Thirty years ago, there was the murder of a homeless man in Albuquerque. Carlos "the Ragman" Garver was set on fire while he was sleeping behind a dumpster. For a brief moment, New Mexicans were horrified at the death of a guy called "Ragman" not for his attire, but because he was ranting at passersby.
Though it did not last long enough, we were all educated in the issues of mental illness and shocked nothing was being done to get obviously troubled people off the streets. Some called what happened to Carlos Garver a hate crime.
Though it did not last long enough, we were all educated in the issues of mental illness and shocked nothing was being done to get obviously troubled people off the streets. Some called what happened to Carlos Garver a hate crime.
The incident was not considered a hate crime as current law does not include homelessness as a protected class. Violence against the homeless has grown in commonality. The following statistics exclude any acts of violence committed by homeless individuals against one another and are included only if the attack was motivated because the victim was a homeless person. In 2016 and 2017 there were 48 lethal attacks and the 64 non-lethal attacks that occurred throughout the United States according to The National Coalition for the Homeless. This is an addition to the organization's estimate that annually, there are 13,000 individuals who die on our streets. Thanks to the low priority crimes and deaths involving the homeless receive from law enforcement and governments, the numbers are far from complete.
Locally we see that a city Oceanside's size will not have a single shelter bed this winter. Certainly, this issue is largely due to government inaction, but then we read that the Solutions of Change CEO was engaged in an activity where another non-profit serving the homeless (Bread of Life) was the target of skullduggery that Gordon Gekko would have approved of.
In Oceanside, we also see aspiring politicians and online vigilantes advocating for severe laws banning camping, panhandling, feeding pointed towards criminalizing homelessness. Statistics indicate crimes against homeless individuals have frequently increased.in their wake.
In Oceanside, we also see aspiring politicians and online vigilantes advocating for severe laws banning camping, panhandling, feeding pointed towards criminalizing homelessness. Statistics indicate crimes against homeless individuals have frequently increased.in their wake.
What this campaign against the vulnerable essentially says is that 'Homeless people do not matter and are not worthy of living here." The message is unmistakable and it has been used as the rationale for attacking groups assisting the homeless such as Bread of Life and Brother Benno's. The fact there are no shelter beds in Oceanside during cold winter rainstorms is viewed as a victory by the same cohort that got a kick out of seeing oppressed and exploited clients of Solutions for Change weaponized to advance a well-hated development in a wildfire zone.
Though there is much to hate in the narrative above, at least those advocating a punitive approach to the "disposed of" souls in their wake are being transparent about their intentions. In Carlsbad, we have seen Councilwoman Schumacher grandstanding on the issue through her "ad hoc" Committee on Homelessness. If having "robust conversations" and doing nothing were a capital offense there would be a gamut of allegedly progressive politicians awaiting a shot of pentobarbital on death row or praying for a gubernatorial reprieve.
Sadly for us all, Gavin Newsom has advanced nothing that will earn any us a "get out of jail free" card. There are a variety of actions the Governor could take to resolve the explosive growth of homeless populations up and down the Coast. It seems to date, the interests in Sacramento are more interested in building "affordable housing" costing half a million dollars a pop.
Though there is much to hate in the narrative above, at least those advocating a punitive approach to the "disposed of" souls in their wake are being transparent about their intentions. In Carlsbad, we have seen Councilwoman Schumacher grandstanding on the issue through her "ad hoc" Committee on Homelessness. If having "robust conversations" and doing nothing were a capital offense there would be a gamut of allegedly progressive politicians awaiting a shot of pentobarbital on death row or praying for a gubernatorial reprieve.
Sadly for us all, Gavin Newsom has advanced nothing that will earn any us a "get out of jail free" card. There are a variety of actions the Governor could take to resolve the explosive growth of homeless populations up and down the Coast. It seems to date, the interests in Sacramento are more interested in building "affordable housing" costing half a million dollars a pop.
I do appreciate the fact there are a lot of people dealing with homelessness in their neighborhoods and around their businesses. The optics jar our senses if not always our compassion. Whether you are concerned about increasing violence against homeless people or the issues of drug abuse and mental illness that drive the numbers even higher, public policies that criminalize homelessness have only exacerbated the issues. It is far better public policy to approach concerns regarding homelessness in a collaborative and compassionate way, rather than the ugly and hostile approach to which many places have given in to, including Oceanside.
No comments:
Post a Comment