much goodness too.
A zero-fuel plane completed a trip around the world
André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard were told by the aviation industry that flying day and night without any fuel was impossible, but the pilots proved them wrong, becoming the first of their kind to circumnavigate the globe in a solar-powered plane. Such news gives hope for a clean and sustainable future.
U.S. carbon dioxide emissions have drastically dropped
They are so low in fact, that they dropped to their lowest level since 1991, thanks to natural gas and hydro power gaining a greater share of the U.S. electricity mix.
For the first time since 1054, Leaders of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches have met with each other
Pope Francis became the first pontiff to ever meet a patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Christian leaders let go of centuries of division for the historic event that was held in a room at the Havana airport.
The plastic crisis could be over in the foreseeable future
With five trillion pieces of plastic currently in the ocean, it’s nice to hear that the Ocean Cleanup Project is working to remove 40 percent of it over the next 10 years by emulating a coastline. The operation runs on power generated from ocean currents.
Giant pandas are no longer endangered
The news was announced this past September by the International Union for Conservation. Currently, 67 reserves exist in China spanning 5,400 square miles for the pandas.
China put an end to the ivory trade
By the end of 2017, the country plans to have completely ended the ivory trade, ending a controversial business steeped in greed for a simple status symbol. The market being restricted in China will save about 20,000 elephants annually.
Twenty countries made a commitment to protect marine environments
Protected marine parks have now been implemented in various countries, including the U.S., who created the largest of them all just off the coast of Hawaii, spanning 1,140,000 square kilometers.
The manatee has been taken off the endangered species list
Though it is now considered “threatened,” which is still unfortunate, news that the species has flourished in recent years is certainly worthy of attention. In Florida alone, there has been a 500 percent increase in the manatee population.
World hunger reached a 25-year low
In 2010, there were 821 malnourished people in the world. Today, however, there are now 795 million. Though that number is still devastatingly too high, the extreme drop of 26 million people no longer being starving provides hope, and proof we are moving in the right direction to correct the problem.
After 100 years, tiger populations are finally coming back
One hundred years ago, tigers were endangered, but they are finally starting to see a slight increase once again. A global survey from the WWF revealed that the wild tiger population has increased to 3,890. Since 2010, an increase of 690 tigers have boosted the population. The rise is largely in part due to conservation successes in India, Russia, and Nepal.
Costa Rica’s electrical grid can now power on renewable energy
Thanks to its small size, and utilizing low-energy industries, Costa Rica was able to run on 100 percent renewable energy for 76 days straight, making it the second time it’s done so in a row. The news proves that drawing on multiple energy sources both at a regional and local level can permit for major cut downs on fossil fuels.
Also, there is a shift in overall global consciousness that is helping to raise our awareness and see the truth of what’s going on in our world so we can make real, lasting and drastic change that will allow us to thrive on earth together. It’s a time to be optimistic and centre ourselves in love. You can watch our latest feature documentary all about it here.
The Italian government is considering a new policy that may force African migrants to perform free labor as a condition for asylum, underscoring the harsh reality — even modern-day enslavement — facing Black people in the European country.
Under a proposal introduced by Marco Minniti, Italy’s Interior Minister, thousands of Black migrants will be required to engage in “socially useful” work as their asylum claims are processed, The Times reported. The plan also would expedite the expulsions of economic migrants.
Last year, a record 181,000 migrants arrived in Italy via the Mediterranean Sea, and between January and October of last year, nearly 100,000 Black people, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, applied for asylum. They live in crowded migrant centers and are allowed to work while they wait for their applications to process, typically for pennies in the fields. Italy has attracted migrants from all over, Eastern Europeans as well, due to the agriculture industry and the conditions they face at home. For Africans, Southern Italy has been a popular destination due to its proximity to the North African coast.
Some towns already ask refugees to perform “community service” in the form of street sweeping and cleaning parks and gardens, according to The Telegraph. “It allows people to get to know the foreigners and understand they are not just people you see on street corners,” said Luca Menesini, the mayor of Capannori in Tuscany. Up until now, those efforts have been voluntary. However, under the new government plan to be proposed by Minniti, labor would be mandatory, possibly as a requirement to receive a weekly living allowance.
According to a 2012 report from Amnesty International, Italy’s agricultural sector is highly reliant on migrant labor, which accounts for a quarter of the days worked and probably amounts to even more. Amnesty has criticized Italy for its criminalization of undocumented migrants, which it says allows this labor exploitation to thrive. The report also found that exploitation of migrant labor is widespread, particularly in Southern Italy. As was reported by the American Sociological Association.
