What to do about the criminalization of homelessness?

[Deleted member 20975]

ive been noticing how fucked up some of the laws are that combat homelessness. Combat as aposed to help is the key here. Its especially hard on people stuck in or around cities but it can be a huge pain or threat on a traveller as most of you know. Half the reason im anarchist is because i have zero faith in using beaurocracy to actually do fuck all. I know who makes the rules. The asshole that owns a casino and works for the local administrations, the official getting payed by the NRA or big oil or some other multinational, or some lawyer that lives half the year in some summer home in the Galapagos or wherever. Rich scumbags that dont know or care about the plight of the common man.

So making it illegal to sit, sleep, camp, feed people, panhandle, etc is becoming the norm in alot of north american cities. Which at its core is contrary to the constitution and canadas charter of rights and freedoms..
but im not getting into that debate. I just want to know if anyone has ideas on how to combat this outside of individual action and avoiding getting beaten and arrested by asshole pigs. What can we do as a community? Inclusively at the base of freedom to roam. If you do illegal shit like littering in a town or being drunk and disorderly in public youre on your own. Im talking about basic living activities.

I was inspired as fuck by the OCCUPY movement.

 

[Deleted member 20975]

Tbh driving isnt and shouldnt be a right.

 

[Jerrell]

I have a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience. I don't have power or wealth, but do have the prestige that comes from being a veteran. I have empathy, compassion, anger, and all the other vital emotions to make change. I have traveled the world and interacted with other cultures.

Sadly, none of that helps me find the answer we seek.

 

[sixsixtysixth]

we need to kick the big man in the dick before there is going to be any real change. in the meantime we need to keep pushing for more and more grass-root efforts to help the homeless as well as impoverished communities. and when they try to shut us down we need more and more people to stand behind us and support the effort. pressure city officials to repeal laws against the homeless and not give into compromise. there is a lot to say on this subject and a lot to do still.

 

[paiche]

Oh man, the inequality has been around for thousands of years. I think its getting better but we've got a long way to go. As long as rich people who have gone mad from the metal fever continue to be allowed to build their empire and we all support them with our blind faith buying into hierarchy, as long as all that is permitted there are going to be cops and clergy to keep the man upstairs in power. If there is something we can do I sure would like to know. Even if we unleashed our own highly trained tribe of ninjas to wipe out all the asshole scumfucks who run the show there are still going to be others that will take their place. I think individual action and encouraging/empowering others to do the same is the most powerful thing we can do because we need to change from within. We've all got the same curse, somehow we all need to break out of it and realize our self-worth and awesomeness then we'll realize we don't need the power structure and we'll take care of our earth and our own communities and those weirdos will just shoot themselves off to Mars or something.

 

[Deleted member 20975]

There will undoubtedly always be greedy people that have more than they could ever use. Thats why i hate popular culture. But i am not against people making whatever life they want for themselves and living it how they want. We truly are all different. If we ALL hitchiked who the fuck would pick us up, right? Theres alot of disfunctional evil idiots on the street too, so the fact some people are ignorant and afraid of everyone thats different from them makes sence. Ive heard too many stories of the kind hearted helpfull person getting murdered or beaten unconscience for 10 bucks. But what bothers me is the idiot cucks that are active participates in their own demise. The state run violence and oppression and destruction they support through apathy and ignorance. Its a disneyland dystopia out there in western culture. People are brainwashed to think the guy drinking a beer, smoking a joint, or even puffin some rocks under the bridge are their enemy instead of the guy in the 3,000$ suit raping the planet and robbing the people. It baffles me how blind some people are. Its alot of propaganda and misinformation though. Divide and conquer right? I have to agree alot of people in the general public are becoming more aware and dare i say involved. But the amount of intolerant and knowingly hatefull fucks out there is still huge. Anyway im glad i have some brotheren out there that still crave freedom and adventure and real community... even if we arent all perfect all the time either. Peace. Cheers.

