1 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: Welcome to the fifteenth episode of Reading in House. This 2 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: is THEO Henderson and I am. The title of this 3 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: episode is Ordinary Women doing Extraordinary Things, because at the 4 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: time when I was in the facility, I would just 5 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: be inside most of the day and be part of 6 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: a group work that really really helped me in my 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: rehabilitation process. But it was in the moments where they, 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: for example, brought me to maybe to the park or 9 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: get some ice cream, that I was reminded that I 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: can have my life again in terms of integrating back 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: and still enjoying. What does it mean to still feel joy? 12 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: I've been on quite a few wedding liss I mean 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: I thought that because I have several probly, which is 14 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: distinctive disability, I thought I might be at the top 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: of some list, but unfortunately not so. I've encountered a 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: lot of situations I'm having to do with homeless and 17 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: the Union Rescue Mission, which is being one shelter that 18 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: everybody is sent to. I didn't know that it was 19 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: gonna be so hard. I actually saved up about three 20 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars and they said that they can do 21 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: that absolutely nothing for me. So they referred me to 22 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: another shelter. In the midst of preparing for this episode, 23 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: I incurred an injury. I was out and running around 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: doing different interviews, and then I was alerted that someone 25 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: was trying to take my belongings. I rushed in a 26 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 1: dash to make sure that doesn't happen, because things are 27 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: going to be very difficult to replace during this coronavirus care. 28 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: And as I was doing this, I rolled my ankle 29 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: crossing the street. The pain was unbearable. I'm able to 30 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: be mobile, but my ankle is swollen, and it brought 31 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: about some questions. If I was housed, the first thing 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: would have been I would have probably be limped painfully 33 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: to my home, got me some ice, and elevated my ankle. 34 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: That did not happen. I had to painfully walk to 35 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: the park, collapse on the chair, and beg for the 36 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: kindness of someone to go to their house to get 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: a ice pack. But there's other looming things. Should I 38 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: get medical attention, and right now I'm deciding no. Reason. 39 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,119 Speaker 1: One of course, is because I'm on house and secondly, 40 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: the coronavirus has been spread by house people, so I 41 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: definitely don't want to be even in a vulnerable state 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: compromised by house people and their virus and potential to 43 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: get one. So I have to be able to heal 44 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: on my own wit and my own self care until 45 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: I'm able add a position to take care of myself. 46 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: This episode also talks about because of the coronavirus, there 47 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: has been some demands by services not Sweep, Street Watch, 48 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: Alie Cann and the Core Listen and Correa Town for 49 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: All and we've all came together to demand certain things 50 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: and our demand list for coronavirus nineteen for unhoused Angelinos 51 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: and demands to the City and County of Los Angeles. 52 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: Starts with this stop with the daytime tense down enforcement, 53 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: stop toying RVs and other vehicles that people are seeking shelter. 54 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: That's a particular emphasis on Chatsworth. They are targeting and 55 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: terrorizing on housed families with children and telling them that 56 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: they're going to toll their truck and separate their kids. 57 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: Sergeant Morino and Schneider are the major culprits of that 58 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: stop all sweeps like care Plus that displace people and 59 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: lead to the loss of critical life savings. There are 60 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: places that are called enforcement zones in different places here 61 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: and the coronavirus that has been in the news. The 62 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: lax police officer has the coronavirus, so they are potential 63 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: carriers doing these sweeps and pushing people away with their infections. 64 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: Number four stop evictions and implement immediate rent freeze and 65 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: eviction freeze. There's nothing to be had. You can't force 66 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: people to be evicted when their jobs are slowing and 67 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: things are being shut down. And to penalize them for 68 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: not paying the rent because our economy and our system 69 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: has shut down through a pandemic is cruel, illegal, and 70 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: or wrong. Number five. Supply dumpsters, showers, hand washing sections, 71 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: porter potties, vermin abatement, soap water to every unhoused settlement 72 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, California, thanks to the NIMBI movement that 73 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: has basically as well as the co opting of the 74 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: police officers, painting the picture that all unhoused people are 75 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: mentally ill and drug addicts. Many unhoused settlements are in 76 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: hiding because they are tired of being harassed. So that 77 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: is a gargantuan tax which brings about the shutting down 78 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: of libraries and public parks where they should have bathrooms 79 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: they cannot. Number six immediately implement twenty four hours, seven 80 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: days a week restroom access in parks, benches and government properties. 81 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: In the parks in Chinatown, there are no bathrooms. They 82 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: are shutting it down. There is no public bathrooms in 83 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: Chinatown thanks to the NIMBI movement, thanks to Business Improvement 84 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: District enforcement of George U telling people not to allow 85 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: bathrooms that force people not to use the bathroom for 86 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: unhoused people so there's nowhere for them to go. Provide 87 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 1: space that those who do not have a permanent home 88 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: can have access to, including private and public buildings, to 89 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: slow and stop the spread. Oppose any plan under the 90 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: guise of public health to warehouse unhoused people and ten 91 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: structures to camps that result of people living on top 92 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: of one another. One more thing, I have won my 93 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: own demand. Starbucks in Chinatown, Little Tokyo and in the 94 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: downtown proper has been in concert with Business Improvement District 95 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:47,559 Speaker 1: to remove phone chargers to penalize and discourage onnhouse people 96 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: to coming into store. If you go into the stores, 97 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: you can see the architecture structure that is not inviting anymore. 98 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: You're having to stand. That's also a very handicap for 99 00:05:55,640 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: unhoused people that are having handicaps physical, visible and invisible. 