Hey there Steemians!
Yesterday I attended a give away event put together by a group called Socks that Rock here in Corvallis Oregon. The group brought two barbers, coffee, snacks and stacks of clothing, bedding, along with tarps and tents for homeless folks who are having to transition from the winter shelter back to living outside.
During the give away a Parks and Recreation vehicle drove by a couple of times. The previous day police along with Parks workers had been through the area “posting” camps. A posting is a notice that declares the camp illegal and allows the city to remove the contents of the camp after 24 hours. So the Parks and Rec vehicle was going around “cleaning up” the illegal camps.
The postings are a legal, although unethical, way for the city to remove people and their possessions from public areas. Here in Corvallis, Oregon the law was recently updated allowing for the citing of people who have blankets or sleeping bags in public, it also makes cooking a crime. I have mentioned to city council, the mayor, the city manager and numerous social service workers that this law is inhumane and unethical. They don’t seem too concerned about the effects this law will have on good people. It causes people who are not harming anyone to be considered a criminal for the act of owning bedding in public.
This is a video I made during that event.