 

[Jerrell]

Honestly, if monthly rent was less than say a used car, the homeless numbers would be quite lower. Some homelessness is by choice, but too many are homeless thanks to the greed culture. Harassing the homeless keeps them from getting organized. Probably because they're unplugged from the social matrix and can think for themselves suddenly. Well, the ones that didn't jump straight to the bottle or rock can think for themselves, but I digress.
Even the people that think they are helping (shelters, social workers, honest religious folks, etc) do not fully grasp that homelessness is a symptom. They are under the same impression that corporatism and capitalism are the same thing. Just like everyone else plugged into the social matrix believes and so on and so forth. So then you get to the whole "we need systemic change" before long and that leads to "who did you vote for last election cycle" questions. So assuming we've all read Marx and Brave New World and listened to the best of anti-establishment rock 'n roll, which are all still symptoms...I go to the same question I always ask when people are putting band-aids on gunshot wounds...

What is the cause?

Yes, money and greed and blah blah, but aren't those just symptoms as well?

Dig deep. What is the cause that creates all these symptoms that distract us all from treating and correcting it?

 

[marmar]

Honestly, if monthly rent was less than say a used car, the homeless numbers would be quite lower. Some homelessness is by choice, but too many are homeless thanks to the greed culture. Harassing the homeless keeps them from getting organized. Probably because they're unplugged from the social matrix and can think for themselves suddenly. Well, the ones that didn't jump straight to the bottle or rock can think for themselves, but I digress.
Even the people that think they are helping (shelters, social workers, honest religious folks, etc) do not fully grasp that homelessness is a symptom. They are under the same impression that corporatism and capitalism are the same thing. Just like everyone else plugged into the social matrix believes and so on and so forth. So then you get to the whole "we need systemic change" before long and that leads to "who did you vote for last election cycle" questions. So assuming we've all read Marx and Brave New World and listened to the best of anti-establishment rock 'n roll, which are all still symptoms...I go to the same question I always ask when people are putting band-aids on gunshot wounds...

What is the cause?

Yes, money and greed and blah blah, but aren't those just symptoms as well?

Dig deep. What is the cause that creates all these symptoms that distract us all from treating and correcting it?

Fucking epic. I just find myself often thinking in same ways. So it's so nice to see I'm not alone in the world. Which (the world) definitely makes you feel like you are alone, if you don't have a community of like minded people.
Now, this community is mainly online. Well for those of use who haven't made it to the gathering in the slabs I guess. But it helps to brainstorm what could be done also. I don't have any idea any more about what could be done, answering the OP question. Too jaded. Burnt out on activism long time ago.
All I can do is survive and get by on my own. And I realize that that's exactly what the system does to us. Isolates us from each other, breaks down any attempts to organize, unite etc
But deep inside somewhere I am still caring a hope tho, that we could unite and be a real community one day, like standing up to the government crap with their anti homeless laws for instance, not just an online platform. I don't know how that can happen. But who knows

 

[Deleted member 20975]

Anything helps right? Doing anything to push back and fight. Its good to use your head though. Sometimes pure force is needed but being informed and well spoken and speaking directly to the masses works best, otherwise the powers that be just spin it and get the average joe against the people trying to fight to survive. The hood thing about this community imo is were actually out there, were on the streets and in the cities, we dont just sit behind our keyboards talking shit. There are alot of immature ignorant idiots out there (i know ive been one) and scumbags on both sides but the day we stop fighting opression and and gor our freedom we midaswell all hop out to a concentration camp.

 

[marmar]

Anything helps right? Doing anything to push back and fight. Its good to use your head though. Sometimes pure force is needed but being informed and well spoken and speaking directly to the masses works best, otherwise the powers that be just spin it and get the average joe against the people trying to fight to survive. The hood thing about this community imo is were actually out there, were on the streets and in the cities, we dont just sit behind our keyboards talking shit. There are alot of immature ignorant idiots out there (i know ive been one) and scumbags on both sides but the day we stop fighting opression and and gor our freedom we midaswell all hop out to a concentration camp.

