April 22nd: a Big Day, Littleton (Part II)
Yesterday the United States Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the city of Grants Pass, Oregon violates the Eight Amendment’s prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment” by assessing a fine (a “punishment” in the form of a $295.00/night fine) to people who sleep in public places.
These “law-breakers” are fellow Americans who have no home. They are people with no other place to sleep. No house, no condo, no apartment, no room, no car, and the homeless shelter is at capacity.
They have to go outside.
So, on April 22, in the richest nation ever to grace the face of this Earth, well-paid lawyers asked nine well-known jurists to “decide” whether it is “cruel and unusual” as per the US Constitution, for a town to make a policy choice like that one: to assess fines (and be able to subsequently jail those unable to pay the fines) to fellow human being who have nothing.
Right here in America.
But something has to be done, right?
Yes.
We Americans, we Littletonians, can choose to regard housing as a human right, not as a commodity.
That’s what it will take to deal with homelessness: a shift in thinking, which, one would hope, might be reflected in a shift in policy.
Like poverty, homelessness is a result of systems.
Systems are created by policies.
Policies are created by people.
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Don’t forget to bring your questions to Candidates’ Night tomorrow at Town Hall.
I’ve confirmed that Chuck and I will be the final act of the evening, starting no earlier than 8:00, as there are four other contested elections this election cycle.