A mob of angry protestors demanded yesterday that Portland stop criminalizing the homeless. The mayor, instead of addressing their concerns, cut and run and fled to South Africa.
Though Mayor Hales is currently in South Africa, event organizer Jessie Sponberg hoped that images of residents with pitchforks and torches would send him a clear message.
Not only is Mayor Charlie Hales a proud supporter of the Police State as evidenced by his actions in criminalizing homelessness, he is engaging in political cowardice by refusing to come face to face with the consequences of his actions. It is obvious where his values lie -- in driving up corporate profits, thereby creating the conditions that lead to 1,900 people in the Portland area becoming homeless.
On top of that, there is the police brutality. One poster writes:
I have watched police kick the homeless awake. I have had homeless friends have their things thrown out. This past December a homeless man died under a overpass, just down the street from condos that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do I need to go on?
And another poster notes that a lot of the churches there have lost sight of their calling to feed the hungry, something that was regularly practiced in the New Testament Church.
Why are churches not opening their doors for the people to sleep in there, it seems like churches have forgotten why they are here, their job is to give to the needy, so now is the time. If churches don't they should loose their charity license due to they are not giving it....Amen