100 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: The message is clear in the idea that they are 101 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: trying to be hostile thanks to the Bloomberg article of 102 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: saying that customer input has gone down due to they 103 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: don't want to be interacting with unhoused people. Number nine, 104 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: Release incarcerated Angelinos, vulnerable people facing misdemeanors and quality of 105 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: life sentences that our city attorney who's running for mayor 106 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: and Mayor of Garcetti, as well as City Council President 107 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,919 Speaker 1: Neuri Martinez and Mitchell Farrell and other of those ilk 108 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: have been pushing for so release incarcerated Angeludos, vulnerable people 109 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: facing misdemeanor and quality of life citizens should be released. 110 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 1: And lastly, number ten, the city and county must utilize 111 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: their outreach capacity that doesn't include police officers, that definitely 112 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: does include Department of Sanitation. If we have sanitation, they 113 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: have different drop off points just like where we can 114 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: have hand washing, sanitation spots where they can supply garbage 115 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: bags and places where a house people can drop off, 116 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: and the contact with anti unhoused sanitation workers are minimized 117 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: or in fact eliminated. History has recorded many atrocious acts 118 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: with readers of history after the fact we had a 119 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: distance and we had a sense of detachment to comfortably 120 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: say that we had no hand in it, even though 121 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: many times that we benefit from it. But this is 122 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: one crime of human nature that we cannot ignore. The 123 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: criminalization of the unhoused, the indifference and the harmful ordnances 124 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: that has been enacted has come back to haunt us. 125 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: The closing of the libraries where unhoused people use sanitarizations, 126 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: cleaning themselves up, charging their phones, because hostile businesses have 127 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: adopted hostile architecture and horace policies to penalize unhouse people 128 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: from carrying their belongings and being part of the cammunity 129 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: based on fears, distrust, and lack of understanding and compassion, 130 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: has led us as a society to really not care 131 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: as we should. But history has a funny way of 132 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 1: repeating itself and has a way of our descendants going 133 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: back and looking at how cruel and how injusts we were. 134 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: What will we be able to say and how will 135 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: we be able to justify these behaviors That the majority 136 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: of unhoused people are mentally ill and drug addicts, They're 137 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: not going to accept that that they were less dead 138 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 1: and we were concerned about property values. They are not 139 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: going to accept that that the external was more important 140 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: than the internal. The structures that we have in our 141 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: systems that could have been dismantled or expanded upon, that 142 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: we've showed cowardly not to act. That our civic leaders 143 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: folded and allowed a bunch of hateful people to push 144 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: your initiative through to lobbying efforts or to the most 145 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: hateful ideas of actions of vigilanteism, and they remain silent. 146 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: William Howes is a very integral part right now in history, 147 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: because this is going to be twenty to thirty years 148 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: from now people will research what do we do during 149 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: a pandemic? And I will be doing my best at 150 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: this podcast to highlight just the dabbage that has been caused. 151 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: But hopefully change could come a lot sooner, but hopefully 152 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: in the future they won't. Women's History Move creates an 153 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: opportunity for all of us to learn about the accomplishments 154 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: and the struggles of ordinary women doing extraordinary things. And 155 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: this is an app description of the coming guest. Her 156 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: name is Cindy Justice, and she she has explained to 157 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 1: us in our promo as well as on our interview 158 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: of the challenges that she faced trying to do the 159 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: right thing in an extraordinary circumstance, as well as how 160 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 1: difficult it is to try to stay optimistic for the housing. 161 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: Let's listen in to Cindy's story. This is Theo Henderson 162 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: from windy On House and I welcome you again for 163 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: our fifteenth episode of widy On House. March is Women's 164 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: History Mob, and I'm in highlighting the stories of women 165 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: that have been going through extraordinary circumstances. Sometimes ordinary people 166 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: are faced with extraordinary circumstances and we deal with it 167 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: in a unique way. We are aware of the coronavirus 168 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 1: as well, but I also want to highlight the challenges 169 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: more than just the coronavirus. And with that said, I 170 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: want to introduce our new guest, Cynthy, and she's going 171 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: to tell us a little bit about ourself. Hello Sidney, Hi, Hi, 172 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: how are you out today? I'd like to say that 173 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: my name is and I am unhoused. Okay, so tell 174 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: us how you became a house. I became unhoused because 175 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:16,079 Speaker 1: I was coming to California from a domestic violence situation, 176 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: and I got here and actually discovered that being homeless, 177 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: I was in a slight better situation because where I 178 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: came from, their homeless shelters were not quite as maybe 179 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 1: as nice as these homeless shelters. And then too, I 180 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: was going from couch to couch there, you know, from 181 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: my friend's house to another friend's house to another friend's house, 182 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 1: and coming here it was a little bit easier and 183 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: I was able to get into many shelters. Okay, so 184 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: the question is it's like, you've been going to many 185 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: shelters and why haven't you got in housing. That has 186 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: been a long process of story. I've been on quite 187 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: a few waiting miss time. I mean I thought that 188 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: because I have several positive which is distinctive disability, I 189 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: thought I might be at the top of some list, 190 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: but unfortunately not. So I've encountered a lot of situations 191 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: having to do with homeless and the Union Rescue Mission, 192 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: which has been one shelter that everybody is sent to. 193 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: I didn't know that it was going to be so hard. 194 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 1: I actually saved up about three five hundred dollars and 195 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,599 Speaker 1: they said that they can do that absolutely nothing for me. 196 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: So they referred me to another shelter with another program. 197 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: So this is for the answers what the audiences are 198 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: always saying that people that want to go shelter, she's 199 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: been going to shelter after shelter and me in house. 