PHOTO/SARAH MENEFEE
BERKELEY, CA — I am a member of ‘First They Came for The Homeless.’ I joined this group in October 2016. When I first started with ‘First They Came for The Homeless,’ I was a wreck. Now, over a year later, I am setting up solar for the camps, fixing wheelchairs with John from Easy Does It, and being an activist for the homeless.
I wish to give a little bit of history now. Over the last year, Berkeley has sent their thugs to raze and wreck our camps. During one such raid, they stole my therapy tool which is a stuffed Leopard Shark named Saber. I have since gotten a new shark. What have they done to solve homelessness, nothing at all. With our limited resources, we have housed more people than the HUB, which is Berkeley’s entry program for the homeless. They have done less on over a million dollars budget than we have. They proposed the Pathways project. I say death camp based upon location. It would be placed in an industrial pollution zone.
Our model for sanctioned tent cities will not promote more homelessness. The worst model is Berkeley’s Pathways project. To give a brief description of the Pathways, it is a horror show. First, they would put 8-10 people per tent with no regard to safe living. Second, the proposed site is at 2nd and Cedar. This area has the industrial zone for Berkeley. There is contamination from the cement factory, the steel mill, and other industrial waste. And last, it is prohibitively expensive.
Our model requires very little in money. For the most part, the people who come into the tent city will provide most of their needs. Our model provides a recovery environment so that people can get jobs and get housing. We need support for our model to lessen the homeless crisis.
We need tent cities. We need a government who doesn’t stand for the rich. We need housing that is affordable. We need to have rights. The reason we’re divided is due to the rich. If we united, the rich would lose. Division of the people. If we were united, there would be no need for war.
Ponder these questions. What if there was unity amongst all the people of this world? How would the world look? How would the society operate? What about resources? How would they be distributed? Would there be poverty? Would there be homeless? Would there be fighting? Would there be peace?
In closing, I greatly appreciate all the support. I will be back on the streets soon to continue the fight to end oppression.
