Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA

[Sapphire Blue]

Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA
February 2007

Violent Crimes against the Homeless on the Rise

Contact: Michael Stoops [phone], ext. 19; [e-mail]

Please click here to read the hate crimes report.

Please click here to read the CNN story: "Teen 'sport killings' of homeless on the rise"


Washington, DC – Reported incidents of attacks against homeless men and women have reached their highest level in years, according to a study by the National Coalition for the Homeless. NCH’s report, Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2006, details the 142 violent crimes, against homeless individuals in the past year, the highest number of incidents since NCH’s annual study began in 1999. Attacks have increased 65% from last year, and over 170% since five years ago. This year’s attacks, which include beatings, stabbings, burnings, and rape resulted in 20 fatalities

Even more disturbing than the violence of these attacks are the identities of the attackers and their motives. In a significant number of cases, the crimes were committed by teenagers and young adults, for no apparent reason other than boredom. This March in Orlando, FL, August Felix, age 54, was beaten to death by five teenagers. The youths, all between the ages of 13 and 16, attacked Felix and others “for sport,” according to local police. Later that same month, 21-year-old Braymond Harris of Detroit was shot and killed by a 15-year-old boy. In the words of one Detroit police officer, the boy and his friends “just wanted to beat up a bum.”

“It is NCH’s position that many of these acts should be considered hate crimes” said Michael Stoops, Executive Director of NCH. “Crimes against homeless people are motivated by the same intolerance as hate crimes against people of a certain religious, racial, or ethnic background.”

Currently, federal law does not list housing status as potential motivation for a hate crime, though NCH and others are gaining ground in their battle to add homelessness to new hate crimes legislation. Such bills have been introduced into five state legislatures: California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.

For the complete report, as well as those of past years, click here








http://www.nationalhomeless.org/getinvolved/projects/hatecrimes/pressrelease.html

The Perils of Indifference
Elie Wiesel

(excerpt)

In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Anger can at times be creative. One writes a great poem, a great symphony, one does something special for the sake of humanity because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. But indifference is never creative. Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You fight it. You denounce it. You disarm it. Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response.

Indifference is not a beginning, it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy, for it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim, whose pain is magnified when he or she feels forgotten. The political prisoner in his cell, the hungry children, the homeless refugees -- not to respond to their plight, not to relieve their solitude by offering them a spark of hope is to exile them from human memory. And in denying their humanity we betray our own.

Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment. And this is one of the most important lessons of this outgoing century's wide-ranging experiments in good and evil.

In the place that I come from, society was composed of three simple categories: the killers, the victims, and the bystanders. During the darkest of times, inside the ghettoes and death camps -- and I'm glad that Mrs. Clinton mentioned that we are now commemorating that event, that period, that we are now in the Days of Remembrance -- but then, we felt abandoned, forgotten. All of us did.

And our only miserable consolation was that we believed that Auschwitz and Treblinka were closely guarded secrets; that the leaders of the free world did not know what was going on behind those black gates and barbed wire; that they had no knowledge of the war against the Jews that Hitler's armies and their accomplices waged as part of the war against the Allies.

If they knew, we thought, surely those leaders would have moved heaven and earth to intervene. They would have spoken out with great outrage and conviction. They would have bombed the railways leading to Birkenau, just the railways, just once.

The full speech (text & audio) is available @ http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/wiesel.htm

Today, a different time, a different place.

We know.

What will we do?

[Esra Star]

1. The stastistics say that they are less likely to die in silence.

Homelessness is a litmus test for the quality of the civilisation.
Take a good look in that mirror. Don't be afraid.

[bobbolink]

3. What do you mean, "Don't be afraid"?

Until recently, I was homeless, and I can tell you, I was VERY afraid. Why should I NOT be?

Last night, I ended up in an emergency, having to walk on a dangerous road, and nobody would give me a ride. I can tell you I was TERRIFIED.

What do you mean, "don't be afraid"?
Have you ever been alone, in a frightening situation, with no one willing to help? MAybe then you'd know what it means to be afraid.

[Esra Star]

7. I am happy that your nightmare has taken a turn for the better.

Yes I have been afraid. No I have never been homeless.
My family ties would seem to preclude this possibility.
As far as the statement itself "don't be afraid",
I was encouraging others to look in the mirror and see the homeless.
See them as a reflection of society, and not be afraid of that.
Rather to face it and support the idea of adressing the problem.
I hope I have explained myself satisfactorily.

[bobbolink]

8. Thank you for your reply.

Sometimes people try so hard for brevity that it's unclear what is meant.

Yes, giving up the fear of homeless people is NECESSARY.

When I used to work with homeless people, I was often asked, "Aren't you afraid of them?" NO, I"m no more afraid of them than any other segment of the population. Every group of people has those who will hurt you and those who won't.

It's important to recognize that people are people.

[Esra Star]

9. Thanks for that. Remember this is cyberspace and brevity

rules.
If you choose to work with homeless people again, the golden rule is
to not burn out. You need an escape hatch to go to a place where you can re-charge.
Never ever give so much that you become a part of the problem.
Cheers

[Sapphire Blue]

11. "The stastistics say that they are less likely to die in silence."???