200 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: People really don't want shelters. I don't want shelter. I 201 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: want to be housed. So exactly what your experience is, 202 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: because after all these shelters, I would have expected that 203 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: you would want it to be placed somewhere a little 204 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: more stable. Of course. Yeah, it's that's been the undaunting 205 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 1: part of being homeless. You go from the shelter, this shelter, 206 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: and from programming program and you're saying, Okay, when is 207 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: this going ten? And so how can I make it in? 208 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,560 Speaker 1: Which has been the complicated answer. I see, you know, 209 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: how long have you been in house? I have been 210 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: on house for the whole two years that I have 211 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 1: been here. That's that's sad. So tell us a little 212 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: bit about your experiences at these shelters. Is it true 213 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 1: that they have curfews and have strict rules or is 214 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: it easy psy It's true that they have curfews, They 215 00:13:55,120 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 1: have all kind of rules. I mean, they let me 216 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: stop you there. Is it the same kind of rules 217 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: when people have at houses that's sitting in their house 218 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: enjoying themselves and thinking it's so easy. Why they go 219 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: to go to shelters. Oh no, it's uh, it's really 220 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: quite complicated. It's uh. They tell you to go to 221 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 1: so many meetings and do this and this and this 222 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: and get to get mental health. And that was one 223 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: thing I thought that was quite interesting. Here do you 224 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: have mental health issues? I can say I do, but 225 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: I kind of fell in with everybody else and what 226 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: they told me to do. But I noticed that even 227 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: after my mental health appointments with more than one mental 228 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: health profession, by the way, I have been not how still, 229 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: but that was one of the requirements for getting housing. Uh. 230 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: And that was the rule of the shelter. You must 231 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: be under the mental health and even if you don't 232 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: have mental health issues, you have to be on their 233 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: mental health route. Yeah. Yeah, that that's what they do. 234 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: They when when I was talking to the lady or 235 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: the the case worker, I should say at the Union 236 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: Rescue mission. Uh, she was saying because at the at 237 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: the at the time, I didn't have mental health at all. 238 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: I didn't know necessarily about mental health. Uh, but when 239 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: I was there, she was saying, you were not doing 240 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: your footwork. And man, you're not doing your footwork, you 241 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: have cerebal palsy, that's what I thought. So I had 242 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: to go out and find mental health appointments. I had 243 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: to go out and find housing. I had to go 244 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:51,479 Speaker 1: out and find all kind of stuff. This is ridiculous. 245 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: I can't. I'm sorry. Yeah, this has been my experience. 246 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: It's been crazy and and and and they tell you 247 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: to save money as well, and that's what I was 248 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: upset about. Okay, I've done your rules from A to 249 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: Z basically, and I saved up so much money, and 250 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: then you still have no idea about any kind of 251 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: housing program or anything that you could get me into 252 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: that would actually get me housing for the money that 253 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: I saved up. So it seems like that program was 254 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: based off of these not in my backyard people that 255 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: I see at Studio City that keep playing playing this 256 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: game about all in house people are mentally ill, and 257 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: yet you're doing all what you're supposed to do and 258 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: you still have no housing. They just don't want to 259 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: see it. Sounds like they don't want to see you, 260 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: and they just want to just justify bad hatred by 261 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: using these crazy rules. So have you lived on the streets. 262 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: I lived on the streets briefly. I was in attent 263 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: before going to another shelter. A motel was paid for me, 264 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,679 Speaker 1: and my daughter paid for a couple of hotels in 265 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: the process, and then I've been to three shelters. So 266 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: it's been been kind of quite a drink. Is your 267 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: daughter on house suit? My daughter is a house as 268 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: well with her five year old son. My god, is 269 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: she living on the street as well? Oh? Yeah, she is, 270 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: actually man, She is actually living in her car. And 271 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: she said, Mom, I'm not going through what you're going 272 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 1: through the same way that you go through it. You're 273 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 1: doing all the rules and it still doesn't help. So 274 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: I'm not obeying the rule and still being housed. That's 275 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: that's the distinction. I'm glad you pointed out. You can 276 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: do all the rules that you can put up going 277 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: to man and they still are not housing you. So 278 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: it's a farce and it's ridiculous that you have to 279 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: house people have to jump to so many ridiculous hoops 280 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: because they have our service resisted. It's the term that 281 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: neighborhood prosecutors, Los Angeles Police Department officers as well as 282 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: did Tony that well healed residents that pay into the system. 283 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,640 Speaker 1: I have on that same note, have you had any 284 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: encounters with police officers that were they did sweep so 285 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: anything to you? Yeah. When I first got here, I 286 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: didn't know too much about Los Angeles. So I was 287 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: on the street one day and I just I was like, hey, please, 288 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 1: some lost Can you at least give me a ride 289 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: or give me some directions to how to get back home. 290 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: I noticed he just kind of looked at me and 291 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,679 Speaker 1: he said, no, I can't help you. And also my 292 00:18:53,800 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: daughter ran into a situation where they were just say 293 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: they were hounding her because she was on the on 294 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: the street, specifically in a tent and dealing with her 295 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: five year old son, and that we're trying to get 296 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: more information about her kid more than trying to house 297 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: her with her kid. So, I mean I have heard 298 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: stories and a lot of interviews. A lot of people 299 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: have been afraid to come on and interview because this 300 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: is another corruptive measure from Los Angeles Police Department and prosecutors. 301 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 1: They have been trying to run after mothers with cheers 302 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 1: that are un housed and threaten them to take their children. 