Dunedrifter
Well-known member
Story in a local paper:
http://m.mailtribune.com/news/20160...ho-say-theyre-part-of-counterculture-movement
http://m.mailtribune.com/news/20160...ho-say-theyre-part-of-counterculture-movement
- Ashland grapples with 'travelers' who say they're part of a counterculture movement
- Daily Tidings / Julie Akins
- By Julie Akins
for the Mail Tribune
Posted Sep. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM
Ashland police Chief Tighe O’Meara recently met with police officials from other parts of the state to discuss the recent phenomena of “travelers” coming through communities.These are people on the homeless spectrum who are hitchhiking and traveling through West Coast cities, often busking and doing one- or two-day jobs and most often sleeping and congregating outside in public spaces.“We’re right at the beginning of this and it’s likely to be a long and complicated conversation,” said O’Meara.“We’re not trying to fill the role of social services. But how are we going to respond to this sudden uptick? It’s different than the stereotypical middle-aged person with substance or mental health issues. How do we legally and compassionately enforce camping prohibitions? What’s the appropriate law enforcement response?” There are not a lot of hard numbers on homeless young people roaming from city to city. They are categorized under the standard homeless banner and that number is growing. It’s increased by 9 percent a year in Oregon, according to the federal department of Housing and Urban Development.A recent study by University of Southern California tracked 1,000 traveling youth and concluded most are homeless because of difficult family situations. But that survey was completed in 2013. As the numbers increase, the group may be becoming a movement.“We can’t paint people of this community with a broad brush, but we’ve had members come to the mayor’s listening sessions saying they are part of a counter-culture community designed to be a jarring presence that rattles your cage and effects perspective,” said O’Meara. “It’s a declaration against what society has become. It’s a 21st century version of the 1960s' hippie movement.” In speaking with a group of travelers lounging on a small patch of dirt downtown, O’Meara’s statements seem to be reinforced. “This is my feeling. We’re on the forefront of a revolutionary act awakening to the fact that the system is broken,” said Cory Bradley, explaining his own reasons for traveling.“Revolution is about harmony. Revolutions don’t have to be bloody. We need to create more opportunities for organic healthy food and water and environmental awareness,” said his friend, Matthew Nelson, chiming in on the conversation.“Our culture is not intimate. It keeps the carrot in your face for the American Dream. That’s not our dream. We have a dream where we all get fed and care for each other,” said Bradley. Others in the group strummed banjos, some blurted out agreement about harmony and food, and supported sharing rather than the current norm of a standard job and housing model. When asked about work, Bradley said he doesn’t mind doing the work, but the way it’s typically done bothers him.“Jobs don’t care about you and your life," he said. "You’re just working nine to five. We work for the things we need and we’d like to work more. How about a work trade hostel? What I need is so much less. I’d love to work for what I need designing community gardens.”“The vast majority who flow through town don’t do anything against the law,” said O’Meara. But he went on to say some do and that needs to be addressed. The chief also says the cultural phenomena may have some of its roots in the marijuana business. “It’s happening in Washington, Oregon and Colorado,” he said. The three states which have legalized recreational use of cannabis are finding greater populations of travelers, according to O’Meara, but he does not think marijuana workers are the majority of the group. “I think there’s a connection. I don’t think it’s a one-to-one correlation,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a majority, but a substantial sub-section.”When asked about coming to Ashland to find work in the pot industry, the travelers group went quiet. No one would volunteer whether they worked with growers. But Bradley said he believes any crop which takes over too much creates a bigger problem. “Mono-cropping is a huge threat to a sustainable future and organic food supply.” He expressed a general concern that marijuana could create this issue if it were to go unchecked.O’Meara said the work in understanding this phenomena is just beginning. “We’re really just coming together to have initial conversations to determine the root causes of the issue, how we can address it and which parts we should address.”
