Denver Police Confiscate Blankets From Homeless

[Bast]

In winter temperatures the police could easily have condemned someone to death by hypothermia. Is that the America we want?

 

[ArtW]

the protesters had ample opportunity to leave, and were warned repeatedly
I have been homeless, in Austin, a not particularly homeless friendly or unfriendly town, I know what it's like, and I think this was a bad decision, but so was the decision on the part of these folks to flout the law
I don't know what the right answer is here, I wish I did
Hell i wish I knew a GOOD answer
I made sure my presence was not seen or felt anymore than necessary, and did as much porch surfing as I could, and if I was 'moved along' I didn't argue with the cops, they're just doing their job

 

[Queen]

In winter temperatures the police could easily have condemned someone to death by hypothermia. Is that the America we want?

I'm guessing the answer to that is yes, that is exactly the America many people want.

 

[hepcat]

In winter temperatures the police could easily have condemned someone to death by hypothermia. Is that the America we want?

First, there is no "the police" as there is "the military."  There is no top-down centralized command structure for law enforcement in this country.  There is no single entity that controls police officers.   There are essentially a quarter of a million citizens deputized and specially trained to keep the peace who work for government at the local, County, State, and Federal levels.  Essentially you have individual cops making decisions based on the direction of their sergeant at the scene.

Second, "the police" don't condemn anyone to anything.  That's the job of the courts and a jury of your peers.  The legislature enacts law so that society can have common expectations of one-another's behavior.  In this instance, the people arrested were apparently warned and given adequate time to leave the area.  They apparently made a decision to make a political statement by civil disobedience and were arrested.

We, as a society, have apparently lost sight of the fact that it is our own decisions, good or bad, that get us into and out of predicaments we may find ourselves in.  We and we alone are responsible for the consequences of those decisions...  and to project onto "the police" the responsibility that those folks had for their own fates is unfair and unproductive.

 

[frater secessus]

it's a health hazard to everyone involved,rats,mice,roaches,fleas and the nasties they carry

That argument has been used against every immigrant and marginalized group in American history.

 

[Crow]

I was born and raised in Dallas and lived south on I 45 most of the time from 1979 to 2005.   I'm curious as to what part of I 45 the tent city was located.

Jewellann

It was all along I-45 south of the I-30 interchange, you can see some of the tents in this Google StreetView link.   If it was just people living their lives, it would still be there.  It was a dangerous place, a number of deaths in there  prompted the city to shut it down.   People are quick to criticize anything the city tries to do, and it is admittedly ineffective, but nobody comes up with any better ideas.  Less than 10% will take the offers of shelters, because shelters have rules.   As long as there is alcoholism and drug addiction the problem's not going to go away.

 

[Gadget728]

Not trying to be religious, but this situation reminds me of a line out of Jesus Christ Superstar: "There will be poor always." That line has stuck with me for years.

Since humans became "civilized", there has always been the sick and wretched poor. Different societies treat the sick & poor differently. Some try & help, some try and hide them and some just run them off.

When full timing, we can claim to be houseless, not homeless, but in reality, we are not living by "accepted" social norms, we are just homeless with the means to support ourselves and the ability to move around so we aren't a burden to anyone. (in our eyes) To the wealthy, some consider rv living a lower class of people. I don't agree at all with those people, and they are the ones who condemn the less fortunate.
A lot of folks on this forum fall into this group, wanderers, gypsies, travelers or nomads. I also believe most of us in this group strive to live a clean & healthy lifestyle which respects the land we live on by keeping it clean & pure.  There are exceptions though, Slab city comes to mind.

Until the earth takes over and rids itself of the virus of human kind, there will always be Class warfare, and at the bottom of the ladder will be the destitute. We as caring humans can help but - There will be poor always.

 

[frater secessus]

It was a dangerous place, a number of deaths in there  prompted the city to shut it down.

Exactly.  The city shuts down any area where there are a number of deaths.

Oh, wait.  They don't.


My better idea is to leave people alone.

 

[Crow]

Exactly.  The city shuts down any area where there are a number of deaths.

Oh, wait.  They don't.


My better idea is to leave people alone.

We're not talking about  "any area".  We're talking about a murder rate of 1 per 200 inhabitants, rampant addiction of all kinds, where they don't have a legal right to live there.   "Leave people alone" is what they were doing when the woman got beaten to death in her sleeping bag.

 

[USExplorer]

Homelessness in any city is a complicated situation with many nuances; however, there are some things that are not acceptable. Arrest them if necessary, but don't just take their blanket, slap them with a ticket, and walk away.

Those who aren't stuck in a city homeless often find it hard to comprehend the effect that constant and unavoidable police scrutiny and harassment has on one's state of mind. Many homeless people are driven to drink or drugs or just a state of apathy by this treatment, thus inviting further harassment.

 

[frater secessus]

We're not talking about  "any area".  We're talking about a murder rate of 1 per 200 inhabitants, rampant addiction of all kinds, where they don't have a legal right to live there.   "Leave people alone" is what they were doing when the woman got beaten to death in her sleeping bag.

At what point do we get to tell people what is safe enough for them?  What if the Feds descend on an informal group of boondockers and decide they aren't living well enough and safe enough to make onlookers happy?  "No running water?  No grid power?  No HOA?  No mortgage and 2.5 kids?  Save them from themselves!"  

I work for an entity that receives those public complaints about homeless folk and their possessions in this kind of location.  I've been doing it for ~6 years and my callers never mention the health and safety of the campers, their addictions, or legal right to the area (if any).  They always mention the camps being an eyesore and looking bad for the city.  Dallas is an incredibly superficial city, all piety and no mercy.  All business backslapping and no humanity.  I am reminded of Babbit.   I'm not a believer but the only good faith actor in the whole thing was the preacher who moved down there with them to minister to that flock.  I respect that man.  

To give another example.  Dallas' public transit system builds free human-sized bike shelters for people to protect their bicycles from weather and danger.   But they will run out folks who sleep under a bridge to stay out of the weather.  Bicycles.  Shelter for bicycles.

I am verging on the political (in the Classical sense of the politea) so I will stop.   Bottom line for me is I like being left alone and I support the rights of others, even homeless others, who wish to be left alone to build their own communities.

I do appreciate your sharing your point of view.  I raise a glass of beer in your direction.

 

[Crow]

Earlier I said "as long as there is alcoholism and addiction the problem is not going away". Actually without the addiction there is no problem left to go away. It IS the problem, not homelessness. Cheers to you and happy new year.



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