303 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: That's another cruel tactic that they're saying that they're unfit 304 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: mothers and putting them in the system. Exactly, That's exactly 305 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: what happened. And so she became scared and we were 306 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: trying to figure out a plan, so her baby went 307 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: off to be in the street. Because we are actually 308 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: dealing with being in house and all of the everything 309 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: that goes with it. And it's hard because you don't 310 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 1: want your five year old sign but to you know, 311 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 1: to be homeless with you. But we've tried to take 312 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 1: measures and found a babysitter and just did all kinds 313 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: of stuff. But still, I mean, she still wasn't housed 314 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: after she came up with solutions for her baby. This 315 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: is a heartbreaking account of you to tell me, and 316 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: it makes me angry when I go to these places 317 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: and I see these police officers touting this drug addicted 318 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: mental health thing, and neighborhood prosecutors and other well dressed 319 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: move talking politicians that are blaming but they are part 320 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: of the problem. They are the criminals and criminalizing unhoused people. 321 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: They say it's not a crime to be poor, but 322 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: damn it. You have a lot of people that are 323 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: on have records and having to get their records expunged 324 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: because you are criminalizing them. How is it helping on 325 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:05,959 Speaker 1: house people. It's crazy, It's crazy. I am. One of 326 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: my major problems with being on a housed is that 327 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: I'm on a s as I fixed your income, and 328 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: housing is too expensive here for even someone on society 329 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: with that physical disability and a mental issue. If I 330 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:30,400 Speaker 1: might say that want you to be mental and take 331 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 1: the medication which I think sometimes makes you works. But 332 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: even with my income, I have to figure out getting 333 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: a job, going to school, which I don't mind, but 334 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: this is a it's a real stumbling block for housing 335 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: because I shouldn't have to do all of that. I'm 336 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: already disabled, so it's it's just been hard. Here's an example, 337 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: a prime example from a person that is physic disabled. 338 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: You cannot deny she's not disabled, and you cannot deny 339 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: that she's been not doing what you're supposed to do 340 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: as you as the system is always dictates. But this 341 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:12,919 Speaker 1: is why I argue that the system needs to be 342 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: overhauled and our perceptions and allowing these people that hate 343 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,880 Speaker 1: unhouse people to be eradicated and change and given less 344 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: of a voice because they are doing more harm with 345 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 1: this narrative. And police officers and prosecutors are drinking it 346 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: up because they are trying to appeal to their political base, 347 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: and politicians are equally guilty. What is the best way 348 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: for us to help you? The best way, I think 349 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: is to have some landlords or somebody, if we can 350 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: find some decent I mean, you know, people who would 351 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 1: have a heart and would give people a second chance 352 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: to help us. I would like to say, we need 353 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: to be helped on fixed income or even gr is less, 354 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: significantly less than a society. I also want to point 355 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: out to you this too, that President Trump has just 356 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: moved to cut benefits for people that are disabled, and 357 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: they have to no matter what disabled. Like for example, 358 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: my guest I had over a couple of episodes ago, 359 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: he's gutting him cancer. He has to get up and 360 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,239 Speaker 1: find a job at in stage cancer where he can 361 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: barely move. If he does not, his benefits are going 362 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 1: to be taken. Oh that's just ridiculous. That's just ridiculous. 363 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: But I mean, this is the world, this is a 364 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 1: society we live in today, and I want to send 365 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,479 Speaker 1: up and say, look, this is wrong. Somebody needs to 366 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:57,360 Speaker 1: change their heart, their mind, the spirit, and just become 367 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: more understanding because it's I mean, if a person can't move, 368 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: then they can't move. I do have some moving parts, 369 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: and I can try to go find a part time dog, 370 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: but it's going to be hard. It's ridiculous to try 371 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: to push yourself to do something that's difficult. That's difficult. 372 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: But what if but whatef a person that's doing chemotherapy 373 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: or is at the end stage of cancer and he 374 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 1: can't move. I mean, what are you going to do? 375 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: You cut him off for benefits, He's not going to 376 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 1: be able to support himself. Secondly, what if you have 377 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 1: someone that's a paraplegic and they have other health issues 378 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 1: as well, and you keep saying this drug and miseral health. 379 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: They're not doing what they're supposed to do and they're 380 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,239 Speaker 1: out here on the street. It's a lie. And it's like, 381 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: it's long past time for me to get out of 382 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: this lie as a society and face our really are. 383 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: The truth of the matter. The system is not working 384 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:55,360 Speaker 1: with capitalism. Capitalism has a game played for winners and losers. 385 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: What happens. If you lose. Everybody can't be rich, everybody 386 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: can't be class. We got people that are in different circumstances. 387 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: And if we have vis I got in mind, the 388 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 1: hell with you, you you get yours, then we all are 389 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: going to suffer. Because there is any time that there's injustice, 390 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: there's going to be crime, and there's going to be 391 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,439 Speaker 1: a revolution, a revolution of mind, a revolution of spirit, 392 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,440 Speaker 1: and revolution of body. So if you want to talk 393 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,360 Speaker 1: about freedom and you don't want to do the work, 394 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: so take the word freedom out of your vocabulary. This 395 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: is THEO Henderson from Weed the Young House. I thank 396 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: you all for listening, and I truly hope that we 397 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: meet again in a light of understanding. This is on 398 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: House News and lax police officer has tested positive for 399 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: the coronavirus. Officials are working to find out how many 400 00:25:55,840 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: police officers have been in contact with this officer. In 401 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:09,199 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom, police are to get powers to detain 402 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: people suspecting of having coronavirus nineteen under emergency law and 403 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 1: New Rochelle, New York, a suburb as the largest cluster 404 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: of coronavirus nineteen. One hundred and eight cases are confirmed. 