Edit

I kinda made this post out of spite for the fact the most previous post in this community, whose title I quoted/copied, was getting so many downvotes… At the time I posted this, the previous post had about a 30% downvote rate, and it really, really made me mad.

I am relieved tho to see people in the comments here who have real, actual empathy for their fellow humans. Thank you for contributing here.

It blows my mind how normalized it is to hate on those who are struggling. Especially in 20fucking23 when so many of us now are on the verge of it ourselves. Let’s be better, everyone - to everyone. I beg you.

  • AnonymousDeity
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    1 year ago

    In my view it’s not about accessing the recreation area - I’d rather that space be used temporarily for occupancy while we fix up society. Having said that, ad-hoc homeless camps have very real safety risks associated with them. Often crime rates near these camps rise, and it’s reasonable for residents to also want to feel safe in their neighborhoods.

    What we need is funding for real shelters with real long-term addiction and crisis counseling support. Blindly saying “any and all public spaces should be fair use for homeless camps” is not helpful to anyone.

    • Maeve@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Oh boy. You go spend a night in a homeless shelter. Seriously. Then say that.

    • blazera@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Its a bit silly to say crime rates around these camps go up, as they usually are illegal to begin with. Like marijuana, criminalizing otherwise benign things still brings other criminal elements.

      • Tb0n3
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        1 year ago

        Break-ins, assaults, rape, robbery. You know. Benign things. Also shit and needles everywhere.

        • Maeve@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          So the obvious solution is create conditions for rampant desperation, criminalize despair, shove undeserved out of sight. The etymology of “bedlam,” comes to mind.

          • Tb0n3
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            1 year ago

            There are many better solutions than “let them camp”.

            • Maeve@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              Obviously; but the only ones being implemented on a wide basis in the US OS that, and what I said.

        • blazera@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Those would be the other criminal elements. Drug dealers have had these issues too.