PHOTO/SALVADOR SANDOVAL
MERCED, CA — When does a homeless person become unhuman? When the community treats them like they’re less than nothing, has them run off everywhere they sit, and turns their backs on them.
I don’t choose to live this way. Most of the homeless don’t want to be homeless. Not only do we get harassed by people, the Merced Police Department is doing the same. Only thing is that they have the power to put us in jail.
I got a ticket for camping under the G Street Bridge and received five hours of community service. They wanted to give me three years of informal probation. I couldn’t believe it—there was a woman charged with her third DUI and the judge gives her three years of informal probation along with DUI classes. I didn’t go drive a car while drunk; I don’t put other people’s lives in danger. I just needed to sleep.
Every place I sleep, sooner or later, the cops will run me out. I have to move quite often. I find a spot, put my bedding out and go to sleep. I try to be up before sunrise, pack my stuff, clean up any trash I might have dropped.
I go out and pick up cans and plastic bottles to make money. I mow lawns when someone asks. I hold a sign that says “Homeless, God Bless.” I’ve had people pull over and yell “get a job”—believe me I would love to be working, earning my way and being a productive member of society. I can read lips and can make out some of the things that people say when they are behind the wheel in their car. One lady with a young girl in the car stopped at the stop sign. I saw her throw her arm over the girl’s chest, like some people do when they have to stop suddenly and tells her daughter not to look at me. The poor girl stiffens up and eyes locked forward like looking at me was going to turn her into a homeless!
The police run us out of everywhere so I asked where can we go? “You can only go to Applegate Park, can’t sleep there at night, but you can be there from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.” Now they have me going to Applegate and guess what? There are cops that come here almost daily and if any of our stuff is lying around, they throw our belongings in the trash. A few of us attended a Homeless Connect event and about six of us lost everything we owned. One lady’s meds were dumped. Now what does that say? It says that the cops don’t care about our civil rights.
To all the homeless in Merced County, we need to learn and stand up for our rights. This is the only way to stop this crap. I for one will not be run out of Merced. I raised my son here and my grandson is here. I’m not leaving!
It’s going to take all of us homeless to make a stand to fight for our rights.