405 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,439 Speaker 1: Governor Andrew Coroma is deploying, but National Guard there. This 406 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: is now a mitigation strategy. This is strategy includes closing schools, 407 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 1: community centers, and houses of worships within one mile radius 408 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,919 Speaker 1: of the center of the outbreak, which is believed to 409 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: be started from a synagogue. Facts and myths. It is 410 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: a myth that coronavirus was man made because coronavirus is 411 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:04,719 Speaker 1: a disease that permutated from an existing virus. Coronavirus can 412 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: live up to two days on hard surfaces. The coronavirus 413 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: is primarily spread through coffee or sneezing, or through droplets 414 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: or saliva or discharge through your nose. You cannot protect 415 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: yourself by swallowing or gargling with bleach, paint, dinner, did dot, 416 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:29,359 Speaker 1: oug steroids, salt water, ethanol, mouthwash, or other substances. It 417 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 1: is also false that ordering on buying products from China 418 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,120 Speaker 1: will make a person sick. The coronavirus does not live 419 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 1: very long on surfaces. It's a two day lifespand so 420 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,399 Speaker 1: it is unlikely if a package that has been in 421 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: transit for days and weeks will have the coronavirus. A 422 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: face mask will not protect you from the coronavirus nineteen. 423 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: The face masks allow tiny infected droplets to get in 424 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: your nose, mouth, or eyes. People with respiratory issues can 425 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,679 Speaker 1: wear these masks to lessen their chances of infecting others. 426 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: So if you have a respiratory issue other than coronavirus 427 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: or coronavirus, that is when it's appropriate. But if you 428 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,439 Speaker 1: do not, and you're putting on a face mask, that 429 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 1: is only increasing your chance to get the coronavirus. Kalala 430 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,120 Speaker 1: is one of the highlighted women that we're recognizing on 431 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: March Women's History. Above. Her stories talks about her travail 432 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: of being in house and dealing with families with trauma 433 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: and how she overcame it. So here's Kalela's story. So 434 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 1: continuing on with the interview, she was basically before we 435 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 1: were loudly interrupted with the Chinese fair parade festivities. We 436 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: were talking about how did she see the light and 437 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: such those dark times and she was explaining it little 438 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: bit to us, So tell us a little bit about that. Yeah, 439 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: there's a lot of a lot of factors that led 440 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: to that. I guess place of hope, hope and faith 441 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: and trust and you know, I'm still working through it. 442 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: Like I mentioned, but it was a combination of supportive 443 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: friends who really showed me what it is to still 444 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: participate in life. Because at the time when I was 445 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: in the facility, I would just be inside most of 446 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: the day and be part of a group work that 447 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: really really helped me in my rehabilitation process. But it 448 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: was in the moments where they, for example, brought me 449 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: to maybe to the park or get some ice cream, 450 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: that I was reminded that I can have my life 451 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: again in terms of integrating back and still enjoying. What 452 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 1: does it mean to still feel joy? And on top 453 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: of those experiences, I tried to surround myself with positive things, 454 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: so I spent a lot of time at the Late 455 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: Public Library. One of the blessings of that's helped me 456 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: on this path is just being surrounded by these books. 457 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: I had to really recover my reading process because at 458 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 1: the time it was really difficult to read a single 459 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: sentence and a paragraph. So I tried my best to 460 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,920 Speaker 1: develop that ability again at the library. On top of 461 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: the group sessions, the group work and the more I 462 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: understood through my sessions with my trauma informed counselors and 463 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: therapists I started to actually transform that understanding and judgment 464 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 1: of myself and be more grateful for my ability to survive. 465 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: So the more I got to see that, I started 466 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: to embrace where I was and work with where I 467 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: was at and just keep moving forward because I knew 468 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: everything in life is a process. The body has an 469 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: ability to heal, and then what was happening to me 470 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: was just my body's reaction to those traumatic experiences in 471 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: my life where I didn't have the ability to cope 472 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: and heal from. And so what was happening was a 473 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: delay in that release, I would say. But like I mentioned, 474 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: I'm still in that process right now, still holding on 475 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: to that hope, still holding on to that knowing that 476 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: everything is to lead to a direction where hopefully my 477 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: story does inspire you and other people around me, because 478 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: life is all about growth, recovery and healing and community building. 479 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: Well said. I want to also point out as well, 480 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: Maya Angelo had the similar experience that traumatic experience happened 481 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: to her, but she stops speaking for over a year, 482 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: and then there's a lot of people that are going 483 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: out that has had trauma, and our society is very 484 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: blaming and shaming type of environment that we don't embrace that. 485 00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: So this is theil Henderson with the with the young 486 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: house and I thank you all for listening and maybe 487 00:31:51,680 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: again meet in the light of understanding. Leo Henderson here 488 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 1: in street Watch Chinatown today November fourteen, twenty nineteen. I've 489 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: invited with the UCLA Law School to be a part 490 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: of a panel to discuss on house issues and the 491 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: criminalization that follows with it and further on. In this episode, 492 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: we will interview a couple of the panel guests as 493 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: well as some of the other members in the audience 494 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: to get their perspectives and ideas in order for us 495 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: to come back the growing hostility and vigilantisms that follow 496 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,720 Speaker 1: by the council member, police and citizens in the Los 497 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: Angeles area. Good morning, This is DEEO Henderson from Street 498 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: Watch Chinatown. We are here at the UCLA campus today. 