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by Clive Whistle/PoorNEwsNEtwork
In atlanta when the olympics came I was harassed, arrested, had my
belongings seized and finally was put in jail for the duration of the
olympics- at which time I made the mistake of asking the "nice" black cop (that's what he called himself when he arrested me) why I was arrested - to which he replied, shortly, " Because you know as well I do - you are a bum, and they don't want to see no bums in Atlanta right now"
Well, that "right now" lasted a whole year and even exists today -
it seems that the olympics fever rolled over into city policy - so much so that nowadays you can't even commit the crime of walking at night in downtown (Atlanta) in old clothes or you will be picked up on suspicion of "being a vagrant" (read; poor)
So I left. I went to New York just in time to be met by the demon named
Guiliani. But let's back up - I should tell you something about myself, I
am a low-key, loving kind of guy. I really don't have a lot of motivation to
be "all that I can be". I did an over long stint in the Army - which sort
of tore my brain out of my head - leaving me unable to handle much
stress-or really deal with a job at all - and I have had my share of em' I
have done everything from cleaning floors to hauling trash, and I still
work from time to time, when my back lets me . So I guess you could call
me a bum- but what's a bum?- I don't do no stealin' or lyin - I don't
bother noone- so really by who's standards am I a bum?-
So anyway, I make the terrible misstep of going to New York, at the
nexxus of Giuiliani's campaign of terror against "peddlers, panhandlers and
prostitutes" those are his words, and what a lot of people don't know is he
went after the street artists and hot dog vendors as vehemently as he went
after the so-called bums like me - it really should have been called
Giuliani's War on the Poor.
Well, anyway, I hit town and got a job in Soho moving and hauling trash -
and very soon I got an old truck with a messed-up rear end. I used it do
haulin' and within seconds the cops were on me for having an old car - it was
hilarious - Driving While Poor was in full effect- I had my white
co-worker drive so as to be sure of no DWB(driving while black) risks -but
he was stopped repeatedly - eventually - I gave up and took to livin in an SRO and then on the streets, which is no easy task in NYC. But then I began my relationship with the Business Improvement District ( read: the new fascism in AmeriKKa) These are areas such as Times Square in New York that hire their own cops to patrol the poor folks, the artists, the sex workers and anybody who doesn't resemble Mickey Mouse, i.e, a member of the Disney Family out of the area where tourists go. I was arrested and/or harrased so many times I can't count. And I wasn't even panhandling! Anyway, I finally borrowed enough money and went to San Francisco.
Well, I guess I just have bad luck! cause little did I know I was on the unofficial tour of the meanest cities in America. As a poor black man, who grew up in the south I really don't think it has ever been this bad!
In San Francisco I have lived in Shelters and SRO's. Most of the shelters are similar to jails and I have been in the Army and in jail too much of life to be havin' anymore of that. So I have attempted to live quietly outside, mindin' my own business. I have lived in the most godawful hideaways and the SFPD or the Department of Public Works has found me and harassed me, seized my meager belongings and thrown me in jail for nothin at all. I think the only good thing about SF is POOR Magazine, The Bayview, Street Spirit and The Street Sheet - cause at least they help folks get the truth out.
I know there are good places in the US - but according to the recent report by the NAtional Coalition on Homelessness, even the possiblity of a hawaiian vacation isn't a good idea (Honolulu, Hi was voted 10th on the list of meanest cities to homeless folks) anyway, I don't really know where to go now. But the message is clear - they don't want poor folks like me in most of America - and as I marched in the Dr. King march yesterday along side my Black, white, Asian and Latino brothers and sisters I wondered who our oppressed folks really are in 2002.
Clive Whistle is a staff writer at POOR - through POOR's Writer-Facilitation project, which aims to give a voice to very low and no income writers and artists
The entire Meanest Cities report can be viewed at: www.nationalhomeless.org/criminalizationrelease.html
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