Gentrification is Unethical. The rising rate of rent in New
York and Washington DC, and most probably other American cities is obvious. It
is a clear whitewashing of neighborhoods, pushing hardworking working class
poor out of neighborhoods that they have lived in for decades into isolated
crowded neighborhoods unseen, or even worse into the streets.
Homelessness and ghetto-ization seem parallel with not only
the clashing image of affluence that makes one wonder how can anyone afford to
live in such neighborhoods in Prospect Park, Long Island City, or near Union
Station, but what jobs are fuelling their economy and no one else’s; but it
also parallels the refugee crisis in Europe from Syria. It seems only in due
time that poor income Americans, many immigrants to the US, will be marching
out of these cities completely in droves. Unless they stage a protest on a
major scale, but that is most likely not going to happen due to being too busy
to make ends meet and fending for one’s own. Only leaders from a socio-economic
class level may temper and tamper some noise. Yet America is also more equipped
for any such demonstration with its militarized police force.
In the light of Europe’s declining populations, an influence
of immigrants could significantly help the waning nations; however, fear of
losing cultural identity makes many EU nations appear resistant and racist. In
America, the gentrification, or pushing housing levels to rates only the
wealthy can afford, mostly white dominant, is racist as well; this stark
reversal, and yet the aware and unaware privileged should resist moving if it
is driving those who cannot afford away. It is almost in drastic comparison to
Israeli settlements that are intentionally ignoring Palestinians, as if their
right to existence is nil to none. This is Unethical.
At least in Europe, the residing can afford to embrace human
beings fleeing an immediate violent threat between homeless emigration or
death, by showing open arms of assistance. In America, this could be true too,
the gentrification is a slow process but it is accelerating. If it were not for
greedy landlords or wealthy elites wanting a stark image of hierarchy of
affluence, the ability to keep prices affordable would be a simple action.
Instead, the rise in apartment trends in cities like New York, in Queens and
Brooklyn, and in Washington DC, should follow the trend of Tom’s Shoes, for
every pair bought another is donated to someone who needs a pair; for every new
escalated apartment, another should be
donated for a family in need.