I don't understand what you mean.

As to the rest of what you posted (and as you explained to bobbolink), I look in the mirror... and I see Bessie, and I see all of the The Nameless and Faceless Deaths in Our Midst. And I am afraid, because more and more and more are joining the ranks as the world looks away, the world doesn't move heaven and earth to intervene, the world doesn't speak out with great outrage and conviction, the world doesn't bomb the policies leading to poverty & homelessness. Not even once.

The killers, the victims, and the bystanders. Where are the responders?

[Esra Star]

15. #1. I am commenting on the fact that now better statistics are

kept. Whereas before what happened to the homeless didn't show up in the stats.
So the increasing numbers may be a function of them not being counted before.
I hope that clears that one up.
#2. If you look in the mirror and see the problem as a reflection of the society,
that is what I meant. When you have unfettered dog eat dog, some are going to be
savaged. It sounds as though you do see that this occurs.
I hope that explains it better for you.
Regards

[Sapphire Blue]

16. On the increasing numbers of hate crimes/violent acts against homeless people...

From the hate crimes report...

THE LINK BETWEEN VIOLENCE AGAINST HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESSNESS:

There is a documented relationship between increased police action and the increasing numbers of hate crimes/violent acts against homeless people. “It seems that disturbed violent people take a cue from their cities’ responses to homelessness and become emboldened with more violent attacks if the city has portrayed homeless people as the cause of unemployment, decreasing property values, or vacant storefronts,” said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

For eight years (1999-2006), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has tracked a frightening increase in crimes targeting homeless people perpetrated by young people and severely disturbed individuals. These are well-documented violent attacks on a vulnerable population that result in injury and in many cases death.

Advocates from around the country have cited the relationship between municipal actions to restrict visibility of homeless people and hate crimes/violence. This overly broad enforcement of the law or laws passed by city governments specifically targeting homeless people are documented in The National Coalition for the Homeless and The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty’s report entitled, A Dream Denied: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities (January 2006). The report also ranks the 20 “meanest” cities in the U.S. for violating the civil rights of homeless people.

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/getinvolved/projects/hatecrimes/link.html

[givemebackmycountry]

2. Sadly, when I first read this I was not at all surprised...

We have lived in a country that for decades has become less and less sensitive and caring of it's citizens.
How long have we had to listen to the horrible circumstances that befall the weakest among us?
The children and defenseless women who get abused or much worse.

Now, this...

Later that same month, 21-year-old Braymond Harris of Detroit was shot and killed by a 15-year-old boy.
In the words of one Detroit police officer, the boy and his friends “just wanted to beat up a bum.”

What frightens me is the thought of what is yet to come.
If this country suffers a major economic collapse, like the one that may happen if the Chimp decides to bomb Iran and the oil spigot is turned off...
these types of violence will only be the tip of the iceberg.

If it ever comes to a "every man for himself" in this country, we will find out very quickly just how "moral and great" we really are.

[bobbolink]

5. Can you please tell me why....

"We have lived in a country that for decades has become less and less sensitive and caring of it's citizens."

While that is true, I have a question for you:

Just this last week, we were aprised of a situation with recovering vets having been subjected to terrible conditions. It aroused much ire, and efforts were immediately organized even here on DU to do something about the situation.

Now, can you tell me why there is not the same ire about homeless people being beaten to death, found frozen to death, burned to death?

What, pray tell, is the difference in the humanity of vets and homeless people (some of whom are *also* vets!)

I've been told over and over that it will get better slowly, and to be satisfied with "baby steps".

Well, this last week really did it to me--WE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED WORTHLESS, EVEN BY "LIBERALS".

Again, I got it. WE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED WORTHLESS, EVEN BY "LIBERALS".

Can you or anyone else tell me WHY this is so?

I need to know what is going on.

[blues90]

10. No one should have to be homeless .

I live in Hollywood CA where I see the most wealthy and some of the most poor within arms reach .

One of my biggest fears now days is to become homeless in this city since I have been out of work for a year now .

I have never been afraid of the homeless and always turned to anyone calling out whether it was for change or a cig and always gave as much as I had on me .

The homeless has always been a concern of mine they are people and many I have come across were better people than I have ever worked around .

No matter what the reason they became homeless is not the issue to me , the issue to me is to get them help and off the streets .

However they are the unseen and avoided here and I have nothing I can do to help with as far as money goes .

[Sapphire Blue]

12. What frightens me is that this is happening while the world looks away.

The killers, the victims, and the bystanders. Where are the responders?

Where are they???

[Sapphire Blue]

17. while the world looks away

[nam78_two]

4. K&R

I read about an attack on a homeless person at least once a month :(

[Sapphire Blue]

13. Thank you for the K&R, nam78_two.

That is at least once a month too often.

[Czolgosz]

6. K & R

[Sapphire Blue]

14. Thank you, Czolgosz.

[Sapphire Blue]

18. ^^^

:kick:

[Nutmegger]

19. R, K and

many, many :hug: to you SB.

:hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

20. ..

:hug: :hug: :hug: to you, too, Nutmegger.