499 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: I have three people that are impacted in this social 500 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: justice arenas for Joanna Swan, Lydia and Jane Wynn. So 501 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: I'm going to start off with asking a few questions 502 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 1: about how did you guys get into with the social 503 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 1: justice arena. Well, I start off by holding a sign 504 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: in the middle of the street because there was a 505 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,040 Speaker 1: protest against a homeless shelter in my neighborhood of Korea Town, 506 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: and that's really where it started. And then we started 507 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: talking to the unhouse neighbors of Koreatown and finding out 508 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: that there's a lot of needs that aren't being met, 509 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: and so we just started organizing and trying to meet 510 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 1: those needs and advocate on behalf of our neighbors who 511 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: are homeless. I got involved. I guess there's so much parts, 512 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 1: but I got involved with street Watch because I heard 513 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: what was happening on I used to live on the 514 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: West Side and it was just like pretty easy to 515 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 1: show up, and I started going every week, and yeah, 516 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: it's cool to get to know people like neighbors. And 517 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: it felt like it made like somewhat of a difference 518 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 1: in terms of like cops being different when we were 519 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: watching them. So yeah, that's all gone off with this 520 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: part of part of the movement. I guess I started 521 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 1: to get involved in when I was living on the 522 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: border of skid Row and the Arts District and one 523 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,720 Speaker 1: of our unhoused neighbors was getting really harassed pretty brutally 524 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: by the Business Improvement District there. He had all of 525 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 1: his belongings lit on fire by an off duty security 526 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 1: patrol in order to clear him from stairwell where he 527 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,960 Speaker 1: had been residing for a long time. And then my 528 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 1: community and I were impacted with an illegal eviction from 529 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 1: our landlord, and kind of the gentrification there pushed us 530 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 1: out of our bode and I found myself getting involved 531 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: with the tenants Union through that, and then through the 532 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 1: tenants Union, learned more about the Housing and Homelessness Committee 533 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: in DSA and the streetwatch program that had been started 534 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: through that. Yeah, just kind of a continuing journey. What 535 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 1: I've noticed from all of you guys is that one 536 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: of the biggest things that I've noticed as being on 537 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:13,319 Speaker 1: house is the myth of how helpful the police and 538 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: how nice the police and business and district improvement district 539 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: people really are. When you become on the other side 540 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: of defense, they don't really take you seriously or they 541 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 1: look at you as the problem, and people that have 542 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:29,760 Speaker 1: money or businesses have the power. What was your guys' experience, 543 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: Were you guys at the myth that police could do 544 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,960 Speaker 1: no wrong or that they were so great they were 545 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:40,840 Speaker 1: officer friendly. Yeah, Well, my views on police involvement have 546 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 1: shifted dramatically ever since I became involved, because I'm a petty, 547 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: little Asian girl and who has never been harassed by 548 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: the police, and so I'd always view them as helpful 549 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: and friendly. But then when I came to the other 550 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: side and I started advocating on half of our unhoused neighbors, 551 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:07,319 Speaker 1: it's a completely different relationship. It's it's really unfortunate, but 552 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 1: I feel as though the police can police involvement can 553 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: only be a negative thing, unfortunately because of the trauma 554 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: that people have experienced at the hands of the police, 555 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:24,200 Speaker 1: and so even if the cops are there with good intentions, 556 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: I feel like it only escalates situations. So yeah, I 557 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: have a much different perspective on police involvement now, and 558 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 1: I feel like I believe that they are not at 559 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: all necessary and they should be removed from homeless outreach altogether. Yeah, 560 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I feel like truly fucked twelve. The like 561 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 1: police are so dedicated to maintaining like white property interests 562 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: from like their history as slave catchers to the present, 563 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,439 Speaker 1: and you really see that in the way that they 564 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: police unhouse people. I feel like that like kind of 565 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 1: what Jane was saying, just like the trauma that they create, 566 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 1: and the kind of pleasure they take in enacting violence 567 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: is really surprising. I think that people who like are 568 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: housed and just kind of see on house people's like, oh, 569 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: I feel unsafe, I don't want them in my neighborhood 570 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: are really grateful for police because they think, Okay, they're 571 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,480 Speaker 1: just kind of moving this thing I don't want. But 572 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 1: watching the police actually interact with people who like are 573 00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:35,280 Speaker 1: living like on for me, on Venice boardwalk or whatever, 574 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:38,800 Speaker 1: they it's not just it's like a such a different 575 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 1: level of cruelty and like very intentional, like not just 576 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: trying to move people, but trying to like really scare 577 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 1: them from ever coming back or like just kind of 578 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:56,839 Speaker 1: destroy them emotionally as well. Like people who like would 579 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 1: be on the other side of a police caution tape 580 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: from all of their below and nothing would have happened yet, 581 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: but the police would just enforce it. They couldn't take anything, 582 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: or you know, just really escalating situations. And I've seen 583 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,280 Speaker 1: like a lot of people who are just like really amazing, 584 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: happy people living on the boardwalk just be like the 585 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:21,200 Speaker 1: most kind of like stereotype aggressive comes when the police 586 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: are really threatening, like everything that they have and then 587 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 1: it's like it just escalates so quickly. So yeah, the 588 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: police are i think, really a torment to all of 589 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:36,719 Speaker 1: LA including on house people. Yeah, definitely, it's tricky with 590 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:40,479 Speaker 1: like the bid patrols because a lot of the time 591 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: these are like eighteen nineteen year old kids being pitted 592 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 1: against you know, their fellow LATINX community or working class community, 593 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:54,440 Speaker 1: and it's heartbreaking to see like that systemic kind of violence. 