South Central Farm

As the child of hippies and a possible Environmental Anaylsis major, I'm naturally inclined towards anything relatively environmental in nature (pun intended)-- a large part of my life philosophy is about resourcefulness and reuse: the reuse of clothes, food, energy, trash, space, etc. Being raised a lower-class vegetarian, I know how difficult it can be to afford fresh fruits and vegetables, much less organically grown. Because of this, the segment of the class regarding the South Central Organic Farm was, for me, the most fascinating and enjoyable. It was great to see a group of people coming together for the greater good of the community, especially with something as important as food. In a lot of cases, lower class families can't afford to eat healthy foods, so I found this to be a really positive and uplifting ideal that the community was working towards. At times, especially in this modern era, I tend to lose a lot of faith in the American population--it feels as if apathy has shrouded the United States like a dark cloud. That being said, it is always pleasantly surprising to see Americans coming together and using what few resources they may have to make a positive change; there seems something very typically American about the idea. Though the people of South Central had very little money, space, or time for volunteering, they took the little that they had to create a great, safe space which brought together and united the entire community, despite being in a harsh urban environment; this is something which I have great respect and admiration for. Having done volunteer work on a local organic farm near my own home in Illinois, I felt I could relate to these individuals on a personal level--it's all about an exchange of hard work and dedication for a greater good on a community level.

Upon hearing that Forever 21 and the city of Los Angeles were responsible for the seizure of the property, I was enraged; it immediately struck me as a great injustice. After class, I came back to my room and began researching the situation, and upon finding out more, I decided to join those from the farm and boycott Forever 21, telling all my friends and peers to do the same. It upset me to know that our own government would abuse the power of eminent domain to such a degree that it would compromise the well-being and hard work of so many individuals. Seeing the struggle which these people went through and the compromises they had to make trying to save the farm moved me to tears, especially the scene in the film in which the farm was being bulldozed. This indeed raised many questions for me, one being to what extent can the government breach our property rights? I myself have had personal experiences with the power eminent domain, which I was reminded of during this segment of the class; perhaps my own battles with this problem contribute to my sympathy and interest in the subject. I was raised in a lower-class neighborhood in Indianapolis with proximity to a large river, The White River, an affluent shopping area, and good school districts. The property values in surrounding areas were all very high but because of the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity associated with the neighborhood, no one wanted to live there. Recently, my former home (currently my grandmother's house) has been targeted for eminent domain. My grandmother and her neighbors were told that their properties would be seized and they would receive compensation so that the city could build upscale river condominiums. Currently, they are still going through legal battles over the properties, but it seems that the city will win the case. In my eyes, it doesn't seem fair that the government can violate someone's property rights so casually, not taking into consideration the sentimental values associated with it. Whether it is my grandmother's house or the South Central Farm, it doesn't matter; inevitably, this issue still exists today and should not be something that is swept under the rug, and it's something which this class has further motivated me to investigate.