an overflow of words.

To anyone who lives in or around Memphis: Please help!

blocksonblox:

This was sent to me by the MidSouth Peace and Justice Center:

“CALL MAYOR WHARTON’S OFFICE 901.576.6000 AND CALL FOR AN END TO THE PLANNED SWEEP OF THE HOMELESS DOWNTOWN AND MIDTOWN.

This week the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center has learned that Memphis Police Department is planning a major sweep of the homeless in the Downtown and Midtown area set to begin Wednesday December 9th. 

CALL MAYOR WHARTON’S OFFICE NOW AT 901.576.6000 AND TELL HIM THE HOMELESS NEED HOMES AND SHELTER NOT HARASSMENT. 

Earlier this week Memphis Police department officers came to several homeless shelters, food pantries and day shelters and handed out cards to the homeless about a meeting with homeless service providers at Hospitality Hub Thursday. However, the homeless were also told that anyone found out on the streets, or living in vacants or catholes after the 9th in the downtown or midtown area would be arrested and their belongings would be thrown away. 

This is a moral outrage and must be stopped immediately. Memphis has no free shelters and existing homeless services are full or near capacity due to the cold weather and current economic crisis, where is the call for emergency shelters and affordable housing? This “Sweep” of the homeless will not only fill 201 Poplar at a huge cost to the taxpayers, but create further distrust between the homeless and the police and potential service providers who are working everyday to aid our brothers and sisters on the streets. 

It should also be noted that the sweep will only serve to continue the systematic push of our homeless population to the communities to the North and South of Downtown and Midtown, areas of the city which have much higher rates of vacant properties. Thus as the winter months roll on and as temperatures continue to drop, this sweep will only encourage the homeless to squat in vacants in other parts of the city. This will lead to more fires and potentially higher related emergency medical services.

This sweep is not a moral, effective or fiscally responsible solution to the issues of poverty and homelessness in our city, sadder still is that these laws seek to imprison the poor and the addicted on the heels of the holiday season. MAyor Wharton has the power to stop this illegal and imorral sweep.

CALL MAYOR WHARTON’S OFFICE NOW AT (901) 576-6000 AND TELL HIM THE HOMELESS NEED HOMES AND SHELTER NOT HARASSMENT.”