CNN is showing Tent City

[malaise]

This is way too sad.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Do you mean the original ?

:hi:

[malaise]

2. The one in Sacramento

Listening to those people was enough to make me cry.

[dipsydoodle]

5. I honestly wasn't aware of that.

Some pictures here :

Pictured: The credit crunch tent city which has returned to haunt America.

A century and a half ago it was at the centre of the Californian gold rush, with hopeful prospectors pitching their tents along the banks of the American River.
Today, tents are once again springing up in the city of Sacramento. But this time it is for people with no hope and no prospects.
With America's economy in freefall and its housing market in crisis, California's state capital has become home to a tented city for the dispossessed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1159677/Pictured-The-credit-crunch-tent-city-returned-haunt-America.html

The dispossessed - what a sad and awful expression even if accurate.

[csziggy]

38. There are tent cities in many cities across the country

I sent the links to the pictures of the Sacramento tent city from the 30s and from this year to my sister. She emailed back and told me there are tent cities in Saint Petersburg and Tampa, Florida. The one in Tampa is near the state fairgrounds but the space is not big enough for the numbers of people and the city is looking for more places that can be used to park the homeless.

And the M$M is almost totally ignoring this growing problem... :cry: :banghead:

[malaise]

43. They won't be able to ignore this sad situation for

much longer.

[csziggy]

49. Should we start a massive campaign utilizing CNN's iReporter system?

Everybody go out and get pictures and video of tent cities across the country and send them in to the iReporter site. FLOOD their system with this information. Send it to other media outlets at the same time.

http://www.cnn.com/ireport/

[NC_Nurse]

3. So what was the deal with the guy who didn't want to contact his grown kids

because of his embarrassment, but then he goes on a national TV newscast???

Sorry, but there HAS to be more to that story....

[malaise]

6. That was odd

Unless he knows they never watch TV.

[NC_Nurse]

8. I wondered if he knew they didn't want to hear from him for some reason.

Seemed like there might be something more to it. Who knows?

[Warpy]

9. Maybe this is the only way he CAN tell his grown children

Don't you have any clue in the world how much parents don't want to burden their children?

Don't you have any idea of the level of shame there is attached to the fact that you are no longer the tower of strength who used to supply everything to your children and who is still supposed to be in a position to help them pass life's milestones?

I'd suggest you try to be a little less judgmental. There but for a stroke of luck here and there go you.

[NC_Nurse]

68. I say that as an adult child of an abusive alcoholic who is currently taking care of said parent.

Excuse me for wondering if this might be a similar situation in which this family finds itself.

[eleny]

19. His situation is so upside down right now, I wouldn't judge him

[Liberal_in_LA]

34. I've known folks who became homeless but didn't tell their relatives until 'back on their feet'

[CoffeeCat]

4. And whatever you do...don't help these people!!

Look at this pathetic article, and the horrible quotes from a city official and others--warning
people NOT to bring food, clothing or other items to "tent city" to help these people. The city
official warns that "it could be dangerous" because many of these people are "addicted to drugs"
and "mentally ill."

Sooooo...we're supposed to fear the homeless...because they're insane and a bunch of crack heads???

I bet more than half the people down there are formerly middle-class folks who are victims of the
current economic chaos!


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29559339/

[malaise]

7. I bet the city official is a big time

Christian.
Two of them who were interviewed had jobs until recently.

[CoffeeCat]

11. They both said...

...that helping those people in Tent City--was a "health hazard."

I mean...come on!

It's not like people are leaving buckets of donuts outside!

This is so surreal.

We are ALL on this frickin planet together and we should all help each other!!

Instead of saying "Don't help" that city official should have offered suggestions for
helping them, what to bring or how to bring it---instead of scaring people into not helping.

Her remark about the people in tent city being "drug addicts" and "mentally ill and off their
medication" is a way to make people have disdain for these people and see them as objects who
deserve their plight.

I bet there are many children there and many people who have just lost jobs or homes due to
the unregulated Wall-Street party that this country has had for so long.

We should all be figuring out ways to help one another---not dig for fear-based reasons to look the other way!

[malaise]

12. That should make hundreds of people

head to Tent City to help them.

