Lets start with the lead paragraph from
this report from CBS Detroit:
It’s a basic human right: water. But could the United Nations soon help the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department provide the service to struggling customers?
The UN?
Wait. Look. I'm not even going to get into the debate on whether water is a human right. With the number of people who literally starve to death anywhere on the planet with the full knowledge of governments under which they live, it should be self-evident to anyone that water, like anything else you need to live, is something you should have access to but clearly is not a “right”. But you don't have to agree with me on that. Lets take that statement at face value. Water is a right. Fine. The process of getting it to your faucet? Not so much.
One of the recurring themes in various “conservative” white websites is that black people are unable to maintain a certain level of civilization. That wherever we set foot and take over, the previous levels of quality of life drops. When I read stuff like the above quote, all it does is provide evidence for this line of thinking.
And while Garner says water is “a God-given right,” she says there is a cost to move water from the water resource to the customer and that the infrastructure costs money.
Question: How did these so called “activists” miss this part?
Answer: Because none of these “activists” ever considered what it actually takes to pipe water from where it is stored (not even considering what it takes to store it) to the various individual customers. Why? Because these “activists” are not “nationalists” on the level of Marcus Garvey who understood one must
build that which one wishes to
use.
With that in mind lets look at the “right to water” and what the folks are actually asking for.
Again, taking the “right to water” as a given, all that actually means is that you have the right to get water for whatever uses you have. That is you can go to a fresh water source dip in a bucket or whatever, scoop up the water and take it home, drink it on the spot, use it to wash your clothes, whatever. You have that right. The city of Detroit is not stopping anyone from doing that. For those who are more creative they are free to get huge containers and put them at the end of their gutters and collect all the rainwater that falls on their houses (if so situated). They may be able to hang collectors out of their apartment windows or otherwise route water into containers for their own use. Now some states and municipalities have restricted this behaviour because they have managed to somehow claim rights over rainwater. I have STRONG objections to this but it's worth mentioning. These are the “free” options available to anyone who wishes to have water without paying for the utility. Mind you it will be inconvenient but it is definitely within your “rights” to do.
For your convenience here is a link to instructions on how you can make a home rainwater collection system:
http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rainwater-Collection-System
Now if you don't want to do the aforementioned things to obtain and store water for your personal use, then you contract with the city (or other utility) to bring water to you. Now here's the thing: While you may have a right to water, you don't have right to another person's labour for free. If you want someone to bring you water, then you have to pay that person to bring you the water. That's fair. Why should anyone give away their labour? Why should anyone be forced to give their labour for free? That's what we call slavery.
Are the activists in Detroit OK with slavery?
In order to get water to each resident of Detroit, a reservoir system had to be created. That involved the labour of a lot of people. Those reservoirs have to be monitored and maintained. That is not free.
*Ching*
Then pipes of various sizes have to be laid. That involved digging into the ground and all the stuff that goes with such construction. Not free.
*Ching*
There are various pumping stations to make sure there is enough water pressure for all that water to make it to the homes. Those cost money.
*Ching*
Then after getting to the home, the water has to be removed. That's waste water that has to be treated before it can be returned to a body of water somewhere.
*Ching*
And since those pipes and pumps and the like don't last forever money has to be spent on replacing them, preferably
before they burst. That costs money, including the crews that will be doing the work.
*Ching*
Do the people of Detroit think that all this (and I've made a very very brief overview) is free? That they ought not pay for their share of the costs of running what we call “civilization”? Would the people of Detroit, who are complaining about paying for the
convenient access to water be willing to give their labor to the Water Works department for FREE or in exchange for their “free” water? Do these folks even have the skills required to do ANY part of the work that does not involve holding up a stop sign in traffic?
So lets go back to the report:
Garner said the reality is that nearly half of Detroit Water and Sewerage customers can’t pay their bills; and that has led activists to lobby the UN to step up and take action.
Why should the UN get involved? What business does the UN have in Detroit?
How about the “activists” take a gander at the
“understanding rates” section of the DWSD website. Then they can come back and tell us what exactly is “free” about that water that “magically” appears at the faucet. Lets stop giving ammunition to folks who say that black folks are simply incapable, as a group, to maintain a high level of civilization without the intervention of white folks. Pay your fucking water bill (and any other debt you owe).
