Citizens

Citizens

Suhey Escapite- September 10, 2015

Friday 5:00-9:15pm

           We sometimes drive, walk, ride our bikes or even just step outside and most likely you will see a homeless person begging for money, food or even just minding their own business. I find it very odd that we label people based on their housing status. We don’t walk around saying, “There goes an apartment person,” or “there goes a house person.” If we don’t do that to other people, so why is it okay to label others as homeless people? Sometimes we don’t fully understand the whole concept of how they ended up in that position or that situation. Throughout this article I will not use ‘homeless’ as a term to identify them but I will use the term ‘people’ or ‘citizens’, because just like us they are and will be citizens and people. But how much do we really do to help? Are we doing enough or do we need to adjust to what we are surrounded by?

            In previous articles there is a balance between helping them (citizens) or arresting them for sleeping, sitting or even based on their housing status. An article I read was An article published in the ‘Huffington Post,’ by Eleanor Goldberg on October 7^th, 2014 states how a bill was being pushed to be accepted in Colorado, California and Oregon.  The ‘Homeless Bill of Rights,’ it focuses on having citizens move freely and be able to sleep in public places, sleep in parked cars, eat and exchange food in public, obtain legal counsel, gain access to hygiene facilities at any time of day and use necessity defense. Since when were we not allowed to eat in public, move freely or sleep in cars? Can you follow up on the aspects of this law a little more?  You mention "since when are we not allowed to eat in public so I am wondering if the law referring to this is talking about something different than eating a hot dog on the street-  you may need some info here to help your readers understand the details of the law and how it can be effective. 
If you remove a home from a person- obviously we take a lot more than we really think. The bill was aiming to, “give people on the streets the freedom to move around and obtain basic rights.”

            While the Homeless Bill of Rights is being pushed to protect people just like us- Alan Pyke wrote an article focusing on California preserving the right to criminalize. Alan Pyke published this article in April of 2015 stating how a mayor of San Rafael, California was serious about “homeless people.” Now the mayor pushed to an extent of even shutting down the park so that they (citizens) knew it wasn’t a park for hanging out. Personally, I thought parks were open to the public, seems like we are very limited now when people are in power. Alan Pyke mentions how there are piles of evidence that leads to cheaper cost of having permanent homes rather than a cell in the jails- not quite sure what you mean here, can you clarify?  evidence leads to cheaper cost..?. But my main question is if we are doing enough? If there is evidence that shows a difference in costs, why aren’t we doing something?

            As I mentioned earlier there is efforts to pass a Homeless Bill of Rights, but how come there is yet no efforts to pass the permanent home act? I made the name up but this is real, this is our reality that isn’t quite understood. Somewhere in an article  (find the source! you don't want to lose credibility when you are making good points) I read how 33 cities have banned giving them free food, I honestly wonder if at this point we are “doing the best we could” or if we are just waiting for them to die of starvation or just die off. Seems harsh when it’s put in writing but in all honestly it’s harsher when it’s in action.

            Eleanor Goldberg later published an article also focusing on California but instead of something negative she changed the idea into something beneficial. “California gives free ID’s to homeless for housing and schooling,” published July 22^nd, 2015- a recent article not even 1 year old. This idea was formed in memory of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic citizen who was beaten by 3 officers but died 5 days later- it took place in Fullerton, California in the year of 2011. The whole idea behind the free ID’s is so citizens get social services and mental health services as well.-can you tie this into the number of people who are without a home and mentally ill? or maybe the lack of support/services/organizations to help those who have these needs?

            Shifting back to the idea if we are doing enough, Long Beach, California at the moment holds 3,657 homeless shelters but they require ID’s and sometimes it’s hard to have one in the streets. I brought it up in a site www.homelessshelterdirectory.org that gives addresses and directions, phone numbers and even how far away you are from one. Most shelters don’t carry a big sign that says, “Homeless Shelter,” or even “Need a home? We got it.” But at times it is just a home, so are spreading the word enough of the services we offer here in Long Beach? Are we a part of the misunderstanding?