I agree with the last sentence .
About hood- street community tho, even in LA where there is encampment of long time local homeless, which you can call a real community, it still didn't help them and the LA .CA government is constantly coming up with new shit to clear the area of the whole city out.till not a single homeless person left outta jail I guess is their goal there. The latest law is sleeping in cars ban that's just passed in LA

 

[Deleted member 20975]

The latest law is sleeping in cars ban that's just passed in LA

Thats fucked up. Oh its definitely a war on the poor and downtrodden. Social perception aswell allows the state to just kill the poor no questions asked. Just keep fighting for rights and pushing for perception to change. And when its feasible use legal action to change shit.

 

[CaptainCassius]

It's like I said to my wingnut buddy in Eugene; being homeless ain't illegal, just everything associated with living outside of a standard dwelling is.

De jure? Slowly becoming
De facto? Becoming worse I'd say

You talk about inequality going on for thousands of years, and sure you ARE right about that, but getting better? I don't know about that, less than 100 years ago you could still walk out into the wilderness and homestead and the general grip of the law wasn't as tight and absolute.

It is illegal for both the rich and the poor to sleep under bridges, and the option to make ones own way in the countryside regardless of wealth or skills is becoming verily diminished.

You want to band together and change something actively, hats off to ya.

My cynical view is; participation in or even acknowledgment of power to the institution which binds you is folly.

Just saying.

 

[Deleted member 20975]

That doesnt really present any ideas for solutions or change though. I know alot of people dont do shit. Alot of the time were just on our own out there. But it shouldnt be that way. The boot on the throat, the ignorant perception of the average government cuck those are worse in alot of ways. But i think the amout of people pushing back in recent years and the amount of people that see they are being lied to and completely fucked by the elite and the elites goons is growing. Thats how things are getting better. Trust me i dont owe them a fucking thing or buy into the fucking system but unless there is a real fucking true revolution taking my own liberties and freedoms out in the street alone doesnt do shit but get me thrown in a cell. A straight up hobo/tramp/homeless union could protect alot of people. Something along those lines. Times change just sitting still and complaining how bad it is doesnt do shit either. I dont trust or agree with most of the people on the street either but i also dont thing they should be subjected to abuse or worse from a corrupt and backward system. So some sort of unity is needed. Or were just as bad and disconnected as the assholes in the two million dollar houses living the cut-throat rat race.

 

[Deleted member 20975]

There has to be protections and coalitions for people out there. And i just think there should be things that are far reaching. Something more universal.

 

[CaptainCassius]

Change comes most effectively from the mouths, pens, and actions of the people; the declaration of individual's autonomy, secured and respected by the barrels of firearms.

 

[dumpster harpy]

Anybody have any ideas for what to do to those stickers they put on parking meters that say shit like "Don't give your change to bums, text this number to find out how you can really help."?

 

[CaptainCassius]

Anybody have any ideas for what to do to those stickers they put on parking meters that say shit like "Don't give your change to bums, text this number to find out how you can really help."?

Yeah. Put your phone number and have them send money to your PayPal

 

[Jerrell]

Anybody have any ideas for what to do to those stickers they put on parking meters that say shit like "Don't give your change to bums, text this number to find out how you can really help."?

Goo Gone works great.

 

[Dameon]

Only way to fight it (assuming you don't have a bunch of money to bring in lawyers and fight a bunch of legal battles) is to spread awareness by talking to people and alter peoples' perceptions of the homeless by being an upstanding example of a homeless person. Organizing protests and direct action in an area can be good, but it's notoriously difficult to get the homeless organized enough for any sustained protest. With the amount of mental illness and substance abuse in the community, it's like trying to get a bunch of cats to do an intricate dance.

 

[VikingAdventurer]

Anybody have any ideas for what to do to those stickers they put on parking meters that say shit like "Don't give your change to bums, text this number to find out how you can really help."?

This is MY suggestion: