Language Translator
7/27/10
Your Hometown: Nowhere, USA
Every time I come back to my hometown I see these locals who think they know the story but only know a cover story. They look at one like one has been 'removed' from life here at home, like the TI has been changed by so much power, that they were destroyed by forces here at home especially in a place like Boston that is at once so highly educated and intelligent but also narrow minded and isolated from the rest of the USA. Its enough for them to get that typical New Englander charge out of someone being removed from existing in an area by powerful people. What they dont realize is that you are fighting something that is on the cutting edge of what is going on in the world at large and you have been thrust into an international scene. Sounds glamorous if it wasnt all torture and loneliness. If enough of us keep on this system's back and dont give in someone is going to have to recognize officially what goes on and really mean it not just put some laws on the books that are unenforcable. In some ways its harder to go through such things in your hometown as you have to deal with the reminder of how they just CUT like that and didnt do sh*t for you or even bought themselves futures by helping to get rid of you...then it feels good to know the progress you've made and the years of writing and activism while they stay in thier small space removed from the 'action'. Its not the kind of action I would have wanted, I would have much preferred traveling while creating and getting paid for it and actually having a good time once in a while not laboring so every day...but its better than being f*ck stuck here with people who have no idea what the hell is going on in the world today...who actually think they have it over on YOU becuz you were banished and erased from local memory.
6/22/10
Loitering Citation in Front of Shelter (?) Salt Lake City Utah
I learned today that this place is big on giving out citations for sleeping outdoors. A huge city in the desert and they cant share its got to be all thiers. When you look up into the mountains surrounding the city such behavior seems ridiculous considering where the city is located.
I recieved a citation while sleeping outside the front of The Road Home shelter. Many people sleep outside the shelter for its convenience to services and safety due to cameras monitoring the bulding. Also it seems that its tolerated.
I did not see the no loitering signs outside the building and as a squatter I should have been more aware. However since there are a few no loitering signs and many people sleep in front of thge building nightly one can only assume that the shelter employess tolerate this due to it being in thier nature to do this being the field they have chosen. I am sure that the signs are for insurance purposes as well as compliance with official authority. So I am saying I dont blame the shelter. Often in places where the shelters are not so corrupt the state will harass the homelesss instead. In Boston the shelters are all sh*t yet people can pretty much sleep outside as long as they are up by a certain time or hidden from public view.
The policeman asked me "What are you doing sleeping out in front of this place?" Due to the stupidity of the question I didnt answer as well as I know I didnt have to answer. He did not press the issue. Also ALL THE SHELTERS ARE FULL and to get into any there is a WAITING LIST of at least 2 weeks. That is what the hell I am doing out here genius.
He ran my ID and he sort of winced when he looked at something on the computer. No idea but he kind of felt bad givng me the citation. He also asked me if I plan to be here and I said I was planning on leaving due to my allergies.
Now I have to wait til Friday. Why? Becuz there is a judge that actually comes down to the Catholic Social Services building across from the shelter every Friday. This is how much they know they have a scam going here.
The locals told me that they will most likely give me community service or dismiss it. They also told me that this cop is the only one who does this and other officers on this beat just let them be.
I was also told by them that we are allowed to sleep in this area from 10-5::30 AM.
OK so you are going to give me a citation for something that is NOT posted (allowed from 10-6Am) . You are also selectiviely enforcing the posted rules selectivelty according to which officer feels like enforcing it on which day. Also the hemeless shelter is taking no responsibility for allowing this yet postin signs to the contrary.
Alot of these peoplle are actually on the waiting list to get into this shelter. Its not my fault that no one told me to be up by 6 AM but I am at fault for not seeing the no loitering signs. So what is this rule that allows loitering from 10-6? Also he did not inquire about the belongings of two people next to me. Only myself and another gentleman got a ticket.
Yes I am expecting it to be dismissed but the way its set up is ridiculous to begin with. It is the norm in evey city I have been to in the USA. Since the laws arent changing to be realistic about he homeless population ( if you ever use the word 'problem' I will direct you to a history book to the phrase 'The Jewish Question.' Nuff said? Society vilifies us, deal with it as a reality.) these inconsistent and ridiculous grey areas exist.
One of the number one stress factors for being homeless is INCONSISTENCY. On behalf of the system, your location, food supply and medical care as well as being dependent by force on staff of shelters as well as official authoirity like police who's behavior need not be consistent with human or civil rights expectations as an American citizen.
This is due to homelessness being cold war style criminalzed or vilified. What I mean is that its not legal to mess with us becuz we are hated or society doesnt want to deal with guilt or the casualties of thier system,but those exact sentiments rule the behavior of dealing with homeless people.
Also we are a voiceless marginalized population. We have been conditioned and intimidated into allowing the social services industry to represent us and speak for us. Many coherhent homeless people feel this way but in order to get fed or otherwise playing stupid and the victim is the norm.
Society chooses to lump all demographics of houseless people together and allow only social services type persons to sort us out on paper. We are an oppressed faction of the American landscape but we are represented as a vile enemy of thier way of life.
