This was written three months ago, when the quote, "We're going to 'get rid' of 'them'" was given to me... these are my words, in chronological order... enjoy!
"fas·misc
[fash-iz-uhm]
noun
1. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. ( initial capital letter ) a fascist movement, especially the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922–43."
(source: http://dictionary.reference.com/...)
A cold wind blew in to Berkeley, California this morning, but it isn't entirely the weather's doing, as it is more about the climate in town, lately; this is chilly.
Ever since the collapse of our (United States) financial industry (Wall Street), with help from Criminal Politicians (With whom are still in power?), people -- like merchants -- are looking for a scapegoat. Instead of going after the "real killers" (thanks Orinthal), they are blaming the homeless for all their financial woes.
For the past few years I have chronicled (in detail) the behavior of cities and their handling of the homeless in their towns. I have lived in Arcata, California (Humboldt County); I have lived in Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara County); I have lived in Berkeley, California (Alameda County), all while being classified as: "homeless." Three years ago I watched as the city council (and citizens) of Santa Barbara began plans on how to "handle the homeless." What I witnessed down there, at that time, was appalling.
The city of Santa Barbara thought it was prudent to build an area (near the Mission) so that all the illegal immigrants had a place to hang out, and bid on jobs. Contractors would drive up (in the early-morning hours) soliciting laborers. The city (of Santa Barbara) decided to build a concrete sidewalk and stand area, with a portable bathroom (which was cleaned out regularly). This way our guests had a nice, safe place to hang out. Meanwhile, on the beach, only a half mile away, sat Homeless Veterans, being ticketed and ran off for "sleeping on the beach." The bathrooms on the beach were (and are) closed at 6:00 PM, every single night.
Whatever your politics about illegal immigration, it has to infuriate the average citizen (and voter) that their tax dollars were (and are, still) going to pampering people not even from here over people whom are (from here) have served their nation, selflessly. And this isn't even where the atrocities ended, either.
The local news media (in Santa Barbara) kept portraying the "drug problem" was the fault of... you guessed it, the "homeless." When will the news media ever be on the correct-side of history?
And the charge was ludicrous, too, since all you had to do is go over to the area where the drug sales were being operated from... ironically the same place the city built for our visitors to hang out. You see, once the contractors would leave for the day, the remaining immigrants would stay there and sell heroin and crack; it wasn't the "homeless" who were perpetrating these crimes. I also witnessed the type people who were buying those drugs, too, and they were most certainly not "homeless," as they were driving nice cars, like Mercedes Benz and BMW.
What does any of this have to do with Berkeley, California you may ask? Everything. Because that very same Fascist minded-thinking is beginning to creep in to this great city.
The Homeless' Kids ('Travelers') have been coming through towns like Berkeley, Arcata, and Santa Barbara for over forty years now. It's sort of a "right of passage" for a lot of these kids. Some continue to be homeless their entire lives, I imagine, but some [probably] do go on to do other (great) things in this country, also. It's sort of kin to how rich kids go over to Europe after high school and hitchhike across that continent, only these kids do not have the cash to pull that off, so they stay local (or come from the east coast).
There are also myriad "Mentally Handicapped" who live in these towns as well. And this can be directly attributed to one then Governor of California: Ronald Reagan. In fact, the running joke, for years, was to call those afflicted (and loose) "Ronny's Kids," or, "Ronny's Children." We (as a culture and society) have been riding that joke for over thirty years now... the time to take responsibility for those foolhardy actions have come and past a long time ago. Time for all of us to take a long, hard look in the mirror. At what point do we begin to take responsibility for this atrocity? We (society) give them money (Less than a thousand dollars a month, on average.) and tell them to survive? Only now, the Fascists want to "get rid of 'them,'" because they're tired of looking at them?
Too bad. Give us solutions then. And no, putting a bunch of Mentally Handicapped Homeless People on trains to F.E.M.A. Camp is not a viable option, either.
And this is where Berkeley comes into the picture: There is an organization entitled, "Block By Block." This is a "'Christian'-based organization," according to their website. Their agenda is to "clean up" neighborhoods (which is merely a euphemism for 'getting rid of': [insert group here]) of whichever city they descend upon. The last time I checked, it is not very "Christian" to "get rid" of anyone, let alone those with less capacity than our own.
Their ('BBB,' because 'KKK' is already taken) motivation is [supposedly] to assist the public with information and to clean up the garbage people throw on the ground. They employ people known as "Ambassadors," who work in pairs, and walk the city streets issuing warnings for people who smoke cigarettes (another blog for another time) and taking care of the small crap the police do not want to deal with, like petty ordinances.
These Ambassadors do not have any power, however, as they can only advise, and in some extreme cases (like physical altercations), detain someone until the police get there, or call and shadow the person (in-question) until the police get there. In other words: they have as much power as any average citizen, only they're being employed by someone... someone in the shadows.
Is it the city of Berkeley? Is it the Merchants of Berkeley? Who is in charge of hiring this "Christian" organization? You're probably saying to yourself, "What's the big deal? It sounds like a good idea to me," and normally you'd be correct for thinking so, but what I have heard from two sources (inside the organization) has made my skin crawl.
One morning I was having my coffee and one of my sources came to me and said, "Block By Block is about to take over the entire program." Apparently, before this decision, Block By Block had given control to B.O.S.S. (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency). But now, apparently, they have decided (with the city of Berkeley's approval, most likely) that they (BBB) will be taking over. And, the quote that bugged me the most was when this person told me they heard this: "We're going to 'clean up' Berkeley. And then, "'Get rid' of 'them.'"
That's right... "get rid of 'them.'"
Another insider told me they are going to "come down hard on the 'homeless' of Berkeley." What are they going to do? Is it illegal to be "homeless" now? First off, it is not illegal to exist. Secondly, there is no law stating a person has to live in a house or has to have a "job," not that there are any of those, anyway. And, like always, instead of creating solutions, the merchants and the city council of Berkeley has decided that it will be much easier (and cheaper in the long run) to remove the Homeless and Mentally Handicapped than it would be to create jobs or find homes for all of them.
When did Berkeley become Santa Barbara?
What is even more maddening about all of this is, the Homeless are a direct result of the criminal activity of our "elected officials" in Washington D.C. and New York (Wall Street). And now, instead of focusing on "them," the city and the merchants of Berkeley are blaming the result of all that illegal activity on... who, again?
Really?
Hear that sound? That's the sound of someone trying to sweep something under that proverbial rug! Hilarious, if it wasn't so damned sad. Human behavior never ceases to amaze me. At our (United States) darkest hour, we are going to choose to blame and vilify those who had nothing at all to do with any of this?
Really???
These are merely rumors... sure... but they are rumors coming from inside the organization. I have two (credible) sources, and that's all the New York Times needs to have to run a story, so... here's mine. And this [realization] does have precedence, as I have pointed to with Santa Barbara and their Fascist ways. They would rather save money on labor (on the front end) and then criminalize Veterans and American Citizens alike (on the back end), rather than deal with the real problem. They then want to blame those very same Veterans and American Citizens for their "drug problem," when they aren't even the ones perpetrating it.
I will update this blog just as soon as Block By Block steps out of line (And they will. They've been successful at this behavior in the past and will probably be arrogant and cock-sure in their approach.) and tries "getting rid" of anyone. Because, the last time I checked, the power (over American Citizens) of these businesses (and their employees) ends at their doorstep.
They do not own (or control) the "'Public' Sidewalks."
Block By Block is a Private Organization, which means they have no more (or less) power than a Verizon Wireless or Starbucks Employee has over American Citizens existing on a Public Sidewalk: none.