“Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth,
and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world.” ~ Brenda Peterson

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Back to Normal?



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I cannot say with absolute certainty, but it appears as though tensions within the homeless community have dissipated, at least from my perspective it has.

Last Thursday, during Operation Save (Charlotte's Homeless,) our homeless clients were back to occupying both sides of the street on North Tryon. The weather was fairly warm, and therefore, we found and provided food and supplies for at least fifty unsheltered individuals.

It was comforting to see that they were walking around, freely...without being regulated. Still, I wonder if this is just a temporary lapse in supervision. When we walk the streets of uptown and assist them, I look at their faces and I realize that we've gained a lot of ground within their community. They've come to depend on us, but undoubtedly, with all that we've accomplished -- the proposed camping ordinance threatens to wash it all away.

A few months ago, I wrote an article for the Viewpoint about the DNC coming to town and the possible fate of the unsheltered during the event. Undoubtedly, the homeless are politically powerless, and any movement comprised of solely homeless individuals lacks political durability. The article hasn't made it through the printing cycle yet, but I have been eerily surprised at how, even this far out from the DNC -- my predictions have already started becoming a reality.

So back to the proposed camping ordinance; the Charlotte Observer recently wrote an article about what the ordinance entails. I spent countless hours analyzing every aspect of said camping ordinance, and I found a rather disheartening part. Now, for the record, The Observer didn't explicitly state that the ordinance would affect the homeless, but they implied it in this statement: "In terms of camping, the ordinance attempts to close a small loophole. No one can sleep in city or county parks nor can anyone occupy a city sidewalk or street." Also they did touch on individuals who could be arrested for offensive odors, such as urine or alcohol. Both commonly present in the homeless population. Of course, they can't actually make homelessness illegal, just their way of life illegal.

What does this mean for the unsheltered homeless population? It means that, in addition to having no where to go, they now have no where to stop and sit or rest. If they stop and sit on a sidewalk, city bench, etc., then they can be arrested and fined five hundred dollars. Five hundred dollars, none of which they can afford to pay. This means that when they fail to pay the fine, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. And once they are arrested, who pays for that five hundred dollar fine? We do, our tax dollars will pay for this fine, in addition to jailing said homeless individual. It's a vicious cycle that they WILL NOT be able to escape from.

So there it is...I look at how we've been able to assist them, and I understand that it is all in severe danger of being taken away. In truth, the ordinance is now just another obstacle, another instance of where we have to fight for what is right. But, they are worth fighting for, and I plan to devise some sort of strategy that will tackle this ordinance. Sure, I could just stick with feeding the homeless, but as I have said before -- I'm not a play it safe kind of gal. Besides, I'm fortunate to be surrounded by an awesome group of compassionate volunteers who understand that we have to stand up for them. Not standing up for them simply isn't an option.

So today, I ask you all to be thankful for what you have. To appreciate your family and friends, and maybe, just maybe for a few minutes...stop and think about someone who is lacking those things. Someone who has no where to go today, and is alone, hungry, and cold. If you can sympathize with this depiction, then you agree that they are worth fighting for. And, you can help...more details to come. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!