This is soley due to the American guilt and shame producing anger in its people over something that they know should not be but is beyond thier control and thier understanding.
To blame is governing bodies as well as the social service industry and especially white collar criminals types at the administrative level of the non profit industry connected to homelessness. In many communities there is great influence on local corporate interest which the governing body will work on behalf of.
I am going to write the ACLU about the way this was handled due to it being entrapment basically as well as the cities lack of shelter. Dont get me wrong Salt Lake is still a lovely place and the shelter employees seem like they want to help as well as the homeless who are around the shelter many seem friendly and not into causing trouble. But once again the homeless population is so conditioned and intimidated that they are sadly lacking in being pr active concerning their predicament. Most likely the urban campers and more independent homeless types are somewhere more tolerant of those not wishing to be institutionalized.
I recieved a citation while sleeping outside the front of The Road Home shelter. Many people sleep outside the shelter for its convenience to services and safety due to cameras monitoring the bulding. Also it seems that its tolerated.
I did not see the no loitering signs outside the building and as a squatter I should have been more aware. However since there are a few no loitering signs and many people sleep in front of thge building nightly one can only assume that the shelter employess tolerate this due to it being in thier nature to do this being the field they have chosen. I am sure that the signs are for insurance purposes as well as compliance with official authority. So I am saying I dont blame the shelter. Often in places where the shelters are not so corrupt the state will harass the homelesss instead. In Boston the shelters are all sh*t yet people can pretty much sleep outside as long as they are up by a certain time or hidden from public view.
The policeman asked me "What are you doing sleeping out in front of this place?" Due to the stupidity of the question I didnt answer as well as I know I didnt have to answer. He did not press the issue. Also ALL THE SHELTERS ARE FULL and to get into any there is a WAITING LIST of at least 2 weeks. That is what the hell I am doing out here genius.
He ran my ID and he sort of winced when he looked at something on the computer. No idea but he kind of felt bad givng me the citation. He also asked me if I plan to be here and I said I was planning on leaving due to my allergies.
Now I have to wait til Friday. Why? Becuz there is a judge that actually comes down to the Catholic Social Services building across from the shelter every Friday. This is how much they know they have a scam going here.
The locals told me that they will most likely give me community service or dismiss it. They also told me that this cop is the only one who does this and other officers on this beat just let them be.
I was also told by them that we are allowed to sleep in this area from 10-5::30 AM.
OK so you are going to give me a citation for something that is NOT posted (allowed from 10-6Am) . You are also selectiviely enforcing the posted rules selectivelty according to which officer feels like enforcing it on which day. Also the hemeless shelter is taking no responsibility for allowing this yet postin signs to the contrary.
Alot of these peoplle are actually on the waiting list to get into this shelter. Its not my fault that no one told me to be up by 6 AM but I am at fault for not seeing the no loitering signs. So what is this rule that allows loitering from 10-6? Also he did not inquire about the belongings of two people next to me. Only myself and another gentleman got a ticket.
Yes I am expecting it to be dismissed but the way its set up is ridiculous to begin with. It is the norm in evey city I have been to in the USA. Since the laws arent changing to be realistic about he homeless population ( if you ever use the word 'problem' I will direct you to a history book to the phrase 'The Jewish Question.' Nuff said? Society vilifies us, deal with it as a reality.) these inconsistent and ridiculous grey areas exist.
One of the number one stress factors for being homeless is INCONSISTENCY. On behalf of the system, your location, food supply and medical care as well as being dependent by force on staff of shelters as well as official authoirity like police who's behavior need not be consistent with human or civil rights expectations as an American citizen.
This is due to homelessness being cold war style criminalzed or vilified. What I mean is that its not legal to mess with us becuz we are hated or society doesnt want to deal with guilt or the casualties of thier system,but those exact sentiments rule the behavior of dealing with homeless people.
Also we are a voiceless marginalized population. We have been conditioned and intimidated into allowing the social services industry to represent us and speak for us. Many coherhent homeless people feel this way but in order to get fed or otherwise playing stupid and the victim is the norm.
Society chooses to lump all demographics of houseless people together and allow only social services type persons to sort us out on paper. We are an oppressed faction of the American landscape but we are represented as a vile enemy of thier way of life.
This is soley due to the American guilt and shame producing anger in its people over something that they know should not be but is beyond thier control and thier understanding.
To blame is governing bodies as well as the social service industry and especially white collar criminals types at the administrative level of the non profit industry connected to homelessness. In many communities there is great influence on local corporate interest which the governing body will work on behalf of.
I am going to write the ACLU about the way this was handled due to it being entrapment basically as well as the cities lack of shelter. Dont get me wrong Salt Lake is still a lovely place and the shelter employees seem like they want to help as well as the homeless who are around the shelter many seem friendly and not into causing trouble. But once again the homeless population is so conditioned and intimidated that they are sadly lacking in being pr active concerning their predicament. Most likely the urban campers and more independent homeless types are somewhere more tolerant of those not wishing to be institutionalized.
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