Who are we?

This sickens me:
In a wooded area of Mounds Boulevard, off Seventh Street, and near where I work, a homeless camp must have been spotted and called in to the City. Within a short day's time (much less time than Child Protection or Code Enforcement was out to get a window screen repaired or stop the young child from leaning out the two story window), the camp was razed - bulldozed.

A 'blight' it is called, on our lovely lower Dayton's Bluff. DAMN! The blight is on the people of this neighborhood and city who refuse to look at the growing number of homeless INDIVIDUALS as human beings. I know some of the men who camp out - Dorothy Day and the Mission become too crowded, too many personalities under stress, and sometimes just no room. I've pointed out a couple places they could sleep outside. Damn!

Carl, one who had camped out for at least two years, finally got housing through the housing for homeless individuals program. He referred to his big back pack as his 'home', his house. He told the police that they could not search his home without a warrant. WOW! To the bulldozer and city, these homes were nothing more than garbage.

God, I feel so angry.

A couple years ago a person from our community council told me with no uncertainty, "we work with buildings, not people!" There are times that I don't think I belong here.

I have become wary of being specific to certain issues - instead of enhancing and finding solutions for those who are making do, our city, on many layers, further makes life hell for those who have little or nothing. 'No, we're not trying to regentrify'. ROT!! How inhumane can the good people of Dayton's Bluff be?

Last year at a meeting with someone from the Mayor's office and Youth Services, a friend and I mentioned how great it was that a group of people in one neighborhood put up a portable basketball hoop - because the city refused to place a basketball hoop or court in the huge rec center play area across the street (too much noise). Within the week the city had it removed. (illegal to have it in the street - it took up less space than a car, and it was in front of a park, not a residence).

What if these men (I know there are women, also who camp, and teens) became faces? Not photos, but snapshots of who they are, and how they came to be in such a situation? For the brief time I had to stay in the hostel and knew no one here, I can speak to being 'invisible' among humanity, and living basically out of a backpack. But at least I was sure of having a bed at night among 8 other women.

Steve, the homeless man I worked with on Tuesday, now will be getting an apartment (we worked it through with his doctor and housing admin who had been screaming at him. Also, I connected him with a friend in District 5 who can pay him for helping to clean Payne Ave. this weekend.

EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS A FACE, A PERSONALITY, A HISTORY, A STORY. ARE PEOPLE AFRAID OF THE UNKNOWN? WHERE IS THE HUMANITY!!!!

Don't give me the crap about camps being festering places of crime, disease, etc. We are our own festering diseases of the heart and soul!

It was a good weekend

Sam and Stephen came for a visit last Thursday and left on Saturday. What an awesome man Sam is! I love his humor and his spontaniety; I appreciate his insight and his knowledge. After I picked him up at the airport we drove over to the MIA to see the 2010 Foot in the Door exhibit. I have a piece in the show and it was fun to see it.

Steve drove in later that day and then we went to the talk that August Hoffman gave for our Dayton's Bluff District Council. That was very interesting and we had a nice group with lively interaction. Several people from the Payne area/Polly's Cove people came...they are very involved with the combination of people and gardens. Too many people in my district seem more focused on buildings than on people.

Sam 'allowed' me to hold a party for him and Stephen. I talk so much about my neighborhood to Sam and to my neighborhood about Sam, that I wanted them to meet each other. About thirty friends and several came over the next day. I was tired and Sam was tired afterward, but I thank Sam and Stephen that they went along with it. Besides I love cooking, especially appetizers! I always thought it would be great to have a catering business doing appetizers and desserts. I'm still exhausted, but very happy.

Friday we visited the Museum of Russian Art - always an excellent exhibit there. Went to Manana's for a Salvadorean lunch, Mickey's Diner for a greasy breakfast, and Bahmani's for a late Kurdish supper. It was a very good weekend.