[w8liftinglady]

16. which is why the first reporting of "Tent City" was done by the BBC

this is just too unpleasant for John Q. "it's all about me" Republican.I can not begin to tell you how many self-righteous "Christians" I know who would let a family starve rather than be exposed to this "unpleasantness".I'm glad CNN finally found a shred of maral decency.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnnOOo6tRs8

[malaise]

29. I remember when BBC reported on Tent City

We were not exactly shocked - were we. :hi:

[Duke Newcombe]

41. How do you figure? n/t

[jwirr]

10. This is where I would step over the line - NO ONE is going to tell me

not to help someone in need - ever.

[malaise]

13. Same here

Maybe we should send this to KO so he can name that official 'the worst person in the world'.

[Bozita]

14. Arrests have been made in CA for exactly that "crime" ... feeding/helping the homeless

[Lorien]

18. In Florida too. nt

[CoffeeCat]

15. Someone needs to ask....

...the question...Is this how America is going to treat victims of this poor economy?

Is that how it's going to be? People who have lost their homes or jobs, are going to be
positioned as crazy drug addicts who may kill you if you try to give them a cup of
coffee or a blanket?

I think we need to be vigilant about how the media and others attempt to portray the victims
of this economic tsunami.

We can't let anyone disparage and malign people--just because they lost a job or their home
due to an unregulated Wall Street gone mad.

We must not allow them to make it "ok" to ignore human suffering AND blame the victim.

We must all join forces and help each other.

If any one of us lost a job or a home--we could be in Tent City. We are no different than
those people in Tent City and we are all connected.

[malaise]

20. At the same time we need to make Bill Moyers

Rachel, KO et al stop them from preventing others from helping those who are suffering and in need of help.

If they get away with this, before long they'll throw them in their private prisons and collect more taxpayers' money.

[Lorien]

23. Maybe they should be a little more "Christian" in their treatment of the poor:

Matthew 16: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

The people ask, "Why should we fast if the Lord never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attentions.

The Lord says to them, "The truth is that at the same time you fast, you persue your own interests and oppress your workers.

<snip>

"The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of opression and the yolk of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear. and do not refuse to help your relatives....

Isiah 58:3-7

"Evil men live among my people; they lie in wait like men who lay nets to catch birds, but they have set their traps to catch men. Just as a hunter fills his cage with bird, they have filled their houses with loot. That is why they are powerful and rich, why they are fat and well fed. There is no limit to their evil deeds. They do not give orphans their rights or show justice to the oppressed.

But I the Lord will punish them for these things;...

Micah 2:8-11

the Lord Almighty says "I will appear among you to judge, and I will testify at once against those who give false testimony, those who cheat employees out of their wages, and those who take advantage of widows, orphans, and foreigners - against all who do not respect me....

D. Greed and oppression of the rich and powerful.

Proverbs 22:16 "He that oppresseth the poor to increase his he that giveth to the rich, surely to want."

Proverbs 28:15 " a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; a wicked ruler over the poor people."

Amos 2:6, 7 "...they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek..."

Amos 4:1 "Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy..."

Amos 5:11, 12 "Forasmuch therefore as your treading upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate ."

Amos 8:4-6 "Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, ...falsifying the balances by deceit. That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; , and sell the refuse of the wheat?"


Proverbs 29
1 He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.


6 An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.

16 When the wicked increase, sin increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.

24 Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.



Money and Godliness

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For
we brought nothing into this world, and we can
take nothing out of it. But if we have food and
clothing we will be content with that. People who
want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the
love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some
people, eager for money, have wandered from
the faith and pierced themselves with many
griefs.
But you, man of God, flee from all this and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance
and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take
hold of the eternal life to which you were called
when you made your good confession in the
presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God
who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus,
who while testifying before Pontuis Pilate made
the good confession. I charge you to keep this
command without spot or blame until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God
will bring about in His own time.-
God the blessed and only Ruler
1Timothy 6:6-15


Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a rush,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, "Here I am."

If you take away from the midst of you the yoke,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.

Isaiah 58:5-10, Revised Standard Version

"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. efore him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.

"Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'

"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'

"Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

"Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'

"Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46, Revised Standard Version

[jwirr]

24. Great sumary. Thank you.

[shireen]

50. bookmarked. thank you. nt

[w8liftinglady]

51. one of my favorites

James chapter 2 (NLT)

14 Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16 and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well" - but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless.

