“We have the right to rest,” says homeless woman

Latest

From Left: Alise, Mark and Gena at a hearing in Sacramento, CA on the homeless right-to-rest law. PHOTO/GLORIA SANDOVAL
From Left: Alise, Mark and Gena at a hearing in Sacramento, CA on the homeless right-to-rest law.
PHOTO/GLORIA SANDOVAL

 
MERCED, CA — I got a chance to do something last month that made me want to tell everyone about it.  There was a bill brought forth to a Senate committee, SB 876, the Right to Rest bill.  That was the first time I had ever been to our State Capitol, which is in Sacramento, California.
I was amazed that the building was so beautiful. I got to go to the Senate Hearing Room and watch government live.  The Right to Rest bill was turned down.  What I learned was that without more voices and more support from everywhere, next year the same could happen for all of the homeless. Your voice does matter.  I’m homeless.  I come across a lot of homeless every day and I tell everyone this:  If you don’t stand up for yourself, the police will always harass you if they know that you don’t know your rights.  This can lead to an easy ticket.  Stop letting them.
The Right to Rest bill would stop the harassment and the tickets. Then the homeless would stop getting run off public places. We have the right to rest.  I know from experience.  I go into a store to buy something to eat or drink, then I go outside and find a spot to sit to consume what I purchased, only to have a store worker call the cops. Most store workers just call the cops; not many will come out and tell me to leave.  They are afraid of me.
In California, 83 cities opposed the Right to Rest bill. We must take a little time to get some information.  Write your congressman, the governor, your senators and make your voice be heard.  And for you non-houseless persons, do the same. Get information.  Write letters. Let our government know that we’re not going to take it anymore.  I for one have had enough.  Most of us are not houseless because we want to be, and we are not all bad.
And we need support to help provide public restrooms. These things would not just be for the houseless. It would help everybody in the community. So stand up.  Thank you.

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

ICE Terror Campaign Threatens Us All

Several recent Facebook reels show how ICE is ramping up its campaign of terror against immigrants, citizens and protestors alike as the effort to create a police state continues and resistance grows. One creator speaks to the significance of Haitians now being targeted.

Medicaid Defenders in Wheelchairs Arrested Ahead of Senate Budget Vote

Over 60 people, including grandmas in wheelchairs, were arrested in the U.S. Senate Rotunda in a nonviolent protest against cuts like Medicaid and the SNAP food program in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Budget Bill.”

Zohran Mamdani Delivers Stunning Blow to ‘Billionaire-Backed Status Quo’ in NYC

New York City proved that a movement powered by hope, courage, and working class people can beat the money of billionaires.

The American People Want Peace, Not War!

The US's immoral and illegal attack on Iran threatens the whole world with war. The American people have a special responsibility to come out into the streets and rein in the US government, which has become a rogue state.

Juneteenth 2025: ‘We Have to Win this Fight,’ Hannah-Jones Tells Black Graduates

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones addressed Black graduates at Harvard University, telling them that "we are about to see unleashed upon us an America that we have not had to live in. And we have to win this battle."

More from the People's Tribune