594 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: But also the mythology of like there's a few good 595 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:04,240 Speaker 1: cops or bad apples, like is kind of the lie 596 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 1: of that is drawn in such clear context when you're 597 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:10,399 Speaker 1: on the street and you see, like it doesn't really 598 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: matter if there's a nice cop or what, because at 599 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:15,719 Speaker 1: the end of the day, they're in the service of 600 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 1: an incredibly unjust system that has historically oppressed the most 601 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:26,200 Speaker 1: marginalized of our communities. But it's yeah, I mean, it's 602 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: it's doing street watch work has been pretty illuminating in 603 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 1: terms of my own privilegees and like where i can 604 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:39,839 Speaker 1: be and situate myself as a white woman, and I'm 605 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:42,840 Speaker 1: always happy to be able to use that privilege to 606 00:39:43,719 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 1: the movement's benefit. But yeah, I mean I've been to 607 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 1: a fair amount of bid meetings, so those are like 608 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:56,799 Speaker 1: executive boards that are made up mostly of developers, and 609 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:00,239 Speaker 1: there's almost always a police like a senior officer at 610 00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:03,279 Speaker 1: these meetings, and it's very revealing of kind of the 611 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 1: constant communication that the ruling class is in with law enforcement, 612 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,840 Speaker 1: and who's honestly like always being served by law enforcement 613 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:18,799 Speaker 1: is those wealthy people. I have a personal experience that 614 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:20,920 Speaker 1: have happened a few days ago, and I was talking 615 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 1: to one of the directors of the Alpine Recreation Center 616 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,239 Speaker 1: and I had the conversation from the standpoint that she 617 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,720 Speaker 1: said that you know, the police is just just called. 618 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 1: They are not really bad people. And then I looked 619 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 1: at the situation where the lady that called the police 620 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 1: and was actively trying to weaponize the police on me, 621 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:46,240 Speaker 1: and how that is a reality for us as unhoused people. 622 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,480 Speaker 1: Her major thing was she was on Twitter. She's told me, 623 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,680 Speaker 1: told me in so many words that I am not 624 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:55,120 Speaker 1: a community member, even though I lived in that area 625 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,240 Speaker 1: before I became a house I am a homeless man 626 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: that leaves his trash and harassed children at the park. 627 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 1: And that really is the line of that was designed 628 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:09,840 Speaker 1: deliberately to rankle everyone that who hates unhouse people or 629 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:13,239 Speaker 1: have the view of unhoused people as a danger to 630 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 1: the property values and people. So, what is the most 631 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 1: frustrating things that you've seen on the street when you're 632 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:33,160 Speaker 1: dealing with unhoused people, interactions with police or bid hm frustrating? Well, 633 00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:36,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's a lot. I can't really think of 634 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,680 Speaker 1: any particular instances right now. Well, I guess I think 635 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:46,200 Speaker 1: the overall apathy of the surrounding community is what frustrates 636 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:54,240 Speaker 1: me the most, because if they're not apathetic, then they're hostile. Yeah, 637 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 1: And like they would be installing planters and fencing and 638 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:03,320 Speaker 1: trying to chase on has people away from an unoccupied 639 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:08,399 Speaker 1: plot of grass or and it's just like it really 640 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:10,880 Speaker 1: doesn't make any sense for them to go out of 641 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:15,879 Speaker 1: their way to make people's lives even harder. So that's 642 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 1: the most frustrating thing. Like, I feel like ran in 643 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: the midst of a humanitarian crisis and everyone should be concerned, 644 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 1: but instead of being concerned and trying to help, they're 645 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,719 Speaker 1: going out of their way to hurt people. So that's 646 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:36,399 Speaker 1: something that makes me, you know, so angry. Yeah, there's 647 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:40,680 Speaker 1: a lot of frustrating things for sure. I think sort 648 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:42,160 Speaker 1: of like I was talking about before, I think it's 649 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 1: really frustrating to watch people. There's all people's stuff be 650 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:52,640 Speaker 1: taken like so quickly, and there's just been like a 651 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,600 Speaker 1: lot of times where like the person like like there's 652 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 1: a sweep zone and the person is like two steps 653 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:00,919 Speaker 1: away from exiting the sweep zone when the police come 654 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: and instead of like having the ability like they have 655 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:07,120 Speaker 1: the ability to just say, oh whatever, go, but they're like, oh, sorry, 656 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:11,000 Speaker 1: like you now you're stuck. Or someone who like has 657 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:14,720 Speaker 1: like one thing that can't fit in the like stupid 658 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:18,280 Speaker 1: bag and then like, oh that thing is now lost. 659 00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:22,920 Speaker 1: And it's just these like stupid arbitrary rules that really 660 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,640 Speaker 1: like I can't like and it just it punishes people 661 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 1: for doing like tiny things like sleeping in an extra 662 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,200 Speaker 1: ten minutes or going to get a cup of coffee, 663 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:35,040 Speaker 1: and it's like to not have the ability to do 664 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:38,399 Speaker 1: those tiny things is so such a dehumanizing process. It's 665 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 1: really frustrating. Yeah, it's frustrating to me, especially to see 666 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:49,919 Speaker 1: people feeling the need to prove their humanity constantly, that 667 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 1: like burden is constantly placed on unhoused and poor people 668 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:58,919 Speaker 1: to prove that they're worth taking up space in the society, 669 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:02,600 Speaker 1: where like we're at the point where mental health and 670 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:07,200 Speaker 1: drug use is so stigmatized for poor people that you know, 671 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: you have to say, well, I'm not a drug user, 672 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:14,160 Speaker 1: I don't have you know, I'm I'm healthy, Like you 673 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:19,120 Speaker 1: constantly have to legitimize yourself. And what that leads to 674 00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:22,319 Speaker 1: is people not first of all, not feeling like they 675 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:27,120 Speaker 1: are fundamentally legitimate in the society, but also just that 676 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 1: the people who do need that help are seen as 677 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:38,160 Speaker 1: subhuman And it's it's just heartbreaking because sweeps like having 678 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,360 Speaker 1: to move your stuff all the time, or be protecting 679 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 1: yourself from the city and from law enforcement or hostile 680 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 1: homeowners is incredibly taxing on your mental health already, and 681 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 1: so just the like the amount of self care that 682 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 1: people are forced to do on their own with no 683 00:44:55,480 --> 00:45:00,600 Speaker 1: support is just astounding to me as someone who struggles 684 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,480 Speaker 1: with my own mental health issues and is housed. It's 685 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,480 Speaker 1: very difficult for me to imagine dealing with that every 686 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:12,759 Speaker 1: day and being able to maintain as well as so 687 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:17,400 Speaker 1: many people I know do. So what you guys do, 688 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:19,200 Speaker 1: what we have here at this table and we have 689 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:21,839 Speaker 1: discussed on our way over is one of the challenges 690 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 1: of our privilege. I am on housed, but i'm I 691 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:27,760 Speaker 1: have my undergraduate in education, and I was an educator 692 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,719 Speaker 1: before I became unhoused, and I also have worked toward 693 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 1: my masters. The thing with it is that I noticed 694 00:45:34,719 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 1: with me, my privilege is to be able to communicate 695 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:43,520 Speaker 1: with higher authorities and communicate in a way to de 696 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:48,160 Speaker 1: escalate situations and to work things toward my favor. Conversely, 697 00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:52,239 Speaker 1: where someone that has some trauma or has been traumatized 698 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:55,640 Speaker 1: so much they have a breakdown or a barrier and 699 00:45:56,040 --> 00:46:00,600 Speaker 1: they can't get through to the authorities like sanitation, police 700 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:04,439 Speaker 1: and so where things can be easily swept away when 701 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:08,640 Speaker 1: they are agitated. What things that you could do? What 702 00:46:08,719 --> 00:46:11,640 Speaker 1: things for someone that really really wants to help. What 703 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 1: would your suggestion and what privileges do you feel that 704 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: you guys have and how can you make it a 705 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:23,359 Speaker 1: positive instead of looking at it as a burden. Well, 706 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 1: while we were in the car over, I was expressing 707 00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:31,239 Speaker 1: my guilt over all of my privileges because I have, well, 708 00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:34,399 Speaker 1: I'm housed, I have disposable income to be able to 709 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:39,120 Speaker 1: spend it on eating meals at restaurants, for example, and 710 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:41,200 Speaker 1: that's a luxury that a lot of people don't have. 711 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:46,279 Speaker 1: So instead of feeling guilty, THEO recommended that I be 712 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:50,360 Speaker 1: grateful for it and I really look at my privilege 713 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:54,440 Speaker 1: in a way that can best improve society. And so 714 00:46:54,480 --> 00:47:00,560 Speaker 1: that's what I'm working towards now, is to just use 715 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:05,000 Speaker 1: my privilege for the good of the community. And I 716 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:08,360 Speaker 1: would say, if you are someone who has all these privileges, 717 00:47:09,719 --> 00:47:15,000 Speaker 1: be mindful of your privileges and and speak out. You know, 718 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:19,480 Speaker 1: it's really important that you are vocal, either on social 719 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 1: media or in person, because there's a lot of anti 720 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:30,520 Speaker 1: homeless voices that are calling for dehumanizing and extremely harsh 721 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:34,520 Speaker 1: and punitive policies. So it's really important that if you're 722 00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:39,440 Speaker 1: compassionate and you have the privilege to please speak out. Yeah, 723 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:46,160 Speaker 1: totally second everything, Jane says. I would also just say, 724 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:48,719 Speaker 1: like the smallest thing like people who are housed can 725 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:52,640 Speaker 1: do is like not call the cops. And like, I mean, 726 00:47:52,719 --> 00:47:54,520 Speaker 1: I feel like that people who are houses have a 727 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:57,279 Speaker 1: lot of trouble seeing people who are not living like 728 00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:01,360 Speaker 1: in an apartment as their neighbors, and like I just 729 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:05,080 Speaker 1: think about, like if my like my neighbor is like whatever, 730 00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:07,239 Speaker 1: like leave something on their porch or is like having 731 00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:08,760 Speaker 1: a party, Like I'm not going to call the cops 732 00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:11,000 Speaker 1: on them, but we just see like people who are 733 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:13,279 Speaker 1: like on the street instead of under a roof is 734 00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:15,840 Speaker 1: so much more disposable and so just at least just 735 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:18,600 Speaker 1: kind of being like if you feel inconvenience, just being 736 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:20,560 Speaker 1: like okay, like this is my neighbor that kind of 737 00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 1: annoys me sometimes instead of being like, this is a 738 00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:25,560 Speaker 1: person that I can like remove at my convenience, is like, 739 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,880 Speaker 1: I think a really important first step to like at 740 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:33,560 Speaker 1: least doing less harm with your privilege. Yeah. Yeah, I 741 00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:36,560 Speaker 1: think another thing you mentioned on the right over THEO 742 00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:39,919 Speaker 1: is trauma informed care, And I think that that kind 743 00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 1: of coming at issues with empathetic and compassionate bent to 744 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:51,680 Speaker 1: them and understanding the politicals situation that has informed a 745 00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: lot of trauma in the first place, like can be 746 00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:57,799 Speaker 1: healing for all parties involved. Like for myself, I think 747 00:48:57,840 --> 00:49:03,279 Speaker 1: it's been extremely good learning and growing and healing my 748 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:09,200 Speaker 1: own issues by working to understand and speak with other 749 00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:13,759 Speaker 1: folks that maybe aren't at that point yet. A lot 750 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:16,279 Speaker 1: of housed people are, you know, stuck in a lot 751 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:22,520 Speaker 1: of bad loops, like thought like whether it's discriminatory beliefs 752 00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:29,440 Speaker 1: about race or class or gender, or you know, misinformed 753 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:36,120 Speaker 1: ideas about addiction. I think like so much can be 754 00:49:36,160 --> 00:49:40,719 Speaker 1: turned into learning opportunities when we are starting from that 755 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 1: place of compassion and understanding the fundamental injustices that have 756 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:51,680 Speaker 1: been at work for centuries in this country. Thank you, guys, 757 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:55,040 Speaker 1: we are on our way into the panel. Now we 758 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:57,880 Speaker 1: will pick up in another time. Again, guys, thank you 759 00:49:57,920 --> 00:50:00,719 Speaker 1: for listening and maybe get meet in the life of understanding. 760 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:16,399 Speaker 1: Thank you, Thank you. This episode could not have been 761 00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:19,799 Speaker 1: done without the help and support of now that, I'm 762 00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:22,080 Speaker 1: so excited to say that some of you, guys have 763 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:24,799 Speaker 1: been contributed to my Patreon and I give a very 764 00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:28,360 Speaker 1: heartfelt thank you to all of you that have reached 765 00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:32,239 Speaker 1: out and been impacted by my episodes as well as 766 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:37,840 Speaker 1: financially contributed. I wanted to get particular thanks to my editor, 767 00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:42,360 Speaker 1: Carl Nietto. I also want to thank Jet Period, an 768 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,480 Speaker 1: excellent organizer. In order for me to get into the 769 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:49,800 Speaker 1: house encampments in order for me to interview some people. 770 00:50:50,239 --> 00:50:52,680 Speaker 1: I like to thank the residents of Chatsworth. I like 771 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:56,879 Speaker 1: to thank the residents of downtown La Echo Park as 772 00:50:56,920 --> 00:50:59,919 Speaker 1: well as Hollywood and other areas that I have also 773 00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:03,880 Speaker 1: not only in Los Angeles but also around the world. 774 00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:07,680 Speaker 1: I also wanted to think as well, it's some very 775 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:13,960 Speaker 1: key people that have helped me while I have been unhoused. 776 00:51:14,920 --> 00:51:20,120 Speaker 1: That is Michelle lu from Bistro Zen and Mario Craig 777 00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:23,840 Speaker 1: Wang from CCED, as well as many of the neighborhood 778 00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:29,799 Speaker 1: residents here in Chinatown. Again, we are strongest by our 779 00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,600 Speaker 1: weakest linked and our weakest leak is stronger when we 780 00:51:32,719 --> 00:51:36,200 Speaker 1: band together. So when any of us have faced an 781 00:51:36,200 --> 00:51:41,600 Speaker 1: insurmountable challenge, it is not always necessary to use or 782 00:51:42,040 --> 00:51:46,560 Speaker 1: demonize a vulnerable population, but we can do better by 783 00:51:46,719 --> 00:51:50,840 Speaker 1: embracing and helping one another instead of weaponizing police and 784 00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:55,719 Speaker 1: city council apparatus. Thank you all, and maybe again meet 785 00:51:55,719 --> 00:52:06,480 Speaker 1: in the light of understanding. Episode fifteen highlighted different extraordinary 786 00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:09,719 Speaker 1: women and their travails and their successes and their challenges. 787 00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:13,279 Speaker 1: We also am going a challenge with the coronavirus, so 788 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:15,919 Speaker 1: I asked our listeners to stay safe, do not fall 789 00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:19,080 Speaker 1: into the fear of panic and discrimination and hatred for 790 00:52:19,160 --> 00:52:21,799 Speaker 1: one another. And I thank you all for listening. May 791 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:25,440 Speaker 1: we again meet in the light of understanding. If you 792 00:52:25,560 --> 00:52:28,840 Speaker 1: liked this episode, please contribute to our Patrion account.