18 Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."

19 Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! 20 Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?

[sweetpotato]

37. Because if you help them, they won;'t leave

If no one helps them, then of course they will just move on to someplace else, and that solves their tent city problem.

[demodonkey]

53. If someone helps them, they won't leave and they won't die.... nt

[Kool Kitty]

61. God, this makes me so angry.

Treating these people like they are raccoons or squirrels-don't feed them, whatever you do. You'll never get rid of them.

[Duke Newcombe]

40. There are better ways to help...

instead of old cloths or your home cooking, send the equivalent value in $$$ to local aid agencies, who can multiply that aid (they're in dire straits nowadays), and help many more people.

[XemaSab]

66. Sacramento Loaves and Fishes is a great organization

http://www.sacloaves.org/

They're Christian, but I've met the pastor and she's a terrific woman. She believes that the Bible calls us to feed the hungry, and Loaves and Fishes gives food without proselytizing.

[Duke Newcombe]

69. A Very good organization

The feeding IS the proselytizing--as in, "we care about you"...and the service we Christians are called upon, as you correctly pointed out. The whole thing is that people aren't exactly receptive to the Gospel message until their basic needs are met. I wish there were more organizations like them.

And thanks for not holding their Christianity against them ;)

[XemaSab]

70. According to their website

They see friendship, hospitality, and being treated with basic dignity as essentially spiritual values.

The Gospel message is a part of that, but it's part of a package that all liberals should be favorable towards.

[Lorien]

17. There have been tent cities here in Florida for well over a year

most of the inhabitants are former members of the middle class. Of course, CNN didn't show them then because Bush was still in office.

[malaise]

21. Post some pix

please

[Lorien]

26. I've seen the reports on the evening news

but anyone can google it for themselves.

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. OMG... they actually have tents, not boxes like they have in LA's skid row.

[Liberal_in_LA]

33. OMG... they actually have tents, not boxes like they have in LA's skid row.

[Joe the Liberal]

22. I just watched it.............

The guy who didn't want to see his kids said something along the lines of "some of these people choose to be homeless". I don't know too many people who choose to go out and live in the street.

[Lorien]

27. That's Rush Limbaugh's standard refrain

that the poor are the "truly evil" who just want a handout and refuse to work. That they WANT to be homeless, that they don't want health coverage...just more insane shit from an oxycontin addled "mind".

[Kool Kitty]

62. Typical "compassionate" Republican sentiment.

Didn't Reagan say something like the only people in this country that went to bed hungry were people on a diet? Nice.

[flying rabbit]

65. Some of them do choose to be homeless.

That's their right. I have met a few.

[Mnemosyne]

25. The one man's opinion that "some want to be homeless." Argh...

[KittyWampus]

28. HEY! I just googled looking for citation to post here. Saw this while working out a little while ago

[malaise]

30. Saw what?

Link????

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. Yeah...what?

[Liberal_in_LA]

36. Sad but I'm glad they are gathered together...safety in numbers.

[KittyWampus]

57. the story you posted in the OP

:)

it was disturbing and sad :(


It was also surprising to see CNN do that story.

[Liberal_in_LA]

31. They are calling where Barkley will serve his sentence "tent city' also.

[malaise]

39. I wondered about that

Bush should be proud of these tent cities. Pity M$Greedia refused to show them while he was creating them.

[Jkid]

42. Why isn't Obama ordering more public housing built?

This is inexcusable.

[Nevernose]

45. They're ostensibly slowly doing away w/ public housing

and moving to section 8 vouchers. Privatizing the problem of homelessness.

It's kind of a mixed bag. When you pack poor people into cramped, horrifically impoverished neighborhoods, crime does become a factor. More importantly, at least around here, much of the public housing built in the 60s and 70s hadn't been properly maintained since the 60s or 70s.

My immediate solution would be to buy foreclosed houses on the cheap -- not just the normal foreclosures, but houses that are in bad condition. We could then put a lot of construction workers back to work rehabbing and maintaining those houses, plus give people a place to live. TO assuage Republicans, maybe it could even be a price-controlled, gov't-assistance rent-to-own, so that renters in dire economic need could pick up a house for 30 or 40 thousand and eventually own it. All the benefits of public housing, few of the drawbacks.