Southern Italian agriculture is known for low wages, where farm workers who harvest tomatoes are made to live in ghettos, shantytowns and abandoned houses. According to Amnesty, these migrants, who are paid as little as €25 a day, ($27) “live in derelict buildings and makeshift shelters without running water, electricity or heating.” Further, 86 percent of workers do not have an employment contract and are paid under the table, according to the Italian aid group Doctors for Human Rights. “We were working from 6 in the morning to 6 in the evening, every day of the week, for 20 euros a day,” ($21) said Kojo, a migrant worker from Togo, in the Amnesty report. “We could not take breaks, not even for eating. We used to eat the oranges on the trees.”
The exploitation is not limited to agriculture but extends also to construction, where gangs and mafia-type criminal organizations maintain an oppressive contract-labor system that has become known as caporalato. Though illegal, the practice is common. Italian trade unions estimate that between 300,000 and 400,000 mostly African laborers are subjected to caporalato conditions, according to AFP. Further, Amnesty notes that nonpayment of wages is common, and the Italian justice system has failed to protect the victims of these labor abuses.
The abuse of African migrants also extends to children. The UN refugee agency found that nearly 26,000 unaccompanied minors came to Italy last year, more than twice the number from 2015, The Telegraph reported. Most were from Eritrea, Nigeria, Gambia and Egypt, and are especially susceptible to abuse and exploitation. Many are forced into prostitution.
In addition, African asylum seekers are subjected to deplorable living conditions in the detention facilities. According to The Local, protests broke out in the Cona migrant center in the Veneto region of Italy following the death of a 25-year-old woman named Sandrine Bakayoko, an Ivory Coast native, from a blood clot on January 4. Workers at the facility reportedly waited several hours before calling an ambulance. Asylum seekers reportedly cut the electricity to the facility and set fire to furniture and other items. Meanwhile, 25 staff members barricaded themselves inside a room overnight, according to The Local.
Members of parliament who visited the center last November denounced the “serious structural deficiencies” they witnessed. One MP condemned the poor living conditions, including lack of water and light, calling the facility a “ticking time bomb.” More than 1,400 people were housed in an area meant for only 15 people.
Italy is now using the revolt as grounds to speed up the deportations of Africans. “We have saved many lives, but we cannot accept rule-breaking. We need to speed up deportations,” Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said in an interview with La Stampa daily.
“When I’m in government, there will be mass expulsions, center closures and the Navy ships will send people back after saving them,” far-right leader Matteo Salvini of the Northern League wrote on Facebook. “Enough! 2017 will be the year of sending them back.”
Why do the Africans come in the first place? Thousands are crossing the Mediterranean to Europe through Libya, often risking their lives, in order to find a better life. The toppling of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi created a power vacuum, rendering the country’s 1,100-mile coastline an open border and allowing gangs to smuggle migrants in overcrowded sea vessels, as MSNBC reported. Unlike Syrian refugees who are fleeing a catastrophic civil war, those who arrive in Italy from sub-Saharan Africa are leaving due to extreme economic deprivation, oppressive governments and terrorist groups.
Eritrea, for example, accounted for the largest number of migrants at 40,000 in 2015. The country is not at war but rather is known for having one of the worst human rights records in the world. It was included in the 12 “Worst of the Worst” nations for civil liberties and political rights by the 2015 Freedom House report. For those living in these countries, stories on social media of family members making it to Europe and even sending remittances back home create a sense of hope and encourage people to continue to make the treacherous journey that has cost thousands of lives.
For those living in these countries, stories on social media of family members making it to Europe and even sending remittances back home create a sense of hope and encourage people to continue to make the treacherous journey that has cost thousands of lives.
Meanwhile, these types of deplorable conditions and attitudes against African migrants and asylum seekers are increasing across Europe, causing Africans to face a bitter new wave of exploitation, criminalization and modern-day enslavement in a country that does not want them.
I promised one of my followers I would share some of my sketches and I don’t disappoint lol. This is a hobby that keeps me at peace from the illusions of this Matrix. Something I need to venture back into more deeply, spurning that retched idiot box watching old reruns of “The Bernie Mac Show” on Netflix (can’t help I love that show!). Here’s another part of me, folks. Enjoy!
**Note: Criticism is NOT WELCOMED AT ALL!!!**
“Me and the Wifey”
“Mommy Dearest”
The rest is just some small random sketches to keep me in form.
Might be coming out of hibernation sooner that expected…in the meantime be encouraged fam!
Expressions from the writer formerly known as The Melanin Man 