[ecstatic]

60. great idea. Has anyone in congress proposed that idea yet? nt

[Lorien]

64. I think they also need to start thinking along the same lines the Japanese

have; 40, 50, 60 year mortgages. Mortgages that can be passed along to your children and grandchildren (should they choose to keep the home). Having the homes sit vacant helps no one.

[northernlights]

48. for every homeless family there already is an empty home.

They don't need public housing. They need their homes back, and their homes -- sitting empty and targeted by thieves and turned into crackhouses -- need them.

[spotbird]

56. Shit

There are miles of vacant housing. The last thing needed is more building.

[ecstatic]

59. Bad idea. Section 8, mixed income communities are the better

strategies for dealing with housing. Grouping all the worst off people in one concentrated area is a horrible idea and I'm glad most projects are being torn down.

[Bozita]

44. A fellow Duer wrote last week of her son's problems with the cops while trying to feed some homeless

folks.

IIRC, her son and friends were taking food to some folks in a park and were chased away (that's the polite way of describing it) by the local cops.

They went away, came up with a new plan, and returned to the park. They set up a picnic kinda thing and passed out food that way.

Kudos to those kids.

[malaise]

46. They rock

Bravo to those young people.

[Bozita]

58. It was liberalmuse

Here's the post ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5162859#5162948

liberalmuse (1000+ posts) Sun Mar-01-09 02:59 PM
Response to Original message
7. My nephew and his friends were harassed by 3 cops last weekend.

Edited on Sun Mar-01-09 03:00 PM by liberalmuse
At 3 different times during the day. These are high school kids. Their crime? Passing out food to homeless teens downtown. The cops kept going up to them and telling them they needed a permit. When they asked what kind of permit, not a single cop could tell them the name of it. Not a single one. My nephew and his friends ended up having a 'picnic' at the park (which one cop said belonged to the city, and was not public property) and inviting the homeless teens over so the cops would stop harassing them.

My nephew and his friends are going to help the residents of Nicklesville move to a new location this Thursday. (It's a homeless camp here in Seattle). Hopefully they won't be arrested.

[Ikonoklast]

47. Some time in the very near future, those with the tents to live in

will be the ones envied by those that don't even have that.

[shireen]

there is so much compassion in DU

for those who live in poverty, who are homeless, and facing tough times. I've come to expect it as the norm.

But in my "real" world, i rarely see it. I'm fortunate to know some kind compassionate people, and I treasure them. But most do not want to know about poverty, homelessness, and tragedy. My world is generally employed middle-class. I don't know any rich people. Except for people i have met in DU, i personally do not know anyone living in poverty. I do not personally know anyone in the military who has died in combat. Nor do i personally know anyone who has been victim of war (until recently, when i exchanged emails with a man who had lost his son in Gaza). It's as if i'm living in an employed middle-class bubble that has not burst.

There seems to be an epidemic of self-absorption and selfishness. It's deeply distressing.

[Lorien]

63. I know very wealthy people and a few blue collar workers who are also

totally self absorbed and living in their own little bubbles. Of course, all of those people are Republicans. I also know wealthy and poor Democrats and they are very much aware of how much others are hurting.

[hay rick]

52. Camping out suddenly popular.

I remember the Republican reaction during the Reagan years when the "homeless" problem started getting media attention. At first the problem was dismissed as small and humorous - too trivial to worry about. Then suddenly, the phenomenon underwent a phase change and the problem was seen as too big and complicated to do anything about...

The one thing that remained constant was that no action was called for.

I expect our corporate media to mostly look the other way. The occasional sympathetic story will be balanced with a companion story featuring drug abusers and violent criminals...

[backscatter712]

54. I believe the correct term is Bushville.

We've got to use the vocabulary to make sure the blame is placed correctly, do we not?

[upi402]

67. Republicamps n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

55. Intensities in Tent Cities

With apologies to the nuge...

[AyanEva]

71. This is heartbreaking.

:cry:

[Matariki]

72. Meanwhile, condos and apartments that got built in the bubble -

sitting empty...

*sigh*, we are an odd species.